Best Birthday Cake Cheesecake (so many sprinkles!)
Sometimes I make desserts that just scream LET’S CELEBRATE. This birthday cake cheesecake is that dessert 🎉. It’s a classic baked New York-style cheesecake loaded with rainbow jimmies throughout the batter AND the graham cracker crust. As if that wasn’t fun enough, it’s also topped with scoops of buttery edible sugar cookie dough to make it extra special. This recipe is basically a birthday party in cheesecake form.
Yes, you can have cheesecake as a birthday cake! It’s your birthday, you can make the rules.
When I was developing this recipe I wanted to take my classic cheesecake recipe but make it more special than just throwing jimmies into the batter, so I wondered: would baking sprinkles into the graham cracker crust work, or would they just melt?
Turns out they totally kept their shape and color. Wahoooo!
But as both a trained pastry chef and someone who needs zero excuse to throw a party, I couldn’t stop there. I topped the whole thing with scoops of my edible sugar cookie dough recipe, which meant more height, more sprinkles, and SO much more fun.
Let me show you how to make it!
Tips for a smooth crack free cheesecake
Firstly make sure everything is at room temperature, it 100% matters! Room temperature dairy creams well and folds in seamlessly to keep the batter dense and smooth. If you use cold ingredients, you’re running the risk of having a lumpy cheesecake. Nobody wants that.
If you can, after any mixer step, always follow up with scraping the bowl with a sturdy spatula because it helps to release any bubbles that were created by the mixer. This way your cheesecake wont have any sneaky air pockets that can create problems when baking.
Tapping the cheesecake a few times on the counter will also help to release any stuck air in the batter.
The water bath hack that cured my cheesecake anxiety
I love a good water bath in theory (the steam helps bake the cheesecake more evenly and slowly) but hate it in practice. The foil never seals perfectly, you’re carrying a sloshing pan of hot water across the kitchen, and there is always water in the crust. Always.
So I skip all of it.
Instead, I place a 9×13 baking pan filled with a few inches of water on the bottom rack of the oven while the cheesecake bakes on the rack above it. Same humid environment. No spills. No soggy crust. No anxiety. I’ve never looked back and now you don’t have to either.
You’re welcome.
To cool, turn the oven off, crack the door, and let it cool in the oven for an hour before moving it to the counter. That gradual temperature drop is what keeps the surface smooth. Then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
This also give you time to make the sugar cookie dough which takes literally just 10 minutes and can be made ahead.
When the cheesecake is chilled, top with whipped cream, scoops of sugar cookie dough, and more sprinkles.
Happy birthday!
Best Birthday Cake Cheesecake (so many sprinkles!)
Ingredients
Sprinkle Crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , 113g
- 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs , 165g
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tbsp rainbow jimmies
Cheesecake batter
- 32 oz cream cheese, 4, 8oz blocks, at room temp
- 1 cup sugar, 200 g
- 1 cup sour cream, 236g at room temp
- 4 eggs, large, at room temp
- 1/2 cup milk, at room temp
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup jimmies , rainbow sprinkles for batter
- 1 tbsp jimmies, rainbow sprinkles for cheesecake top
- Whipped cream, see recipe below
- 1 batch edible sugar cookie dough, see recipe below
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Place the 1/2 cup butter in a microwavable safe bowl and melt for 30 seconds at a time. Add the 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs and 2 tbsp sugar to the bowl. Mixl until it resembles wet sand.
- Add in 2 tbsp rainbow jimmy sprinkles and mix again.
- Spray a 9″ springform pan with baking spray or line with parchment paper and press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom and sides. You can use the bottom of a 1/3rd cup measuring cup to help press it down hard and evenly.
- Bake for 8 minutes.
- Immediately lower the oven temperature to 350° F.
- In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the 4 blocks of room temperature cream cheese and 1 cup sugar.
- Mix on low-medium speed for 1 minute, then add the 1 cup of sour cream and mix again. Scrape down the bowl.
- With the mixer on low add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between.
- Add the 1/2 cup milk, and 1 tbsp vanilla extract and mix on medium speed for one minute until silky.
- Scrape down the bowl and slowly mix by hand just to break up any bubbles creates by the mixer.
- Pour in 1/2 cup rainbow jimmy sprinkles and mix together.
- Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and sprinkle another 1 tbsp of sprinkles all over the top.
- Fill a 9×13 pan with 2 inches of water and place on the bottom rack of the oven.
- Place the cheesecake on the middle rack.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes.
- The cheesecake is done when the sides are set but the middle is still jiggly like jello.
- Turn the oven off and crack the oven door open a little bit.
- Leave the cheesecake to cool for one hour, then remove to finish cooling on the counter.
- Chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Top with whipped cream (homemade or store bought). Whip 1 cup of cold heavy cream on med high speed using a hand or stand mixer for 30 seconds. Add 2 tbsp powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and whip until soft peaks. Spread over the cheesecake.
- Make the edible sugar cookie dough and place on top of the whipped cream.
