What is your favourite home made cheese cake recipe?

A creamy, stunning, crack-free New York-style cheesecake is absolutely feasible with this recipe, even for novices!

Michael, my husbandfavorite ,’s dessert is cheesecake. In fact, the first time I met my future mother-in-law over 20 years ago, she told me the way to her son’s heart was through his stomach – and whenever she wanted him to do anything as a child, she bribed him with a slice of NY cheesecake. She may be a conventional woman, but the message was clear: how to bake a fantastic cheesecake!

Even though the ingredients are basic, making cheesecake might be frightening. Because cheesecake is a custard, it needs to be baked gently in a water bath, and you have to worry about the surface of the cake cracking, as well as over or undercooking. However, with the right recipe and a few pointers, a creamy, crack-free NY-style cheesecake is totally doable, even for beginners.

What You’ll Need To Make A Classic New York Cheesecake

This recipe yields a traditional New York-style cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust and a rich, thick filling of cream cheese, eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, a touch of lemon, and a few tablespoons of flour.

Cream cheese is the key ingredient, so I recommend using a good brand, like Philadelphia. Despite the fact that it is most often used as a spread for bagels , cream cheese is used to produce a variety of delectable sweets, including as pumpkin cheesecake , no-churn ice cream , trifles , and  frosting .

Flour may seem to be an uncommon ingredient – not all cheesecake recipes use it – but it is the key to success. A little starch helps prevent the cake from cracking and also makes the filling lighter and fluffier.

Key Equipment

You’ll need a 9 or 10-inch springform pan as well as 18-inch heavy-duty aluminum foil. The springform pan has removable edges that allow you to effortlessly release the cake without having to turn the whole pan over (this would be a disaster with cheesecake). Springform pans, on the other hand, are infamous for leaking. Because the cheesecake bakes in a water bath, the foil keeps the water from seeping in throughout the baking process. If you’d like to try another technique that doesn’t require wrapping the pan in foil, you can place your springform pan inside a larger cake pan (see how it’s done here ) or purchase a silicone wrap for your pan.

You will also need a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer for mixing the batter and a large roasting pan for the water bath.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Prep the Pan

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Wrap the springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside of the pan and extending all the way to the top. For further security, repeat with another piece of foil. Nonstick cooking spray the interior of the pan.

Step 2: Make the Graham Cracker Crust

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt in a medium mixing basin.

Stir until well combined.

Press the crumbs into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, or until it is firm. Set the pan aside after removing it from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Step 3: Make the Cheesecake Batter

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, and flour in the bowl of an electric mixer equipped with the paddle attachment or beaters.

1 minute on medium speed, or until just smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure the mixture is evenly combined.

Mix in the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt until just blended.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on low speed until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.

Mix in the sour cream.

Ensure that the batter is homogeneous but not over-mixed.

Pour the batter on top of the crust.

Step 4: Bake

In a large roasting pan, place the unbaked cheesecake. Fill the roasting pan halfway with boiling water, approximately one inch up the edge of the cake pan. The water bath (also known as a bain marie) maintains the temperature and ensures that the cheesecake bakes at an equal, low temperature. The steam/humidity created by the water bath also protects the cheesecake from drying out and cracking.

Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until the cake is barely set. The cake should not look liquidy at all but will wobble just a bit when the pan is nudged; it will continue to cook as it cools.

Step 5: Cool

Remove the roasting pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath for 45 minutes, or until the water is barely warm. Remove the springform pan from the water bath, discard the foil, and transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator to cool for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Remove the springform pan’s sides. The cheesecake may be served directly from the springform pan’s base. Or, if you’d like to transfer it to a serving platter, run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas to transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Wipe the knife clean after each slice with a sharp knife. Serve alongside berry sauce , if you like.

More Cheesecake Recipes

• Cheesecake Bars
• Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Raspberries
• Caramelized Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
• Baileys Cheesecake-Marbled Brownies

Classic New York Cheesecake

A creamy, stunning, crack-free New York-style cheesecake is absolutely feasible with this recipe, even for novices!

