Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes Lucinda's New York-Style Cheesecake 4.0 (281) Whether or not you're on the East coast, New York-style cheesecake is a cross-country crowd-pleaser. Prep Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Servings: 12 to 16 Yield: 1 9-inch cake Jump to recipe New York-style cheesecake is a super simple dessert that is even creamier and denser than a classic cheesecake. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t love it, even outside of New York. There are only two components to cheesecake, and our recipe has perfected both. A silky sweet filling is essential, but a sturdy, well-baked crust is arguably the most important part, as it makes the cheesecake easier to slice. This cheesecake requires only about an hour of oven time, but you’ll need to set aside another eight hours for it to thoroughly set up in the refrigerator before digging in. We can assure you—it's most certainly worth the wait. Credit: Grant Webster 34 Recipes With Cream Cheese, From Creamy One-Pot Meals to Tangy Sweet Treats What Causes a Cheesecake to Crack There are a few reasons the top of cheesecake tends to crack and some ways to minimize cracking: Overbaking: A properly baked cheesecake should actually look underbaked when you pull it out of the oven. Give the pan a gentle wiggle. When the edges are set but the center jiggles like Jell-O, the cheesecake is ready.Over-mixing the filling: Beating too much air into the cream cheese mixture could cause the cheesecake to rise too quickly or unevenly. As the filling cools and sinks, it will be more likely to crack.Cooling too quickly: Going from hot to cold too quickly can also cause cracks to appear on the surface. Let the cheesecake cool completely at room temperature before transferring to the refrigerator.Not using a water bath: When the cheesecake is surrounded in a water bath, the filling is guaranteed to cook evenly, which should prevent cracks. Tools and Techniques Springform Pans Springform pans are ideal for delicate desserts like cheesecake. The pans have a nonstick removable belt around the outside that pops off to expose the edges of the cheesecake. From there, the cheesecake can be gently lifted instead of inverting it onto a platter and risking it breaking. Water Bath (Bain Marie) Baking the cheesecake in a water bath in the oven helps keep the cream cheese filling silky smooth and creamy. The most important thing a water bath does is create moisture in the oven as the cheesecake bakes. A moist atmosphere in an otherwise dry climate will help keep the cheesecake from drying out and cracking. It will also help the filling rise evenly since it's surrounded by a water barrier. The Importance of Room Temperature Ingredients When reading through the ingredient list, you'll notice that we call for the dairy components—cream cheese, butter, and sour cream—to be at room temperature. Not only does it require less physical effort to mix them when they're slightly softened, they also blend much better with one another, resulting in a creamy, emulsified batter that bakes up beautifully. How to Ensure Your Ingredients Are Room Temperature, To get the cream cheese, butter, and sour cream to the right temperature, take them out of the refrigerator 30 to 60 minutes before you plan to begin cooking. To speed things up a bit, you can cut the butter and cream cheese into smaller pieces, just avoid using the microwave—you'll risk melting them, which can throw off the cheesecake's finished texture. Tip The crust: Graham crackers make for the most classic-tasting crust, but you can use other cookies like chocolate disks, gingersnaps, or Biscoff wafers instead. Directions Credit: Grant Webster Preheat oven and prepare pan, Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in lower third of oven. Butter bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line sides of pan with 4-inch-high strips of parchment and butter parchment. Credit: Grant Webster Combine graham crackers and sugar for crust: In a food processor, pulse graham crackers with salt and sugar to fine crumbs. Credit: Grant Webster Credit: Grant Webster Add butter: Add butter and pulse until fully incorporated. Credit: Grant Webster Bake and cool crust: Press evenly into bottom of prepared springform pan and bake until crust is golden brown and set, 15 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Credit: Grant Webster Use the bottom of a measuring cup or the flat side of a drinking glass to press the crumbs into a compact layer. Mix cheesecake filling: In a large stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, butter, and sour cream with sugar until light and smooth. Credit: Grant Webster Add eggs, yolks, zest, and vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in remaining egg yolks, zest, and vanilla extract. Credit: Grant Webster Credit: Grant Webster Line pan with foil and parchment: Crisscross two long pieces of foil and place a piece of parchment on top. Credit: Grant Webster Wrap exterior of pan in foil: Place springform in center of foil and wrap foil tightly around bottom and sides of pan. Lining the pan with foil helps keep water from seeping into the cheesecake, which causes the crust to become soggy. Credit: Grant Webster Place pan in water bath: transfer to oven and bake: Transfer to a roasting pan, pour filling into springform pan, and smooth the top. Pour boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan and carefully transfer to oven. Bake for 1 hour until top of cheesecake is golden brown, edges are set, and center jiggles slightly. Credit: Grant Webster Remove from water bath and foil; let cool, then chill: Lift cheesecake from water bath, remove foil and parchment from outside of springform, and let cheesecake cool to room temperature. Transfer to refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours. Credit: Grant Webster Slice the cheesecake and serve: To serve, remove side of springform pan and parchment strips. Cut cheesecake with a long, thin-bladed knife. Credit: Grant Webster How to Slice Cheesecake For perfect slices every time, run a long thin-bladed knife under hot tap water, wiping it clean between cuts. Storing Cheesecake If your guests don't devour the cheesecake immediately, it can be covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. We don't recommend freezing. The extreme cold will change the texture. Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between New York cheesecake and regular cheesecake? The difference between New York cheesecake and regular cheesecake is that the New York version is a lot denser than regular cheesecake. Regular cheesecake is thinned with heavy cream, while New York cheesecake gets its creaminess mostly from cream cheese. What type of cream cheese is best for cheesecake? The type of cream cheese best for cheesecake is full-fat. Full-fat cream cheese is needed to make a flavorful cheesecake. Avoid anything labeled "low-fat" or "Neufchatel," as these can contain up to 25 percent less fat. Is New York cheesecake the same as Italian cheesecake? No, New York cheesecake is not the same as Italian cheesecake. New York cheesecake uses cream cheese as its base, while Italian cheesecake uses ricotta cheese. Italian cheesecake is a bit dryer and lighter, it is not as dense as New York cheesecake. 5 More Cheesecake Recipes to Try Strawberries-and-Cream Cheesecake Italian Ricotta Cheesecake Classic Cheesecake No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake for a Crowd Triple-Chocolate Cheesecake Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the decorvow recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.