Combine two iconic desserts and make this funfetti cheesecake! It’s a super creamy vanilla cheesecake that’s loaded with sprinkles and decorated with vanilla frosting. Perfect for birthdays, celebrations – or whenever you want to take your cheesecake to the next level!
This funfetti cheesecake has everything you love about funfetti cake in creamy cheesecake form. Because cheesecake > cake. It starts with a crunchy graham crust. Then you get super creamy, New York style cheesecake that has just a hint of almond extract. If you’ve ever wondered what that subtle hint of something in funfetti cake is – it’s the almond extract. Then the cheesecake is filled with beautiful sprinkles to say “let’s party”, and decorated with vanilla frosting around the edges.
Because you can’t have funfetti without frosting.
Making Funfetti Cheesecake
Because making any cheesecake can be a little daunting – I’m going to walk you through some of the key steps along with tips and tricks.
You’ll start by making the crust – it’s made with crushed graham cracker (or you can buy the box of crumbs), brown sugar and melted butter. When you mix everything together it should stick and form clumps – just like damp sand. You’ll then pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press it into the bottom and about ⅓ up the sides. The crust will bake on its own for about 8 minutes to ensure a nice and crunchy crust.
Then it’s time to make the cheesecake filling. Whenever making cheesecake, it’s imperative that the ingredients are at room temperature before getting started. This ensures that everything mixes together evenly without any lumps. You’ll start by mixing together the cream cheese and sugar until super creamy and smooth – I do about 3 minutes, turning off the mixer a few times and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Then mix in the flavorings – vanilla extract and almond extract – and sour cream. When adding in the eggs, I always whisk them together first and then beat them into the batter about ⅓ at a time. When adding eggs into cheesecake, you want to avoid overmixing the batter. Once the eggs have been added to the batter, mixing cheesecake too much can lead to your cheesecake cracking. This is because it adds air to the batter. The air will cause the cheesecake to rise as it bakes, and then deflate and crack as it cools.
Last but not least, you’ll very carefully stir in the sprinkles. It’s important to do this by hand and go gently to avoid the sprinkles from bleeding color. When selecting your sprinkles, do not use nonpareils (the little round balls – also called 100s of 1000s). These sprinkles bleed an incredible amount of color and will make your batter look green or brown. Jimmies – the little cylinders are OK. They can bleed a little, but not badly if you’re careful. If you really want to avoid the sprinkles from bleeding their color, then I recommend using sequin sprinkles (sometimes called quins or confetti sprinkles). This is what I used in the photos.
After the sprinkles are mixed in, it’s time to bake your cheesecake. I always bake cheesecake in a water bath. It helps to ensure that your cheesecake doesn’t dry out – making for an extra creamy consistency, and reduces the likelihood of your cheesecake cracking. The springform pan is wrapped tightly in aluminum foil at least 3-4 times (you’ll do this before making the crust). Then the cheesecake is placed in a large roasting pan and you’ll pour boiling water into the roasting pan so that there’s about ½ to 1 inch of water in the pan. The whole thing goes into the oven to bake.
Note: In the photos you may be able to see a plastic bag is also wrapped around my cheesecake. If you’re worried that the seal on your springform pan isn’t that tight (and therefore water getting into your cheesecake) – then I recommend wrapping your springform pan in an oven bag (which is usually used for turkey) or a liner bag for a crockpot. These bags are oven safe and will ensure that absolutely no water gets into your cheesecake. I have only recently started doing this trick and I absolutely love it.
The cheesecake then bakes for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. You’ll then need to cool it slowly to room temperature and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving.
Baking Tips & Tricks
- Like any cheesecake recipe, the cream cheese, eggs and sour cream must be at room temperature before getting started. Take them out of the fridge, take the cream cheese and sour cream out of the packaging, and let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before making the crust.
- While almond extract isn’t necessary per se, it truly helps to give your cheesecake that classic funfetti flavor. You can find it in the baking aisle of your grocery store, near the vanilla extract. If you leave it out the cheesecake will still work out and taste delicious – but won’t be as reminiscent of funfetti cake.
