This post first appeared on Yellow Bliss Road where I am a contributor.
When it comes to dessert, nothing beats a New York Style Cheesecake. Rich, creamy, and a little tangy – you’re going to want to devour every last bite!
Where do I even being with this New York style cheesecake recipe? It’s EVERYTHING people! Creamy, rich, a little, tangy, and holy cow sooooo good!
It’s everything a cheesecake should be. From the buttery graham cracker crust to the dense cheesecake on top you are going to dream of this dessert!
Enjoy your slice straight up or add a little topping if that’s your thing. I’ll be over by the fridge eating it right out of the pan.
You need this New York cheesecake in your recipe box. Seriously. It’s a classic everyone will rave about. I should know. I shared some slices with our neighbors and they went off about it. #foodwin
I’ve been obsessed with cheesecake ever since I was a little girl. I loved it more than any other dessert. My mom would make the recipe off the Philly cream cheese box and it was good. Real good.
But then I tried New York cheesecake for the first time and that was it. This dense cheesecake with so creamy and luscious I devoured my slice in minutes!
While I enjoy the lighter, fluffier texture of traditional cheesecake, when I really want to indulge I make a classic New York style cheesecake recipe and treat myself!
What is New York style cheesecake?
New York cheesecake adds sour cream or heavy cream to the cheesecake batter. The cheesecake comes out rich, dense, smooth, and creamy. As opposed to a traditional cheesecake that has a firm outside and soft, fluffy cheesecake texture.
Ingredients for Cheesecake
- Graham crackers
- Melted butter
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cream cheese
- All-purpose flour
- Vanilla extract
- Lemons
- Eggs
- Egg yolks
- Sour cream
Yes. You still make this New York cheesecake recipe with sour cream. It adds a little extra tang above and beyond the cream cheese.
I’ve also seen recipes that say to beat in the eggs one by one and then add the sour cream. I’m a streamlined kind of girl so I added all the eggs in at once and ran with it.
A classic New York cheesecake recipe isn’t as hard to make as you many think. It takes some time, but the steps are easy to follow. The hardest part is being patient.
Timing is super important in this recipe though. It needs to chill. I’ve had a room temperature cheesecake I made in the morning and served up for dessert that night. It’s okay, but not great. But if you let your cheesecake hang out in the fridge and get happy it’ll be ah-mazing!! Be patient grasshopper.
How to Make New York Style Cheesecake
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Cut a large piece of heavy-duty foil and lay in out on your counter. Place a 9 or 10-inch springform pan in the center of the foil and then wrap the foil around the pan. (Just on the outsides.) There shouldn’t be any seams in the foil – this will make sure no water gets into your cheesecake pan.
- Spray the inside of the springform pan with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Add the graham crackers to a large ziptop bag and seal it closed. Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to smash the crackers into crumbs. You could use a food processor for this as well. Pour the crumbs into a mixing bowl.
- Add sugar and salt to the graham cracker crumbs and mix them together. Mixing the dry ingredients first keeps there from being clumps of sugar in your curst. Then pour in melted butter and mix it all together until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Pour the graham cracker crumbs into your prepared pan and use your hand to press the crumbs into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from your oven and then turn the heat down to 325 degrees F.
- Make the cheesecake filling by adding the cream cheese, sugar, and flour to a large mixing bowl or your stand mixer bowl. Beat everything together until it’s smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl at least once to really mix everything in.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream to the cream cheese mixture. Beat everything together until it’s all smooth and incorporated. Pour the cheesecake filling into the pan over the crust.
- Use the back of a spoon to spread the filling to the edges of the pan and create an even top. Place the springform pan into a roasting.
- Fill the roasting pan with water so that it comes 1-inch up the sides of the springform pan. Place the roasting pan into your 325-degree oven and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. The water bath will help prevent your cheesecake from cracking.
