Next, in another mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth and creamy. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing well until combined. After that, incorporate the eggs, one at a time, making sure to blend thoroughly after each addition. Now, gently fold in the mashed bananas. The banana aroma will fill your kitchen, and it’s heavenly!
Pour the creamy cheesecake mixture over the chilled crust, smoothing it out with a spatula. Bake the cheesecake in a preheated oven at 325°F (160°C) for about 50-60 minutes. You want it to be set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center. Once it’s done baking, allow it to cool in the pan for an hour before transferring it to the refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you can wait that long!
To finish it off, whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar until you get stiff peaks. Spread this luscious whipped cream over the chilled cheesecake and top with sliced bananas and vanilla wafers for that classic touch. The taste is absolutely divine, and the presentation is so inviting, you’ll just want to dig right in!
Pro Tips for Best Results
I’ve played around with several variations of this cheesecake, and the best results come from using room temperature cream cheese—this really helps to avoid that lumpy texture. In my early attempts, I started with cream cheese straight from the fridge, and a few lumps made their way into my cheesecake, which was not my goal!
Also, ensure that you have ripe bananas for this recipe. The ripe ones are sweeter and will give that rich, distinct flavor that makes banana pudding so beloved. I’ve found that slightly overripe bananas work wonders in lending the cheesecake a more pronounced flavor.
Finally, don’t rush the chilling process! If you try to slice it too early, you might face a messy situation. Trust me, waiting overnight will pay off, as the flavors meld together beautifully and the cheesecake slices like a dream.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
One of the biggest mistakes I made in my early attempts was not baking the cheesecake long enough. I thought it was done because the top looked set, but the center needed a bit more time to firm up. Trust the timer and check for that slight jiggle in the middle—this leads to a wonderfully creamy texture. (See the next page below to continue…)