Frangelico Cheese Cake

This Frangelico cheesecake is the five-ingredient sleeper hit of the cheesecake world. The Italian hazelnut liqueur brings a subtle, perfumed nuttiness that makes this taste like the upscale dessert at an Italian restaurant, not a quick-throw-together pie.

The filling is intentionally minimalist. Two pounds of cream cheese, three eggs, sugar, vanilla, and a generous half-cup of Frangelico. No sour cream, no flour, no fancy steps. The liqueur does most of the heavy flavor work, and the dense, almost-truffle-textured filling lets it shine.

Bring the cream cheese to true room temperature before mixing. Cold cream cheese leaves stubborn lumps that no amount of beating will fully break up. Two hours on the counter, or 30 seconds in the microwave at low power, gets you there.

Use a graham cracker crust for the classic texture pairing. Hazelnut wafer crumbs (Biscoff, speculoos, or hazelnut shortbread) work beautifully if you want to lean further into the hazelnut theme.

Chef Tips

• Bake in a water bath if you want a perfectly crack-free top. Wrap the springform pan in foil to seal, then sit it in a roasting pan with an inch of hot water during baking.
• Don’t overbeat once the eggs go in. Excessive beating incorporates air, which leads to puffy cheesecakes that crack as they cool.
• Cool slowly. Pull from the oven and let cool at room temperature for an hour before refrigerating, then chill at least 4 hours (overnight is better) before slicing.

Variations

• Substitute Amaretto for almond, Kahlua for coffee, or Bailey’s Irish Cream for a creamy Irish version.
• Top with a glossy chocolate ganache, toasted hazelnut praline, or a drizzle of warm chocolate sauce.
• Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to the filling for a chocolate-hazelnut version reminiscent of Nutella.