Creamy New York-Style Cheesecake
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I made this Creamy New York-Style Cheesecake for Christmas this year and my family went wild. My husband loved it so much he fussed when I tried to share slices of it with our family. But he survived. Good food is meant to be shared.
(Post modified on 12/14/23.)
Through the years I have made many cheesecakes. Ricotta cheesecakes. Cheesecakes that have extra add-ins like chocolate chips or flavorings. Fluffy Cheesecakes. And then there is my delicious Chocolate Fudge Truffle Cheesecake (that is my personal favorite).
But more often than not, my family requests a plain cheesecake. Our daughters and their husbands thought this New York-Style Cheesecake was pretty amazing, and it ranked high on their scale. From now on, this will be my holiday go-to recipe for Cheesecake. It’s rich and creamy and oh so dreamy. Really, folks, it’s pretty amazing.
More Cheesecakes to Try
- Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
- Chocolate Fudge Truffle Cheesecake
- Apple Caramel Delight Cheesecake
- Cherry Cheesecake
Ingredients for Creamy New York-Style Cheesecake
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
Crust
- crushed graham cracker crumbs
- granulated sugar
- melted butter
Filling
- cream cheese, at room temperature (you’ll need a whopping 40 oz for this recipe)
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- lemon juice
- large eggs, at room temperature
- heavy whipping cream
Special Equipment
To make this cheesecake you’ll need a 9″ springform baking pan and if desired, parchment paper, for easy removal of the cheesecake.
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour hot water into an oblong baking pan and place this pan on a lower rack just beneath the middle rack.
Attach a piece of parchment paper to the bottom of the springform pan for easy removal from the pan.
Prepare the Ingredients
Bring the cream cheese and eggs to room temperature before beginning. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
Prepare the graham crackers by placing them in a freezer bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.
One sleeve of graham crackers equals 1 1/2 cups of crumbs.
Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 20-30 seconds to melt.
Make the Crust
In a small bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar, and melted butter until mixed well.
Press the mixture to line the bottom of the prepared springform pan to create the crust.
Bake in the center of preheated oven for 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until ready for the filling.
Prepare the Filling
In a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.
You could also use a food processor to mix the filling ingredients, if desired. Remember to scrape the bowl and paddle as needed throughout this process to make sure all of the batter is mixed well.
Add the granulated sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice.
Mix in the large eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the heavy whipping cream and mix just enough to incorporate it into the batter.
Assemble the Cheesecake
Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Place the pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven (with the pan of heated water on the rack below it). Bake for 70 minutes.
At the end of the 70 minutes, turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven for another 45 minutes with the door closed.
At this time the cheesecake will be slightly wiggly. Do not worry!
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and carefully run a butter knife around the edge of the cake to loosen the sides from the pan. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack. When completely cooled, you may cover the pan with plastic wrap or tinfoil and chill for 8-10 hours.
When ready to serve, remove the sides of the springform pan from the cake, and carefully lift the cake up with the parchment paper. You may then transfer and position it onto a serving plate.
To serve, slice cheesecake into small slices and if desired, garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries.
When serving, I began with a dollop of whipped cream and berries, but everyone preferred it straight up with no garnish. It’s that good.
This recipe will serve 16 people.
Wine Recommendation: Serve this New York-Style Cheesecake with a sweet Riesling such as Chateau Ste. Michelle Harvest Select Sweet Riesling.
See more Desserts Here. Browse Holiday Baking Ideas Here. View suggestions for a Christmas Eve Candlelight Dinner Here.
Creamy New York-Style Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs 1 sleeve
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
Filling
- 40 oz cream cheese at room temperature (40 oz = 5 blocks)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 5 large eggs + 3 egg yolks at room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Pour hot water into an oblong baking pan and place this pan on a lower rack just beneath the middle rack.
- Attach a piece of parchment paper to the bottom of the springform pan for easy removal from the pan.
Prepare the Ingredients
- Bring the cream cheese and large eggs to room temperature before beginning. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.
- Prepare the graham crackers by placing them in a freezer bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.
- Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 20-30 seconds to melt.
Make the Crust
- In a small bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar, and melted butter until mixed well.
- Press the mixture to line the bottom of the prepared springform pan to create the crust.
- Bake in the center of preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until ready for the filling.
Prepare the Filling
- In a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.Remember to scrape the bowl and paddle as needed throughout this process to make sure all of the batter is mixed well.
- Add the granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
- Mix in the large eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and mix just enough to incorporate into the batter.
Assemble the Cheesecake
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top with a rubber spatula, being careful not to touch the sides of the pan.
- Place the pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven (with the pan of heated water on the rack below it). Bake for 70 minutes.
- At the end of the 70 minutes, turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven for another 45 minutes with the door closed.At this time the cheesecake will be slightly wiggly. Do not worry!
- Remove the pan form the oven and carefully run a butter knife around the edge of the cake to loosen the sides from the pan. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, you may cover the pan with plastic wrap or tinfoil and chill for 8-10 hours.
- When ready to serve, remove the sides of the springform pan from the cake, and carefully lift the cheesecake up with the parchment paper. You may then transfer and position it onto a serving plate.
- To serve, cut cheesecake into small slices and if desired, garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries.
- This recipe will serve 16 people.
Notes
Nutrition