New York Style Cheesecake

Name: New York Style Cheesecake
Prep time: 55 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 14 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1¾ cups (200 g) graham cracker crumbs, finely ground (about 14 full sheets); ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar; ¼ tsp (1½ g) fine salt; 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled; 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan; 32 oz (four 8-oz blocks) (907 g) full-fat block cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks; 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar; 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour; ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt; ¾ cup (180 g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature; ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature; 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated (from about 1 lemon); 4 whole (200 g) large eggs, at room temperature; 1 whole (18 g) large egg yolk, at room temperature; 6 cups (1500 ml) boiling water, freshly boiled, as needed to come halfway up the springform pan

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A tall, dense, creamy cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust, a subtle tang from sour cream and lemon, and a smooth, crack-free top thanks to a gentle water bath and a slow cool-down.

Prep: 55 min
Cook: 1 hr 25 min
Wait: 9 hr 30 min
Total: 11 hr 50 min
Makes: 1 cheesecake, 9-inch (23 cm), 14 slices

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Ingredients

14 servings

For the crust
1¾ cups (200 g) graham cracker crumbs, finely ground (about 14 full sheets)
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
¼ tsp (1.5 g) fine salt
6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
For the filling
32 oz (four 8-oz blocks) (907 g) full-fat block cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
¾ cup (180 g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
1 tsp (2 g) lemon zest, finely grated (from about 1 lemon)
4 whole (200 g) large eggs, at room temperature
1 whole (18 g) large egg yolk, at room temperature
For the water bath
6 cups (1500 ml) boiling water, freshly boiled, as needed to come halfway up the springform pan

Equipment (9)

9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) tall
Heavy-duty aluminum foil, 18-inch (45 cm) wide
Roasting pan or large deep baking dish, large enough to hold the springform pan with room around it
Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or hand mixer and large bowl
Rubber spatula
Instant-read thermometer
Kettle or pot for boiling water
Thin knife for loosening the cake
Measuring cup or flat-bottomed glass for pressing the crust

Steps

Before you start

Set out the cream cheese, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream and heavy cream 90 minutes ahead. Cold ingredients make a lumpy batter and a cracked cake.
Plan for a long timeline: about 2.5 hours of work and baking, then at least 6 hours (ideally overnight) of chilling.
Use full-fat block cream cheese, not whipped or spreadable tub cream cheese, and not low-fat.
Have a kettle or pot of water ready to boil when the batter is nearly done, since the water bath needs about 6 cups (1.5 liters) of boiling water.
Position an oven rack in the center and remove any racks above it so the tall cake has room.