- Cooling the cheesecake slowly and chilling in the fridge for at least 6 hours in absolutely necessary. This allows the cheesecake to set properly and actually improves the flavor. Do not put the hot cheesecake straight from the oven into the fridge. By drastically changing the temperature quickly you can cause the cheesecake to crack.
Love funfetti? Then be sure to try:
Funfetti Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan
- large roasting pan (big enough for the springform pan to fit inside)
Ingredients
Graham Crust
- 1 ⅔ cups graham crumbs
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (84 grams) melted
Funfetti Cheesecake Filling
- 24 ounces full-fat cream cheese (680 grams) brick style, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon almond extract I prefer a stronger almond flavor, so I use ½ teaspoon - but feel free to use less
- 1 cup sour cream (240 ml) room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk in addition to the 3 large eggs
- ½ to ¾ cup sprinkles jimmies or quins
Vanilla Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter (112 grams) softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ - 2 ½ cups powdered sugar (165 - 275
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- food coloring optional
- 2-3 tablespoons whipping cream or milk
- sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- Optionally, wrap the outside of the springform in an oven bag or slow cooker bag and secure with the oven safe key lock tie.
- Wrap the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil at least 3-4 times so that the bottom and sides are covered and all the seems of the foil are covered at least once. If you are not wrapping the pan with an oven bag, be sure to wrap in aluminum foil at least 4-5 times.
- Lightly grease the pan.
Crust
- Mix together the graham crumbs and brown sugar. Then mix in the melted butter. The mixture should feel like damp sand.
- Pour into the prepared pan. Press into the bottom and slightly up the sides (about ¼ of the way up the sides) to form a slight lip around the edges.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Turn the oven down to 325F (170C).
Cheesecake Filling
- In a very large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Continually turn off the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Beat in the sour cream, vanilla extract and almond extract.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 3 whole eggs and additional egg yolk. Beat the whisked eggs into the cream cheese mixture about ⅓ at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
- Very gently, stir the sprinkles into the batter using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Baking & Chilling the Cheesecake
- Place the springform pan in the middle of the large roasting pan. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan and gently smooth the top.
- Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until there is about ½ - 1 inch (1-2 cm) of water in the roasting pan.
- Place the roasting pan in the preheated oven on a rack about ⅓ from the bottom. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top looks almost set and if you give the pan a gentle nudge the cheesecake wobbles like jello or pudding, but not like a glass of milk.
- Remove the roasting pan (with cheesecake inside) from the oven. Let it cool at room temperature.
- Once the pan is no longer warm to the touch, remove the springform pan from the roasting pan. Ensure the springform pan does not feel warm. Cover the top of the springform and place the cheesecake in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Frosting & Serving
- Beat the softened butter until smooth.
- Add in 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and optionally add a few drops of food coloring. Start by beating together at a low speed, gradually increasing until combined.
- Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar about ½ cup at a time, alternating with 1 tablespoon of cream (or milk) until the desired sweetness and thickness is reached.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag (I used a 1M tip star tip).
- Remove the cheesecake from the fridge. Carefully trace around the outside of the cake with a thin, sharp knife (not a table knife) to help unstick the cheesecake from the ring of the springform pan. Then unclamp the outer ring of the pan.
- If there is condensation on top of the cheesecake, blot it off with a paper towel. Pipe around the edges with the frosting and decorate with sprinkles.
- Slice with a thin, sharp knife. Be sure to slice all the way through the crust. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Graham Crumbs: You can either buy graham crackers and crush them in a food processor, or buy a box of crumbs from the baking aisle. If you can't find graham crackers (such as readers in the UK or Australia), you can substitute with digestive biscuits. You'll likely need between 1 ¾ and 2 cups.
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. I always use Philadelphia. Do not use spreadable, whipped, low fat, or anything that comes in a tub.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: The cream cheese, sour cream and eggs should all be at room temperature before getting started.
- Make Ahead Tips: I always make cheesecake the day before I plan to serve. Cool fully, then cover and place in the fridge to chill. Make the frosting at any point in time on the day you plan to serve, and place back in the fridge.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 slice with frosting, assuming the cheesecake is sliced into 12 uniform slices.
- Storage: Store leftovers in covered/in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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