Champagne Cheesecake

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This Champagne Cheesecake is thick, creamy, and filled with the light, sweet flavor of champagne in every bite. There’s champagne in the cheesecake and the topping and it’s so good! It’s perfect for New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, or any celebration throughout the year!

Why You’ll Love Champagne Cheesecake

When it’s time to celebrate any of life’s joyous events, you’ll NEED this Champagne Cheesecake! It perfectly captures all the flavors of a glass of bubbly in a slice of creamy cheesecake. It’s a match made in heaven, and I can’t wait to share it with you!

• Celebratory. There’s just something about champagne that says, “Let’s celebrate!” When your friends and family lay their eyes on this beauty, they’ll know the party is starting.
• Texture. One of my favorite parts of this cheesecake is that the crust made from Nilla Wafers. It really creates a nice contrast in texture and flavor to the rich and smooth cheesecake filling and champagne topping, while also complimenting it.
• Flavor. Champagne can be a subtle flavor when baked into things. To help offset that, this cheesecake uses a champagne reduction to make a more concentrated champagne flavor. The champagne gives the cheesecake a lovely, slightly tangy flavor. When you add the custard-like champagne topping, you truly get a lovely champagne flavor in this cheesecake that I’m pretty in love with.
• Make ahead. Cheesecake is a great make ahead dessert since it needs lots of time to bake and set. Plus, it holds up really well in the fridge. You can make it several days in advance, and it will be ready to party when you are!

What You’ll Need to Make Champagne Cheesecake

I’ve listed the full ingredients in the recipe card below but wanted to share some ingredient tips here to help you create a shopping list.

Crust

• Vanilla wafer crumbs – I decided to use Nilla Wafers to make the crust because I love their sweetness, but you could also use graham cracker crumbs if you’d like.
• Butter – You can use salted or unsalted. Once melted, the butter binds everything together.
• Sugar – Use granulated sugar for a touch of sweetness.

Champagne Filling

• Cream cheese – Always use full-fat cream cheese when making cheesecake. You also want brick-style cream cheese, not the kind in the tub. You should bring it to room temperature before beginning the mixing process. Softer cream cheese is easier to combine and is less likely to form lumps. You’ll know the cream cheese is soft enough to use when you can press gently on the side and leave an imprint.
• Sugar – You’ll want to use regular white granulated sugar in this cheesecake.
• All-purpose flour – Just a little flour will make the filling creamier and help prevent cracking.
• Sour cream – You’ll also want to use full-fat sour cream that has been brought to room temperature. It’s so much easier to mix at room temperature!
• Vanilla extract – For flavor.
• Champagne reduction – We will be making this ingredient from champagne. I used a Brut champagne (Korbel), but you can use any type of champagne you like.
• Eggs – Make sure to use large eggs (not medium or extra large). Bring the eggs to room temperature before incorporating them into the filling to prevent lumps.

Champagne Topping

• Cornstarch – This acts as the thickener for the topping.
• Sugar – For sweetness.
• Pinch of salt – To enhance the flavors a bit.
• Champagne – Use the same type of champagne used in the filling.
• Heavy whipping cream – This forms the base of the topping and gives it the most ideal texture and flavor.
• Unsalted butter – Please note that the topping uses unsalted butter. If you don’t have unsalted butter, you can substitute it with salted butter, and leave out the pinch of salt.

Whipped Cream

• Heavy whipping cream – You’ll want to use very cold cream to make the whipped cream. You can also chill the bowl and beaters to help speed up the whipping process.
• Powdered sugar – For sweetness and thickening. This also helps the whipped cream remain stable and never wilt.
• Vanilla extract – For flavor.
• Sprinkles – Optional, but oh-so pretty!

How to Make Champagne Cheesecake

This cheesecake recipe has a lot of steps, but isn’t hard to make. Here are some photos to help you bake step-by-step and there is a video below. More comprehensive directions can be found in the recipe card below.

Reduce Champagne

• Cook champagne: Add the champagne to a medium sized saucepan and cook over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10-15 minutes. To measure, pour the champagne into a measuring cup. If it’s more than 3/4 cup, add it back to the pan and continue to cook it.
• Refrigerate: Pour the champagne reduction back into the measuring cup, and set aside or refrigerate until it reaches room temperature.

Make the Crust

• Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
• Mix and press crust: Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
• Bake: Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
• Cover outside with foil: Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in (see how I prepare my pan for a water bath). Set prepared pan aside.

Assemble and Bake

• Reduce oven temp: Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (148°C).
• Combine cream cheese, sugar and flour: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour on low speed until well combined and smooth. Be sure to use low speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add sour cream and vanilla: Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until well combined.
• Mix in cooled champagne reduction: Add the cooled champagne reduction and mix on low speed until well combined and smooth. 
• Add eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.