1
Bring ingredients to room temperature
- Cut the cream cheese into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks and spread them on a plate.
- Leave the cream cheese, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream and heavy cream on the counter for 90 minutes.
- The cream cheese should be soft enough to dent easily with a finger but still hold its shape (about 68 to 70°F / 20 to 21°C).
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Ready when: Cream cheese yields to gentle finger pressure but is not greasy or melting
Tip: Do not microwave the cream cheese to hurry it. Warm spots turn the batter greasy.
2
Prepare the panOven 325°F / 165°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F (160°C).
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with the 1 tablespoon softened butter.
- Lock the base in place.
- Tear off two 18-inch (45 cm) sheets of heavy-duty foil and lay them crosswise in a plus shape.
- Set the pan in the center and fold the foil up and tightly around the sides, reaching at least to the rim, so water cannot seep in.
- Set the pan in a roasting pan.
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Ready when: Foil is seamless up the sides with no gaps or tears
Tip: Use wide foil if you can find it. Seams are where leaks happen, so do not use thin foil.
3
Mix the crust
- In a medium bowl, stir the graham crumbs, 50 g (¼ cup) sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt together.
- Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture looks like wet sand and clumps when squeezed in your fist.
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Ready when: Crumbs hold together when pinched, with no dry patches
4
Press and bake crustOven 325°F / 165°C
- Tip the crumbs into the foil-wrapped pan.
- Press them firmly across the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides using the flat bottom of a measuring cup.
- Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 10 minutes until the crust smells toasty and looks slightly darker at the edges.
- Leave the oven on.
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Ready when: Crust is fragrant and just beginning to darken at the edges
Tip: Press hard, especially into the corner where the base meets the wall, so the crust holds when sliced.
5
Beat cream cheese and sugar
- Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle.
- Beat on low speed for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy, scraping the bowl and paddle twice.
- Add the 250 g (1¼ cups) sugar, the flour and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Beat on low for 2 more minutes, scraping down well, until no lumps or streaks remain.
- Put the kettle on now so the water is boiling when you need it.
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Ready when: Batter is completely smooth and glossy with no cream cheese lumps
Tip: Keep the mixer on low. High speed whips in air, which makes the cake puff, then crack and sink.
6
Add the creamy ingredients
- With the mixer on low, add the sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla and lemon zest.
- Mix for about 1 minute until just combined.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl thoroughly with a spatula, then mix for 10 seconds more.
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Ready when: Mixture is uniform and pourable like thick pancake batter
Tip: Unmixed cream cheese hides at the bottom of the bowl, so scrape all the way down.
7
Mix in the eggs
- Add the 4 whole eggs and the yolk one at a time, mixing on low for about 15 seconds after each, just until the yellow disappears.
- Stop mixing as soon as the last egg is blended.
- Finish by folding the batter a few times with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the bowl.
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Ready when: Batter is silky, with no streaks of egg and no visible bubbles on the surface
Tip: Overmixing after the eggs go in is the leading cause of cracks. If you see large bubbles, rap the filled pan on the counter a few times.
8
Fill pan and add water bathOven 325°F / 165°C
- Pour the batter over the warm crust and smooth the top.
- Rap the pan firmly on the counter 3 or 4 times to release air bubbles.
- Slide the roasting pan onto the oven rack, then carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan (about 6 cups / 1.5 liters).
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Ready when: Water is about 1½ inches (4 cm) deep around the pan with no water inside the foil
Tip: Pour the water after the pan is on the oven rack. Carrying a full pan of hot water to the oven risks spills and burns.
9
Bake the cheesecakeOven 325°F / 165°C
- Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 70 to 80 minutes.
- The cake is ready when the top is pale golden at the edges, the outer 2 inches (5 cm) look set and matte, and the center 3 inches (7.5 cm) wobbles like gelatin when you nudge the pan.
- An instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should read 150°F (65°C).
- Do not open the oven in the first 60 minutes.
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Ready when: Edges set, center jiggles slightly, center reads 150°F (65°C)
Tip: If the center still looks liquid or sloshes, bake 5 more minutes at a time. Overbaking dries it out and cracks the top.
10
Rest in the turned-off oven
- Turn the oven off.
- Prop the door open about 1 inch (2.5 cm) with a wooden spoon handle and leave the cheesecake in the water bath for 60 minutes.
- The center will finish setting from residual heat, reaching about 160°F (71°C).
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Ready when: Center barely jiggles and the top has stopped moving when the pan is nudged
Tip: Moving a hot cheesecake to cool air quickly makes the top shrink and crack.
11
Cool and loosen
- Lift the roasting pan out carefully (the water is still hot), then use oven mitts to transfer the springform pan to a wire rack and peel off the foil.
- Run a thin knife, wiped clean and dipped in hot water, around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake.
- Leave the cake in the pan, undisturbed, on the rack for 60 minutes until completely at room temperature.
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Ready when: Pan feels neutral to the touch with no warmth on the base
Tip: Loosening the edge lets the cake shrink away from the pan evenly as it cools, rather than tearing the top.
12
Chill until firm
- Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap, without it touching the surface, and refrigerate at least 6 hours, ideally overnight (12 hours), until the center is fully cold and firm.
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Ready when: Center feels firm, with no jiggle when the pan is nudged
Tip: Chilling overnight gives the creamiest texture and cleanest slices.
13
Unmold and slice
- Release the springform latch and lift off the ring.
- Dip a long sharp knife in hot water and wipe it dry.
- Slice, wiping and re-dipping the knife between each cut, to make 14 slices.
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Ready when: Slices have smooth, clean sides with no smearing
Tip: Leave the cake on the pan base for serving. Sliding it off risks breaking the crust.

Good to know

Tips

Do not overmix once the eggs go in. Extra air makes the cake puff in the oven and then crack as it cools.
Check the water level halfway through baking; if the roasting pan looks low, add a little more boiling water.
A small crack is not a failure. Cover it with fruit compote, sour cream topping or whipped cream.
For the sharpest slices, chill the cake fully, then dip the knife in hot water and wipe it dry before each cut.

Make ahead

"Cheesecake is best made 1 day ahead. After chilling overnight, the flavor and texture improve. The baked crust and the whole cake can be prepared up to 2 days before serving."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: covered, up to 5 days. Freezer: freeze whole or in slices, wrapped tightly in plastic and foil, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and serve cold or at cool room temperature; do not reheat."

Substitutions

graham cracker crumbs → digestive biscuit or vanilla wafer crumbs, same weight (200 g). Digestives give a slightly less sweet crust; wafers a more buttery one.
full-fat sour cream → full-fat plain Greek yogurt, same amount (180 g). Gives a similar tang; avoid low-fat versions, which can turn the filling watery.
all-purpose flour → cornstarch, 1 tablespoon (8 g). Makes the cake gluten-free if the crust also uses gluten-free cookie crumbs.
lemon zest → ½ teaspoon more vanilla extract (2.5 ml). Skips the citrus note for a plainer, classic flavor.