- After baking, take the roasting pan out of the oven. Leave the cheesecake in the water for another 45 minutes. (You will see cracks from the temperature shock, but they will settle.) After 45 minutes, take the springform pan out of the water. Remove the foil and side of the springform pan.
- Cover your cheesecake with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least 8 hours to overnight. You need to chill your cheesecake! It tastes SO much better with fridge time.
- When you’re ready to serve up dessert, unwrap your cheesecake, cut it into 8 slices and serve as is or topped with some cherry pie filling.
Your cheesecake will keep in the fridge for 5 to 6 days. But it probably won’t last that long.
If you don’t have a roasting pan for the water bath do this instead. Don’t wrap your springform pan with foil. Then, after the initial baking time, turn off the over and crack the oven door open. Let the cheesecake finish cooking in the oven while it cools for an hour. Then carefully remove it from the oven and take off the sides of the springform pan.
This is hands down the best New York cheesecake recipe I’ve had outside of a restaurant. In fact, I’d take the Pepsi challenge against Cheesecake Factory with a slice of this cheesecake any day.
Mind you I’m a HUGE Cheesecake Factory fan, so I know my cheesecake.
Can you make cheesecake without a springform pan?
You sure can! Using a springform pan lets you take the cheesecake out of the pan without it sticking. However, you can use a deep-sided cake pan or square baking dish as well.
Serve your cheesecake in the pan or use the tip below to remove it from the pan for serving.
To remove the cheesecake from the cake pan or baking dish, line it with foil or parchment paper being sure to let it hang over the edge. Then once the cheesecake is done you can lift it out of the pan using the overhanging pan liner.
Can you freeze New York style cheesecake?
Yep! It’ll last about 1 to 2 months in the freezer. You can freeze it as a whole cake or in slices. Your call.
To freeze your cheesecake:
Completely cook your cheesecake to room temperature. If freezing whole, place the cheesecake on a dish or cake board for stability. Otherwise, cut your cake into slices.
Wrap the whole cheesecake (or each slice) tightly with plastic wrap, and then again with foil. Double layer protection.
When you’re ready to eat, place your cheesecake on the counter and let it thaw at room temp for 2 to 4 hours. Or you can pop it in the fridge and let it thaw in there overnight. Then dig in!
Need more dessert happiness in your life? Sure you do!
- Angel Food Cake
- Lime Jello Salad
- Italian Ricotta Cookies
- Hazelnut & Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- More dessert recipes
New York Style Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 9 graham crackers (1 sleeve) see note
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 40 ounces cream cheese room temperature (5 boxes)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 lemon zested
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- Cherry pie filling for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cover the outside of a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan with a large sheet of heavy-duty foil. There should be no seams showing (so water can't get in). Spray the inside of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Graham Cracker Crust
- Place graham crackers in a large ziptop bag and seal the bag. Use a rolling pin or meat mallet to crush the graham crackers into crumbs. (You can also use a food processor.) Pour the crumbs into a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar and salt to the graham cracker crumbs and mix together. Pour in the butter and stir until the crumbs are all evenly moistened.
- Pour the crust mixture into your prepared pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan to make an even layer for the crust. Bake for 10 minutes, and then remove from the oven. Turn the oven heat down to 325 degrees F.
Cheesecake
- In a large mixing bowl (or using your stand mixer), beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until completely combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream to the cream cheese and beat until smooth.
- Pour filling into the springform pan and spread out to the edges with an even surface on top.
- Place the springform pan in a roasting pan. Add water to the roasting pan so it comes 1-inch up the side of the springform pan. Place the roasting pan into the oven and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes in your 325-degree oven. The center will not look completely set, but the edges will be.
- Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Let the cheesecake sit in the warm water for another 45 minutes to finish cooking.
- Take the springform pan out of the water and remove the foil. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cheesecake to release it from the pan and then take off the side of the springform pan.
- Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours. (Yes, it has to have fridge time or it won't taste as good!) Cut the cheesecake into 8 slices and top with cherry pie filling, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
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