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 12 graham cracker crumbs (12 whole crackers)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

For the Filling

• 32 oz (four 8-oz blocks) room temperature cream cheese
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon packed lemon zest, from 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 large eggs
• ½ cup sour cream
• Special tools are a 9- or 10-inch springform pan and an 18-inch heavy-duty aluminum foil roll (see Pro Tip)
• Berry sauce , for serving (optional)

Instructions

For the Crust

1. Set an oven rack in the lower center position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Wrap a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top so there are no seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. For further security, repeat with another piece of foil. Nonstick cooking spray the interior of the pan.
2. Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until well blended. Make a uniform layer of crumbs on the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, or until it is firm. Set the pan aside after removing it from the oven.
3. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 325°F. Set a kettle of water to boil.
4. Prepare the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on medium speed until just smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and edges of the bowl to ensure a uniform distribution of the mixture. Mix in the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt until just blended. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on low speed until combined, scraping the bowl as needed. Sour cream should be added last. Ensure that the batter is homogeneous but not over-mixed.
5. Check that your oven has cooled to 325°F before placing the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the batter over the crust. Fill the big roasting pan with boiling water to approximately 1 inch up the edge of the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until the cake is barely set. (If the top of the cheesecake becomes too brown at the end, lightly cover it with foil.) The cake should not seem liquidy, but it should wobble slightly when poked; it will continue to cook as it cools. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath for 45 minutes, or until the water is barely warm. Discard the foil and remove the springform pan from the water bath. If necessary, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it’s not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools), then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 8 hours or overnight.
6. For serving: Remove the springform pan’s sides. Serve the cheesecake right from the base of the pan; or, to transfer it to a serving platter, run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas to carefully transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Wipe the knife clean after each slice with a sharp knife. Serve alongside berry sauce , if you like.
7. Make Ahead: The cheesecake may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated in the springform pan, carefully wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to two days.
8. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake may be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cake in the freezer briefly, unwrapped, to firm it up. Then double-wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before serving.
9. Springform pans have a bad reputation for leaking. Because a cheesecake bakes in a water bath, the foil keeps the water from seeping in throughout the baking process. Please do not attempt to use standard 12-inch (30cm) aluminum foil – you can’t have any foil seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. No matter how well (or how many times) you wrap the pan, if there are seams exposed to the water, the water will find a way in. Even when adequately covered, moisture might form within the foil on occasion. Don’t worry if this occurs; the crust is probably only a little damp around the edges. Simply remove the sides of the springform pan before refrigerating and set it aside to dry.

Nutrition Information

• Per serving (10 servings)
• Serving size: 1 slice
• Calories: 659
• Fat: 43 g
• Saturated fat: 24 g
• Carbohydrates: 59 g
• Sugar: 49 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 11 g
• Sodium: 464 mg
• Cholesterol: 233 mg

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Related Questions

• What is the most popular cheese cake?

  The most popular cheesecake flavors include New York style cheesecake, classic cheesecake, and no bake cheesecake, but the ideal cheesecake flavor is the one that you find irresistible – and that may be different for everyone.

• What is the best type of cheesecake?

  The 35 BEST Cheesecake Recipes

  1. New York Style Cheesecake.
  2. White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake.
  3. No Bake Tiramisu Cheesecake.
  4. Chocolate Cheesecake.
  5. No Bake Mixed Berry Cheesecake Bars.
  6. Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake.
  7. Caramel Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake.
  8. Expresso Cheesecake.

• How would you describe a delicious cheesecake?

  A cheesecake can be savory (and served with crackers as an appetizer), however, most of us think of the term as describing a luscious, rich and sweet dessert. Depending on the ingredients and mixing procedures employed, the texture may range from light and airy to thick and rich to smooth and creamy.

• What is the difference between New York-style cheesecake and regular cheesecake?

  Heavy cream and sour cream are used in regular cheesecake to thin the batter and produce a silkier, creamier feel. New York cheesecake is thick and rich because it is high in cream cheese. Extra cream cheese isn’t the only thing that distinguishes New York cheesecake.

• What’s the difference between New York cheesecake and Philadelphia cheesecake?

  When most people refer to Philadelphia-style cheesecake, experts say, they’re talking about a version marketed by the cream cheese brand. Sour cream or heavy cream is often used in New York style. Philadelphia fashion does not. That is, it has nothing to do with the city of Philadelphia.