The Greatest New York-Model Cheesecake

March 1, 2024

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New York-Model Cheesecake is wealthy, creamy, and one of the crucial well-known cheesecake recipes on this planet! With a crunchy graham cracker crust and dense however creamy cheesecake filling, it’s scrumptious with strawberry sauce on high! Comply with my pro-tips under to stop cracking whereas the cheesecake bakes.

New York Cheesecake? Sure, Please!

Reader Sheri F. says: This actually is the perfect NY type cheesecake recipe!!! So many compliments from family and friends that it’s the perfect cheesecake they’ve ever had. Even my cousin from NJ! I’ve made it 3 occasions within the final 6 weeks.

In case you’re a cheesecake purist, at the moment’s new cheesecake recipe is for you! As a result of at the moment I’m educating you tips on how to make the BEST New York-Model Cheesecake! This number of cheesecake is known for a number of causes:

Thick and crunchy graham cracker crust – with a lot of buttery taste.
Dense however creamy cheesecake filling – actually the right texture!
To-die-for scrumptious traditional cheesecake taste – it’s laborious to cease at one slice!
Scrumptious plain or with a wide range of topping like whipped cream, strawberry sauce, sizzling fudge, or salted caramel sauce.

In case you’re a cheesecake professional, you’ll love realizing that I’ve examined and perfected this recipe. And it has dozens of 5-star opinions! In case you’re a cheesecake newbie, this recipe is a superb place to begin for you as a result of it’s mainly foolproof. However be at liberty to ease your approach into the cheesecake baking world with these New York-Model Cheesecake Bars, that are even simpler!

Cheesecake Components

Graham Crackers Crumbs: For ease, I purchase them already crushed. However you should buy sheets of graham crackers and pulverize them in a meals processor or a high-power electrical mixer.
Unsalted Butter: Melted butter is the binder for the graham cracker crust. In case you can solely discover salted butter, merely omit the salt referred to as for within the recipe.
Cream Cheese: Brick-style full-fat cream cheese works greatest for cheesecake recipes. For straightforward and even mixing, ensure it’s at room temperature – or softer – earlier than making the cheesecake batter.
Bitter Cream: Provides richness and a delightfully tangy taste to the cheesecake. In case you can not discover bitter cream, an equal quantity of full-fat plain Greek yogurt is the perfect substitution.
Vanilla Extract: A splash will add scrumptious vanilla taste whereas enhancing the opposite flavors on this recipe. You’ll want to use pure vanilla, not synthetic or imitation vanilla.
Eggs: This recipe requires complete eggs and egg yolks. Use massive selection eggs. They assist thicken the batter and provides it a easy texture. You’ll want to add the eggs one by one, and beat on medium-low pace till simply mixed.
Flour: A small quantity of all-purpose flour offers this cheesecake it’s trademark dense but creamy texture. I believe a 1-for-1 GF flour would work fantastic right here.
Heavy Cream: Aka heavy whipping cream. This dairy product makes the cheesecake insanely easy and creamy. Don’t sub milk or half and half.

The Good Springform Pan

After baking HUNDREDS of cheesecakes, I’ve lastly discovered the right springform pan. Really, I’ve two favorites: Fats Daddio’s Springform Pan and USA Pan Springform Pan.

You’ll want a 9-inch springform. An everyday 9-inch cake pan is not going to work. Fortunately, these pans have many makes use of past cheesecake recipes, and are definitely worth the funding! Please don’t try this recipe with out the suitable pan.
The springform pan wants to have the ability to maintain at the least 8 cups of batter, so select one which’s at the least 2.5 inches deep. If you find yourself with further batter, you possibly can all the time bake it in a muffin tin like these mini cheesecakes.
I counsel a springform pan that’s lighter in coloration. Lighter coloured pans will bake a cheesecake with a pale high. Darker pans will yield darker baked items. A darkish cheesecake high isn’t the tip of the world although… and a few individuals even want it!

Secrets and techniques to a Creamy Cheesecake

Full-fat Cream Cheese: This cheesecake recipe just isn’t the place to make use of lowered fats cream cheese. I additionally don’t suggest utilizing Neufchâtel, which is decrease in fats content material. And thus will produce a much less creamy cheesecake. So purchase full-fat brick-style cream cheese for greatest outcomes.
Bitter Cream AND Heavy Cream: Most cheesecake recipes solely use one in all these elements. However in my testing I’ve discovered you get the creamiest cheesecake whenever you use each! In case you can not discover bitter cream, plain full-fat Greek yogurt is the best way to go.
Do NOT over Combine the Batter: It is best to do nearly all of your mixing BEFORE you add the eggs and flour. When you’ve added these elements, you wish to combine on low pace till simply mixed.
Water Bathtub: Baking in a water bathtub permits the cheesecake to bake slowly and evenly. This produces an extremely creamy cheesecake!
Comply with the Cooling Course of: After baking, you’ll flip off the oven, however don’t open the oven door! You’ll let it cool this manner for half-hour earlier than eradicating it from the oven after which eradicating the pan from the recent water.

