Eggnog Chai Cheesecake
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A creamy cheesecake infused with eggnog and chai spices. Graham cracker crust with a buttery, spiced base baked lightly before the filling. Silky cream cheese mixed with sugar, eggnog, vanilla and a hint of rum extract for warmth. Baked in a water bath to avoid cracks, cooled gradually in the oven, then chilled well. Topped with whipped cream and sugared cranberries or a dusting of cinnamon. A festive twist with chai spice replacing nutmeg for a deeper, earthier aroma. Uses less sugar to balance the eggnog sweetness. Wraps in parchment and foil for clean edges and no leaks. A cracking, creamy, cozy winter treat with a slight boozy note and rich texture.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
8 servings
#dessert
#holiday
#cheesecake
#spiced
#baking
Eggnog cheesecake with a smoky chai twist. Cream cheese whipped until velvety, folded with eggnog and warming spices. The crust, a simple graham cracker base, browned just right to hold the dense filling without sogginess. Baked steady in a water bath, avoiding the cracked tops that haunt most cheesecakes. Slow cooling inside the oven, door cracked tiny, keeps the texture dense, creamy, unbroken. Sugared cranberries pop tart against soft cream, whipped heavy on top. Rum extract brings warmth but swap if you want. Watch the bake, jiggle in center, no wobble means done. Winter aromas fill the kitchen, cinnamon and cardamom deep and haunting. Simple, rustic, and unapologetically rich.
Ingredients
Crust ingredients ===
- 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tbsp melted unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp sugar instead of 3
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom replacing nutmeg
Filling ingredients ===
- 24 oz cream cheese softened
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 1/4 cups eggnog full fat
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp rum extract
- 3 large eggs
For topping ===
- Whipped cream
- Sugared cranberries or cinnamon dusting
About the ingredients
Use full-fat cream cheese always. Substituting low-fat causes runny filling and cracked top. Graham cracker crumbs can be replaced with digestive biscuits or even speculoos for added spice. Melted butter must be cooled but still liquid, too hot melts parchment when pressing crust. Don’t skip the parchment lining sides and bottom — cheesecake always sticks, side strips are a godsend when unmolding. Cardamom in place of nutmeg brings different spice complexity, subtle earthy floral undertone pairs perfectly with eggnog’s sweetness. Rum extract can be swapped with bourbon or vanilla for different depths of flavor. Don’t overdo sugar; eggnog adds natural sweetness, keeping sugar minimal avoids cloying. Eggs must be room temp for even incorporation and smooth batter.
Method
Setup and prep ===
- Heat oven to 320F instead of 325F, gentler heat stops cracking. Line bottom and sides of 9-in springform pan with parchment. Use vegetable shortening dab sparingly for sticking. Wrap base tightly with aluminum foil, foil must go 3/4 up sides to keep water out, no shortcuts or leaks later. Pick a roasting pan that fits springform snugly — water bath optional but worth it for creamy texture and no cracks. Without water bath, use dry sheet; expect potentially more cracks but less fuss.
Crust ===
- Mix graham crumbs with butter, lowered sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom until rough sand texture, damp but not oily. Press firmly into springform pan bottom with flat measuring cup base to get compact, even crust. Bake in oven alone for 12 minutes, smell toasted and buttery, edges just gaining color, not burnt. Pull out to cool. Crucial step prevents soggy crust after filling goes on.
Cheesecake filling ===
- Beat cream cheese in stand mixer with paddle or hand mixer on medium until no lumps, whipped enough to be creamy but not fluffy. Add sugar, flour, cinnamon, cardamom; mix till just combined — overmixing ruins texture. Pour in eggnog, vanilla, rum extract. Expect sloppy-looking mix at first but keep mixing till uniform. Add eggs one by one, low speed, incorporate gently to avoid adding air which causes cracks. Batter should be thick but pourable.
Assembly and bake ===
- Pour filling onto cooled crust, smooth top with spatula. Place springform in roasting pan. Pour hot tap water into roasting pan until it reaches halfway up pan sides but below foil edge — prevents steaming in and water leaks. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes, rotate pan 180° at 35 minutes for even browning. Watch for top color, if browning too fast, tent loose foil like a hammock. Test with gentle jiggle in center — ideally no movement, slight wobble means underdone. Key to dense without cracks.
Cooling ===
- Turn oven off. Open door about 1 inch to let air in slowly; removes sudden temp shifts which crack cheesecake. Remove foil tent if used. Leave cheesecake inside oven until it cools to room temp — 1-2 hours. Then unhook springform, remove from water bath. Peel off side parchment with care, bottom can stay on or transfer with parchment to serving plate to avoid sticking. Refrigerate cake covered at least 4 hours, better overnight for flavors to set and cream cheese to firm perfectly.
