How to Make New York Cheesecake

Guide Note The thought of making a New York Cheesecake may seem intimidating even to experienced bakers. But in reality, the process involves very few ingredients and relatively little cooking time. By learning how to make a New York cheesecake at home, not only will you be able to make a fantastic dessert whenever you choose, but you can treat your friends and family to a wonderfully decadent treat!

Table of Contents

New York Cheesecake Tips

  1. Mix the filling at low speed to prevent surface cracks during the cooling process.
  2. Try using a ready-made graham cracker crust to cut down on preparation time.
  3. Cheesecake is done baking when the filling is firm, but still jiggles slightly.
  4. Add different ingredients like citrus zest to the filling for new flavors.
  5. To prevent cracks, run a knife between the container and the crust after the cheesecake has cooled.
  6. To prevent the filling spillage, place a cookie sheet under the cheesecake while baking.

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Introduction

  • The New York Cheesecake is a classic dessert that combines rich flavor with a smooth and silky texture.1 And since an indulgent slice of cheesecake is often bundled with a hefty bill at a nice restaurant or deli, it can be much more preferable to make it yourself. While it may seem laborious to produce a cake with such a unique texture, it's actually quite easy to make a perfect New York Cheesecake in your own kitchen.

What You'll Need for the Crust

Crush, mash and crumble. For deliciousness' sake. (Creative Commons photo by Windell H. Oskay, www.evilmadscientist.com)
Crush, mash and crumble. For deliciousness' sake. (Creative Commons photo by Windell H. Oskay, www.evilmadscientist.com)

Ingredients

Equipment

  • 1 plastic food storage bag (if crushing whole graham crackers)
  • Rolling pin
  • Measuring cups
  • Mixing bowl
  • Springform pan

What You'll Need for the Filling

Ingredients

Equipment

  • Measuring cups
  • Mixing bowl
  • Mixing spoon or electric mixer

Step 1: Make the Graham Cracker Crust

Your final mixture should be crumbly, with all ingredients evenly mixed. (Creative Commons photo by fadedmilkyway)
Your final mixture should be crumbly, with all ingredients evenly mixed. (Creative Commons photo by fadedmilkyway)
  • A perfectly crumbly crust is just as important to a proper cheesecake as the rich filling. While ready made graham cracker crusts are commonly available in grocery stores, experienced bakers criticize ready made crusts for having a bland taste and unpresentable appearance.3 Luckily, making your own crust is relatively simple:
  1. Place whole crackers into the large plastic food storage bag.
  2. Gently rock back and forth over the bag with your rolling pin4 until you have crushed between 1 1/4 to 2 cups of crumbs.
  3. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, the butter and 1/3 to 1/4 cup of sugar into a mixing bowl.
  4. Mix the ingredients until they are all evenly distributed.
  5. Press the mixture firmly across the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
  6. Refrigerate the crust while you make the cheesecake filling.

Step 2: Prepare The Filling

  • The filling of your cheesecake is just as easy to prepare as the crust:
  1. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature to make mixing easier, and to ensure a smooth overall mixture.1
  2. Combine the cream cheese and 1 cup of sugar into a mixing bowl.
  3. Gently beat the ingredients until the form a smooth, creamy mixture.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, and continue mixing after adding each egg
  5. Beat until filling is evenly blended.
  6. Remove the graham cracker crust from your refrigerator.
  7. Fill the pie crust with the cheesecake filling.

Step 3: Bake the Cheesecake

Keep a watchful eye on your cheesecake once it's in the oven. (Creative Commons photo by Carol)
Keep a watchful eye on your cheesecake once it's in the oven. (Creative Commons photo by Carol)
  • Baking will be the last, but most intensive step. Cheesecake is not a set-it-and-forget-it in the oven dessert. Because the final texture is so specific, you will need to check on your cheesecake frequently to make sure that it does not burn.
  1. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
  2. Bake the cheesecake for 15 minutes.
  3. Reduce the temperature of your oven to 250 degrees.
  4. Continue to bake the cheesecake for approximately 60 to 90 minutes. Check intermittently to make sure it has not burnt.
  5. The cheesecake is done baking when the filling is firm, but still jiggles slightly.5
  6. When done, remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
  7. Run a knife between the crust and the edge of the pan to prevent any cracks from forming during the cooling process.1
  8. Once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Cheesecake Variations

  1. Chef Sarah Moulton decorates her cheesecake with blueberries and raspberries.7
  2. Stumpy's Delights from Buffalo, New York likes to add peppermint to their cheesecake.8
  3. Adding cream of tartar can give your cheesecake an interesting taste.9
  4. Since it is relatively similar to pumpkin pie, there are many recipes which pair the two together as a pumpkin cheesecake!10
  5. Other popular flavor variations include fruit cheesecakes11 and chocolate cheesecakes.12
  6. Ingredients can even be substituted to make a cheesecake suitable for those on a diet.13


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References for How to Make New York Cheesecake

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Chef Norm: Cheesecake Know How
  2. ↑ Recipezaar: Kitchen Dictionary: Graham Cracker
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Start Cooking: Graham Cracker Pie Crust (February, 2008)
  4. ↑ AllRecipes: Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
  5. ↑ Joy of Baking: Cheese Cake Recipe & Photo
  6. ↑ Epicurious: New York Cheesecake Recipe
  7. ↑ Food Network: New York Cheesecake  WARNING: Pop-ups
  8. ↑ Epicurious: Peppermint Twist Cheesecake  WARNING: Pop-ups
  9. ↑ AllRecipes: New York Cheesecake
  10. ↑ AllRecipes: Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe Search
  11. ↑ AllRecipes: Fruit Cheesecake Recipe Search
  12. ↑ AllRecipes: Chocolate Cheescake Recipe Search
  13. ↑ Cooks Recipes: Low Fat New York Cheesecake Recipe

Additional New York Cheesecake Recipes

Additional Graham Cracker Crust Recipes



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