Easy Cherry Cheesecake

This is one of the first recipes that I memorized. It's also one of the recipes that my mother-in-law gave to me as favorites of my new husband. It's interesting to see the variations between the two versions. (And the variation above is the "cooking for two" version - divide the ingredients by four and make in two small dishes.)

Easy Cherry Cheesecake

Start with a graham cracker crust.

Prepare the whipping cream. Use one envelope of Dream Whip, prepared as directed (my mother's version) or 1 cup of whipping cream whipped with 3/4 cup powdered sugar and a touch of vanilla (my mother-in-law's version). You could also use an 8-ounce container of Cool Whip (my usual choice). Beat in 8 ounces of cream cheese until smooth and pour into the crust.

Chill for several hours, then top with a can of cherry pie filling.

That's it! Since Wayne doesn't care for cakes, this is his birthday cake of choice. I also love serving it for Christmas dinner and any other time we need something special but simple.

Updated 31 August 2025: It's just the two of us for Wayne's birthday dinner this year, and there's an opened package of cream cheese, so I decided to make half a batch of the filling - 1/2 cup heavy cream (whipped), 4 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and three tablespoons powdered sugar. That was plenty for three tart-sized pies and should have been enough for four as well, particularly with the cherry filling on top.