• Pour filling over crust: Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust.
• Prepare water-bath: Place the springform pan inside another larger pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
• Bake: Bake for 1 hour 5 minutes. The center should be set, but still jiggly (how to tell when your cheesecake is done baking). 
• Turn off oven but leave cheesecake in oven: Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but slowly begin to cool as well.
• Crack oven door: Crack the door of the oven for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to continue to cool slowly. This process helps prevent cracking.
• Cool on counter: Remove the cheesecake from the oven and set aside to cool to about room temperature. Cooling to room temp on the counter can help reduce the amount of condensation forming on top.
• Refrigerate: Once at room temperature, remove water bath wrapping and refrigerate until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight. (See note on the recipe card about when to add topping to the cheesecake.)

Topping

• Place cheesecake on serving tray: Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan, and place on a serving platter.
• Make champagne topping: Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Whisk together until there are no more lumps of cornstarch. Add the champagne, cream and butter and stir together to combine.
• Cook: Cook over medium heat (not higher) until it begins to boil, then let it boil for one minute (don’t let it boil longer or the cornstarch can break down). It should be thick and pudding-like. 
• Remove from heat and top: Remove from heat and spread evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
• Cool: Place cheesecake back into the fridge to cool for at least 1 hour.

Whipped Cream

• Whip cream to stiff peaks: Add the whipped cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Decorate: Pipe shells of whipped cream around the outer edge of the cheesecake. I used Ateco tip 847. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind to make sure your cheesecake turns out perfectly. If you are new to making cheesecake, hop over to my post about How to Make the Perfect Cheesecake for extra guidance.

• Room temperature ingredients. Always start with room-temperature ingredients. It’s so much easier to blend them when they are the right temp. You’ll avoid lumps and over-mixing, too!
• Don’t over-mix. Be careful not to over-mix your cheesecake batter. Use a nice low speed and be patient with the process. Over-mixing at high speed incorporates excess air into the batter which can cause cracks.
• Use a springform pan. A springform pan is a must-have tool for making cheesecake. Springform pans have removeable sides, which allow you to remove the cheesecake easily after it has been baked.
• Use a water bath. Using a water bath is a critical part of making cheesecake. It really helps to prevent surface cracks. I know they can be a bit of a pain, but the extra effort is worth it because it helps ensure even cooking. Have questions about how to make a water bath? Take a look at my post on How to Bake Cheesecake in a Water Bath to learn how to do it.
• Don’t over-bake. Cheesecake is done baking when it is set around the edges and jiggly in the center. You may be tempted to keep baking, but the jiggly center is actually really important. Follow the baking/cooling directions precisely, and the cheesecake will continue to cook and firm up as it cools.
• Cool gradually. Slow and steady is the key to cooling a cheesecake. Once you turn the oven off, allow the cake to cool inside with the door closed for 30 minutes and then for another 30 minutes with the door cracked. This process helps to prevent cracking on the surface of the cheesecake.
• Don’t over-cook topping. Cornstarch can start to break down if it’s boiled for too long. Be sure to boil the topping for only one minute. It will thicken more as it cools.

Serving Suggestions

Now that it’s time to serve your cheesecake, you might want to embellish it or pair it with other tasty treats. Here are few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

• Fresh fruit: Champagne and fresh fruit go together really well. You could top your cheesecake with fresh raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries.
• Drizzle with sauce. I love drizzling dessert sauces on cheesecake. I think Caramel Sauce, or something fruity like Raspberry Sauce, Blueberry Sauce, Strawberry Sauce, would add something really special to the flavor profile of the champagne cheesecake.
• Chocolate curls: Dress up your cheesecake with some fancy-looking chocolate curls.
• Sprinkles: Keep the decorations simple with some sprinkles. You could match the colors or shapes to the specific event you are celebrating.
• A delicious beverage: I think it almost goes without saying that you could (and probably should!) serve this cheesecake with some champagne, other sparkling wine.

How to Store Cheesecake

• Refrigerate. Place the cake in an airtight cake carrier. If you don’t have one, wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap. I like to use use toothpicks to prop the plastic away from the whipped cream. If you already sliced the cheesecake, arrange the slices in a single layer in an airtight container. Champagne Cheesecake will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freeze. Put the cheesecake in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up a little. Briefly remove it and wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap. If you want to freeze slices of cheesecake, arrange them in a single layer in a freezer-safe airtight container. The cheesecake can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before serving.

More Champagne Dessert Recipes

I have a ton of cheesecake recipes you can check out, if you’d like more ideas. But if you’re looking for ways to use champagne in your treats, take a look at some of the ones below.

• Champagne Cupcakes
• Strawberry Champagne Layer Cake
• Champagne Pound Cake
• Mini Strawberry Champagne Cheesecakes
• Champagne Cupcakes with Truffle Filling
• No Bake Champagne Cookie Pops
• Mimosa Cupcakes

Watch How to Make Champagne Cheesecake

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