New York Cheesecake

Before you start

New York cheesecake is the heavy, rich style: a tall wall of cream cheese filling, only lightly sweet, with a faint tang from sour cream and lemon and a thin graham cracker base. It should be smooth and dense enough to hold a sharp edge when sliced, with no crumbly or airy texture.

That texture comes from slow, gentle heat. A water bath keeps the edges from overcooking before the center sets, and a low oven prevents the eggs from puffing and cracking. Patience after baking matters just as much. The cake cools slowly in the turned-off oven, then on the counter, then sets overnight in the refrigerator, where it develops its final firm, creamy body.

Ingredients

• Crust150 g (1½ cups) graham cracker crumbs — about 10 full sheets
• 25 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
• 70 g (5 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted
• Filling1.13 kg (five 8-oz blocks) full-fat cream cheese — room temperature
• 300 g (1½ cups) granulated sugar
• 30 g (¼ cup) all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs — room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks — room temperature
• 120 g (½ cup) sour cream — room temperature
• 60 ml (¼ cup) heavy cream

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Wrap the outside of the springform with two layers of heavy-duty foil, pressing it snugly up the sides so no water can seep in.
2. Mix the crumbs, sugar and melted butter until the texture is like damp sand. Press firmly into the bottom of the pan with a flat-bottomed glass. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool while you make the filling. Lower the oven to 160°C (325°F).
3. Beat the cream cheese on low speed for 3 minutes, until perfectly smooth. Add the sugar, flour and salt and beat on low for 2 more minutes, scraping the bowl and paddle twice.
4. Beat in the zest and vanilla. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time on low speed, mixing only until each disappears. Mix in the sour cream and heavy cream. The batter should be smooth and pourable with very few bubbles.
5. Pour the filling over the crust and tap the pan on the counter to release air. Set it in the roasting pan, place it in the oven and pour hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the springform.
6. Bake for 85 to 95 minutes, until the outer 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in) looks set and matte, and the center wobbles slightly as a single mass when the pan is nudged. An instant-read thermometer pushed into the center should read 71°C (160°F).
7. Turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. Lift it out of the water, remove the foil and run a thin knife around the edge.
8. Cool on a rack for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight before removing the ring and slicing.

Tips for success

• Scrape the bowl often. Streaks of unmixed cream cheese stay as lumps in the finished cake.
• Running a knife around the edge before chilling lets the cake shrink without tearing, which prevents many cracks.
• For neat slices, dip a long knife in hot water and wipe it dry between cuts.

Substitutions

Graham cracker crumbs

Use the same weight of crushed digestive biscuits or vanilla wafers. Chocolate wafer crumbs make a dark crust with a different, sweeter flavor.

Sour cream

Plain full-fat Greek yogurt works and gives a slightly sharper tang. Low-fat versions add water and soften the set.

Water bath

Set a pan of hot water on the rack below instead. Expect a little more browning and a higher chance of a crack.

Variations

Sour cream topping

Whisk 240 g sour cream with 2 tbsp sugar and ½ tsp vanilla, spread it over the baked cake and bake 10 minutes more before cooling.

Cherry topping

Simmer 300 g pitted sour cherries with 50 g sugar and 1 tbsp cornstarch until thick; cool and spoon over slices.

Troubleshooting

Deep crack across the top

The cake overbaked or cooled too fast. Pull it while the center still wobbles, cool it in the oven with the door ajar, and loosen the sides before chilling.

Soggy crust

Water leaked through the foil. Use wide heavy-duty foil in two layers, or set the springform inside a slightly larger cake pan before placing it in the water.

Lumpy filling

The cream cheese was too cold. Let it soften for at least 2 hours and beat it alone until smooth before adding anything else.

Storage

Keep the cheesecake covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Do not leave it out more than 2 hours. To freeze, chill it fully, wrap slices or the whole cake tightly and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Safety notes

Bake until the center reaches 71°C (160°F), the FDA guidance for dishes made with eggs. Do not taste raw filling. Contains milk, egg and wheat.