Photo: EvanProdromou · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cheesecake (New York-Style)
A rich, dense American-style cheesecake loaded with cream cheese. A smooth filling is baked over a graham-cracker crust, then chilled and served cold. New York cheesecake is the most famous, and a berry topping adds a bright, tangy contrast.
Ingredients
- Crust
- Graham crackers (or digestives) · finely crushed200 g
- Melted butter90 g
- Sugar2 tbsp
- Filling
- Cream cheese · room temp, softened600 g
- Sugar150 g
- Eggs · room temp3 each
- Sour cream · or heavy cream120 g
- Vanilla extract1 tsp
- Lemon juice1 tbsp
- Cornstarch · optional, helps prevent cracks1 tbsp
Steps
- ⏲ 10 min
Crust: mix the crushed crackers with melted butter and sugar, press firmly into the pan base, and chill.
- ⏲ 5 min
Beat the room-temp cream cheese with the sugar until smooth, on low speed so you don't beat in too much air.
- ⏲ 4 min
Add the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice (and cornstarch) for a smooth batter.
- ⏲ 5 min
Pour into the pan and smooth the top. To avoid cracks, wrap the pan in foil and bake in a water bath.
- ⏲ 55 min
Bake at 160C (320F) for 50-60 minutes until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly.
- ⏲ 240 min
Turn off the oven, crack the door, and cool 1 hour; then chill at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) before serving.
Tips & Variations
Variations
- New York cheesecake: Extra sour cream and heavy cream for a richer, taller cake.
- Basque cheesecake: Crustless and baked hot until the top is burnished dark.
- No-bake cheesecake: Set with gelatin instead of baking — lighter and airy.
- Berry topping: Spoon over blueberry or strawberry sauce for tang.
Tips
- Bring everything to room temperature — cold ingredients give a lumpy batter.
- Mix low and gentle to limit air, which reduces cracks and sinking.
- A water bath is the key to crack-free baking — it cooks gently and evenly.
- It's done when the center still jiggles slightly — overbaking makes it dry.
- Chill it thoroughly (overnight is best) for clean slices and set flavor.
The basics behind this dish
- Eggs: Coagulation Temperatures and What They DecideWhite sets at 62°C, yolk at 68°C. Those two numbers explain scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, steamed custard and crème anglaise all at once.
- Why Sauces Split: Emulsions and Pan SaucesA cream sauce breaking and a carbonara scrambling are the same failure. Temperature and emulsifiers — plus how to bring a split sauce back.
- Knife Skills: Grip, Cuts, and Why Size MattersHow you hold the knife matters more than how fast you cut. The pinch grip, the claw hand, and why uniform size is a cooking decision rather than a cosmetic one.
More of the same kind
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