The Perfect New York Cheesecake

This classic New York Cheesecake recipe consists of a homemade crust that is filled with a delicious, creamy, and decadent cheesecake filling. This baked cheesecake can be served with a variety of toppings such as fruit, chocolate ganache, or caramel. 

​This particular cheesecake forms part of my base cheesecake recipes which include the super simple no-bake cheesecake and my Philadelphia cheesecake recipe. 

This New York cheesecake is perfect for those special occasions that require an extra-special dessert.

New York Style Cheesecake

A New York-style cheesecake is typically dense, rich, firm yet very creamy when compared to a classic cheesecake such as a Philadelphia cheesecake. A classic New York-style cheesecake typically contains cream and or sour cream in the cheesecake batter, this creates that oh-so-more-ish creamy texture that we love. 

This delicious New York cheesecake recipe is my go-to NY-style recipe. It contains both heavy cream and sour cream as I find the combination of these simple ingredients with the cream cheese lends to a rich creamy smooth texture. 

Many cheesecake recipes will require the addition of a little bit of flour or cornstarch, but with a low and slow bake, I don't find this necessary. This also means this cheesecake batter is gluten-free, paired with a gluten-free biscuit crust for a completely gluten-free dessert. 

Ingredients

Here are notes on the ingredients used, please refer to the recipe card for full quantities.

The biscuit base or biscuit crust is typically made with Graham crackers/digestive biscuits or plain vanilla biscuits such as Marie biscuits, Nice biscuits, or vanilla wine biscuits. For the cheesecake in the photographs, I used Nice biscuits. 

Melted butter binds the biscuit crumbs together, adding a delicious buttery flavor to the biscuit crust. This can be substituted with baking margarine. 

Cream cheese - I always used blocks of Philadelphia cream cheese for baking. This recipe was developed with the American-sized blocks which are 226 grams or 8 ounces. If you are using a block of cream cheese from another country please double check the weight on the package for the correct amount of cream cheese. Here in New Zealand, and Australia, the cream cheese packages typically weigh 250 grams. 

Sour cream - a full-fat sour cream adds a nice tang and creaminess to this classic cheesecake. 

Heavy cream - just a touch of heavy cream (about 35% milk fat) is key for a creamy cheesecake. I only use a quarter cup because I want the tang of the cream cheese, sour cream, and lemon juice to shine. 

Vanilla extract enhances the flavors of the rest of the ingredients in the cheesecake filling. 

Lemon juice adds a little bit more tang to the filling, which I think is essential for the overall flavor. The lemon juice also helps balance out the flavors in the filling. Lemon juice is also crucial to the setting of the cheesecake, as it reacts with the fats and proteins in the cream cheese. You can use fresh or bottled lemon juice for this recipe.

Eggs help bind everything together and are essential in a baked cheesecake. Additionally, the egg yolks add extra flavor and smoothness to the filling. I use New Zealand size 6 eggs, which are around the same size as an Australian or South African large egg, or a USA/European medium-sized egg. 

White granulated sugar adds sweetness to this dessert. 

Room Temperature Ingredients

Room-temperature ingredients are crucial for a silky smooth cheesecake. I recommend measuring the ingredients and allowing them to sit at room temperature for 2 hours before starting. 

If the ingredients are not at the same temperature when combined, you will have lumps within the filling. 

Weighing and Measuring Ingredients

Weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale is more accurate than using measuring cups. All my recipes are developed and tested using grams only.

However, I have activated the metric-to-cup conversions. Click "USA/Cups" or "metric" for your preferred measurements. For these conversions, cups are equal to 240mL/8 fl oz, tablespoons are 15mL and teaspoons are 5mL.

Reduced-Sugar Variation

I would not reduce the sugar in this particular cheesecake. But if you are being sugar-conscious, then stick to fresh fruit or cream for toppings, and skip the more sugar-heavy ones.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 - Allow all the ingredients to come to room temperature. 

Step 2 - Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°/355°F. You can line the bottom of your springform pan with baking paper at the bottom for easy release. 

Note - I used an 8-inch cake pan with tall sizes and a loose bottom. I did not use baking paper or parchment paper as it is fairly new and non-stick. When I use my springform pan I like to press the paper into the bottom but have it clipped into the pan so that it does not move above when I'm pressing in the crust. 

Step 3 - Melt the butter and allow to cool while processing or crushing the Graham crackers or biscuit until they have a mostly fine sand-like texture. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Graham cracker crumbs or biscuit crumbs with the sugar (only required if using Graham crackers) and the melted butter. Stir together until the crumbs are coated in butter. 

Step 4 - Pour the mixture into the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch springform pan. Using the back of a spoon, press the crumbs up the side of the pan about 1 inch (2.5cm) tall. Take your time to work the crumbs up the sides of the springform pan. Then press the rest of the crumbs into the bottom of the pan, either using your spoon or the bottom of a measuring cup or glass. 

Step 5 - Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while making the filling. Turn down the oven to 150°C/300°F.

Step 6 - In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the room-temperature cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar. Beat on medium speed until the cream cheese is smooth (with no lumps) and the sugar is dissolved. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go (even if using a hand mixer). This will take about 3-5 minutes. 

Step 7 - Add in the cream, sour cream, and lemon juice. Mix on a low speed until combined. 

Step 8 - Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined. Scrape down the sides as needed. 

Step 9 - Wrap the bottom of the springform pan in two layers of aluminum foil (aluminium or tin foil), ensuring the foil comes up to the top of the pan. 

Step 10 - Pour the cheesecake batter into the biscuit base. Using a spatula, knife, or cake tester, pop the bubbles in the filling. Tap on the counter a few times to bring the bubbles to the surface and again pop them. 

Step 11 - Place the cake pan into a large roasting dish, and fill the roasting pan with water until it is about 1 inch or 2.5cm deep. 

Note - If you don't have a roasting dish large enough. Simply place a large dish or pan on the rack underneath the cheesecake and top with an inch of water. This pan of water will act as a water bath for the cheesecake. 

Step 12 - Bake the cheesecake for 60-80 minutes. The cheesecake is fully baked when the edges are set and the middle is still slightly jiggly. Mine was done at 70 minutes. Start checking on the cheesecake at 50/60 minutes and monitor its progress. 

Step 13 - Turn off the oven. Crack open the oven door with a wooden spoon and allow the cheesecake to cool slowly for about an hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and then let cool at room temperature until completely cool (this is about 3 hours). Remove the foil and place the cheesecake in the fridge for a further 3 to 4 hours (or preferably overnight). 

Step 14 - Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. If lifting off the pan base, use two spatulas to support the bottom of the cheesecake and placing onto a plate or serving platter. 

​Step 15 - Use a sharp clean knife to slice your cheesecake, cleaning the knife between slices to get those super sharp lines. Serve with fresh fruit, berries, cream, chocolate ganache, or a delicious berry compote.

Storage and Freezing

Store leftover New York Cheesecake in an airtight container for up to a week. 

This whole cheesecake can be frozen by wrapping the cold cheesecake in cling film or plastic wrap and then foil for up to 30 days. Unwrap the cheesecake and allow it to thaw before slicing and serving. Individual slices can also be frozen for up to 30 days. 

New York Cheesecake FAQ