Serving ===
- Slice with warm sharp knife dipped in hot water, wiped dry between cuts for clean edges. Spoon whipped cream around or dollop atop each slice. Sugared cranberries add tart snap and festive sparkle. Alternatively sprinkle cinnamon over whipped cream for extra spice punch.
Troubleshooting and Tips ===
- If crust soggy, bake longer unfilled and press tighter. If cracking appears despite water bath, check oven temp with external thermometer — usually too hot is culprit. Eggnog brand varies in sweetness; adjust sugar accordingly or reduce eggnog slightly if watery consistency. Rum extract can be swapped with bourbon or omitted for milder flavor. Use room temp ingredients or cheesecake texture suffers. Avoid overmixing eggs to prevent air bubbles and cracking. If no stand mixer, hand beating cream cheese first till super soft helps a lot. Water bath water must be hot but not boiling to keep cake moist and crack-free.
Add twist ===
- Swapping nutmeg for cardamom gives chai vibe, deeper warm spice that balances eggnog sweetness better than nutmeg here. Less sugar avoids cloying notes typical in holiday desserts. Baking a bit longer at 320F leads to slightly denser mouthfeel, my preference after many tries with 325F burns cheesecake edges too fast. Parchment side strips essential, prevents sticking and because cheesecake wants to cling, usually tears when unmolding without. Foil wrapping bottom pan secured with pins or tape if needed keeps water bath in check, no ruined crust from leaks. Eggnog always better full fat for body and flavor, low fat makes filling runny, even baked. Don’t rush cooling; temperature change kills integrity, so practice patience.
Cooking tips
Preheat oven and prep pan carefully with parchment strips and foil wrap, this prevents water leakage and sticking nightmare later. Crust goes in first, baked lightly to toast and prevent sogginess. Cheesecake batter whipped just enough, not overbeating or risks air bubbles causing cracks. Add eggs one at a time, low speed, stirring only till combined. Pour into crust, then into a water bath with hot tap water halfway up sides of pan but never flooding into foil wrap. Bake approximately 1 hour 15 minutes with rotation halfway, watching top closely. Look for gentle jiggle in center, no wet spots or wobble. Tent foil if peaks brown early. Slow cool in opened oven to avoid cracks. Chill several hours or overnight to set fully before slicing. Serve with whipped cream and a pop of tart sweet sugared cranberries or cinnamon sprinkle.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Water bath must seal tight to avoid leaks. Use heavy-duty foil wrapped at least 3/4 up pan sides. Hot tap water halfway covering pan sides but never flooding foil wrap stops cracks and keeps moisture steady. Check water temp too hot boils crust. Adjust accordingly.
- 💡 Mix cream cheese till just creamy not whipped up fluffy. Overbeating traps air blowing cracks later. Eggs added slow, one by one, with low mixing speed. Air bubbles worst enemy. Batter should look thick but pourable; sloppy early mix normal. Finish smooth.
- 💡 Crust: graham crumbs pressed firm but not oily texture. Melted butter cooled but still liquid - piping hot butter melts parchment and sogs crust. Prebake crust alone 12 mins until smell toasted but edges don’t brown dark. Key step prevents soggy bottom after filling.
- 💡 Slow cooling crucial. Turn oven off, open door about one inch for gradual temp drop that stops fast contraction and cracking. Leave cake inside oven 1-2 hours until nearly room temp before moving. Rushing cooling kills texture. Patience pays off in dense creamy slice.
- 💡 Substitutions okay - digestive crumbs or speculoos for spice twist crust. Rum extract switch with bourbon or vanilla extract changes flavor profile. Eggnog full fat needed for body; low fat runs filling. Cinnamon plus cardamom over nutmeg gives deeper aromatic notes.
Common questions
What if cheesecake cracks?
Usually oven temp too high or air bubbles from overmixing; water bath temp should be checked with thermometer. Also slow cooling inside oven avoids sudden shrink. No water bath means expect cracks but fewer steps. Cover peaks loosely with foil if browns fast.
Can I skip water bath?
Yes but expect drier texture and more cracks. Dry sheet baking easier. Use lower temp and don’t open oven door. Foil pan strips needed only with water bath. Parchment lining still recommended to prevent sticking either way.
How to store leftovers?
Wrap tight with plastic or foil. Refrigerate ideally overnight for best flavors and texture stability. Cake can freeze well wrapped in parchment then foil. Thaw slow overnight in fridge. Avoid freezer burn; wrap extra layers if freezing long term.
Why less sugar?
Eggnog the sweetness base so lowering sugar keeps balance. Too much sugar makes cheesecake cloying and denser due to moisture. Adjust sugar by eggnog brand sweetness or personal taste. Always taste batter a bit after mix and before eggs.