Forestall Cracking

Don’t Over Combine: Particularly when you’ve added the eggs and flour! The one time you wish to combine the cheesecake batter on excessive is when you’re getting the clumps out of the cheesecake. When you add within the eggs, it’s essential to combine on low so that you simply don’t beat an excessive amount of air into the batter. Extreme beating will make the cheesecake puff up within the oven after which sink and crack when you take away it from warmth.
Room Temperature Components: Chilly elements don’t bond evenly! And on this case, chilly elements would additionally require lots of mixing, which as said above, is a no-no. So be certain your whole elements are at room temperature. Particularly the full-fat cream cheese, which must be fairly delicate earlier than use.
Water Bathtub: Baking in a water bathtub is a necessary step for creamy cheesecake! This further step will assist stop cracking and can guarantee a easy and creamy cheesecake recipe!
Don’t Over Bake: That is the piece of recommendation most individuals ignore… and the remorse it! You do not need to over bake your cheesecake. In reality, you wish to take away it from the oven earlier than it units fully within the middle. A bit jiggle is an efficient factor, as a result of it would proceed to cook dinner because it cools.
Cool Slowly: You’ll wish to cool this New York-Model cheesecake slowly, which helps stop cracking. You’ll start by cooling the cheesecake within the oven, with the temperature turned off. Then you definitely’ll open the oven door, take away the cheesecake, and funky to room temperature. Lastly, you’ll chill within the fridge for a number of hours.

When you end chilling your cheesecake, you possibly can slice it and dig in! To get clear slices of cheesecake, use a big knife and press firmly down when slicing. Wipe the knife clear with a heat moist fabric between slices.

Baking in a Water Bathtub 101

Baking a cheesecake in a water bathtub helps the cheesecake keep moist, creamy, and helps stop cracking. A variety of new bakers concern this course of, however I promise there’s nothing to concern. I’ve an entire submit on tips on how to make a straightforward water bathtub for cheesecake, however listed here are my high suggestions damaged down:

Springform Pan: Earlier than you even take into consideration baking cheesecake, be sure you have the suitable springform pan readily available! That is important for cheesecake AND for the water bathtub.
Aluminum Foil: To make sure no water seeps into our pan, you’ll wrap the springform pan with aluminum foil. I like to recommend further vast heavy-duty aluminum foil, which mainly guarantees no water will break your graham cracker crust.
Roasting Pan: You’ll want a pan that’s vast sufficient to carry the springform pan and deep sufficient to carry about 3-inches of sizzling water. A flat-bottomed roasting pan works greatest, however you will get artistic right here and attempt to discover a pan you have already got that works.
Scorching Water: The final step earlier than inserting your cheesecake within the oven? Add about 3-inches of freshly boiled sizzling water into the roasting pan. Be sure you pour slowly; you don’t need the water to splash and get IN the cheesecake.

How Lengthy Does Cheesecake Final within the Fridge?

One in every of my favourite issues about cheesecake recipes is which you could make them prematurely! Baked and totally cooled, this cheesecake will hold within the fridge for as much as 4 days. So you possibly can bake it earlier than your subsequent vacation gathering and calm down realizing desert is prepared when you’re. Or you possibly can freeze it following my directions under!

Are you able to Freeze Cheesecake?

Baked cheesecakes freeze nice, and can hold for as much as 2 months when frozen appropriately.
It’s essential to cool and chill the cheesecake fully earlier than freezing it. Then you possibly can determine when you freeze the entire cheesecake or lower it up and freeze it in slices. If freezing complete, don’t freeze within the cheesecake pan!
Place the entire cheesecake – or slices – on a baking pan and thoroughly place within the freezer simply till agency. This takes about an hour for slices and two hours for the entire cheesecake.
Take away from the freezer (set a timer so that you don’t overlook) and wrap the cheesecake tightly in a number of layers of saran wrap. The plastic wrap will make sure the cheesecake doesn’t get freezer burn.
Place the entire cheese, or the slices, in a big freezer bag. Press out any extra air, then seal the bag. Label with the date and pop the bag within the freezer for as much as 2 months!
To defrost this New York-style cheesecake, take away it from the freezer the evening earlier than you intend on serving it. Thaw the wrapped cheesecake in fridge in a single day, or till delicate and sliceable. Don’t try to thaw this cheesecake within the microwave or oven!

Whereas the Cheesecake Bakes…

This cheesecake has a protracted bake time… however because you’re already within the kitchen, why not make a contemporary strawberry sauce? You’ll solely want a handful of elements like strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar. And this strawberry sauce is the right topping for cheesecake! Between the crunchy graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and fruity strawberry sauce topping, it’s actually dessert perfection!