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Classic New York Style Cheesecake
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Classic New York Style Cheesecake

Equipment

  • Digital scale (or liquid and dry measuring cups and measuring spoons)
  • Food processor (or rolling pin and resealable bag)
  • Parchment paper
  • 7" springform pan
  • Stand mixer with whisk attachment (or hand mixer and large bowl)
  • Silicone spatula
  • Large oven-safe pan for bain-marie (must be bigger than springform pan)
  • Aluminum foil
  • Plastic wrap
  • Offset spatula (optional)
  • Serving plate

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 3 Tbsp (43g) unsalted butter, melted
  • ¾ cup (85g) graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 Tbsp (30g) granulated sugar

Cheesecake Filling

  • 8 oz package of Philadelphia brand cream cheese (no substitutions)
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • Tbsp lemon juice
  • ¾ tsp vanilla extract
  • tsp salt
  • cups sour cream

Instructions

Making the crust

  • Preheat oven to 325°F.
  • Make graham crackers crumbs by pulsing in a food processor until finely ground. If you don’t have a food processor, place the graham crackers in a Ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin until finely ground.
  • In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar before stirring in the melted butter. If you add all three ingredients at the same time, the sugar usually clumps and there isn’t an even distribution throughout the crust. Make sure that all of the graham crackers crumbs are moistened with the butter before putting them into the pan.
  • Press crumbs into the bottom of a buttered and parchment paper-lined springform pan. Pack down the crust to avoid crumbling after it is baked. Press the crust down using your fingers or a straight-sided object (e.g., a measuring cup).
  • Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Do not remove the crust from the pan while cooling.

Making the filling

  • While the crust is cooling, begin to make the filling. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
  • In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer), beat cream cheese and sugar on the lowest setting until very smooth (about 3 minutes). Use the whisk attachment. Do not whip too much air into the cheesecake because it should be dense when baked. Too much air will make it more likely to crack.
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each step while making this recipe. The cream cheese has a tendency to stick to the bowl and you want to make sure that you don’t end up with any lumps in your cheesecake filling.
  • Add the eggs one at time, beating well after each addition until smooth.
  • Next, add the lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Beat until incorporated. Finally, add the sour cream and beat to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl one last time with a spatula to make sure that all ingredients have been incorporated and there are no lumps.
  • Pour the filling into the springform pan (on top of the cooled crust). This cheesecake recipe is baked in a bain-marie (i.e., a warm water bath) to allow for gradual and even cooking. This will help to prevent cracks while the cheesecake is cooking and while it is cooling. To ensure that water will not get into the springform pan and ruin the crust, wrap the pan in 1-2 layers of aluminum foil. Place the cheesecake into another, slightly larger container (I like to use a larger cake pan) and pour about one inch of very hot water between the side of the larger container and the springform pan.

Baking and cooling the cheesecake

  • Very carefully, place the pans in the oven (don't get water on the cheesecake or on yourself). Bake for 45 minutes and then turn off the oven WITHOUT opening the oven door. A sudden change in temperature will make the cheesecake more likely to crack. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven (with the door closed for 45 minutes). Then, crack the oven door open and let the cheesecake continue to cool for another 45 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the oven, remove the aluminum foil from around the springform pan, and allow to cool on a wire rack for approximately one hour (or until the cheesecake is room temperature). Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Do not let the plastic wrap touch the top of the cheesecake or it will stick.

Removing the cheesecake from the pan

  • As the cheesecake cools, it will pull away from the sides of the pan. Run a thin metal spatula around the side of the cake to ensure that it is not sticking to the pan. Then, release the side of the pan and gently remove. Take a plate that is larger than the cheesecake, cover it with plastic wrap, gently set the plate on top of the cheesecake, and invert the cheesecake. Remove the bottom of the springform pan and peel away the parchment paper. Then place the serving plate gently on the cheesecake (i.e., on top of the crust) and flip the cheesecake back over.
  • Refrigerate the cheesecake until a few minutes before serving. Cut using a knife that was dipped in warm water and then wiped off. This will help to make clean, sharp cuts. Wipe off any cheesecake residue between slices.

Notes

  • This recipe is for a 7-inch cheesecake (i.e., a small cheesecake).  If you are making a normal sized cheesecake (i.e., 10-inch), double all of the amounts for the crust and filling. 
  • A spring form pan has a removable bottom and a spring on the side that releases the bottom and makes it easier to remove the pan from around the cheesecake.  Do not bake a cheesecake in a normal cake pan (i.e., a pan without a removable bottom).  You will not be able to get the cheesecake out without destroying it.  This is a link for a 7-inch spring form pan, which is size that I am making today. You can also buy a larger 10-inch pan if making a normal sized cheesecake.
  • I usually put the spring form pan on a baking sheet in case the butter leaks while cooking.  You will thank me when you just have to wash a cookie sheet rather than cleaning burned butter from the bottom of your oven. 
  • You can hide cracks on the top of a cheesecake by making a fruit topping, placing fresh fruit over the crack, covering the top with whipped cream.