NY Cheesecake: to die for!
I grew up 45 minutes outside Manhattan (yes, a true Jersey girl, from the land of Taylor Ham sandwiches and great diner food). Where I come from the cheesecake is dense, creamy, and tangy with a bit of sour cream, riding on a shortbread cookie-style crust. I still remember the incredible silkiness of the cheesecake Mrs. Weimann brought down to the beach where I was working as a lifeguard one day, just to give us a treat. And what a treat it was. It’s funny, since we’ve been polishing up the recipes section of our website, to discover some of the things that haven’t been on it. We’ve had some gaps to address, and this bad boy is one of them. There’s really nothing hard about making a cheesecake, but there are some subtle points that can make a very big difference in the quality of the outcome. Here’s how to arrive at an eye-closing, head-tilted back, moan-of-pleasure forkful of NY Style Cheesecake.
Before you do anything, take the cream cheese out to warm up. You can leave it on the counter in its packaging overnight, or take the cold cream cheese out of its wrapper and put it in a large bowl to microwave it at low power in 20-second bursts. When you can stir it easily and there are no lumps or cold spots, you’re ready to go. The eggs should be at room temperature, too, but that one’s easy: just put them in a bowl of warm water while you’re wrestling with the cream cheese.
The crust goes together without much fuss. Cream butter and sugar, add flavorings and flour, mix. Now add an egg to bring it all together, and you have dough.
Now plop it in the pan and press it along the bottom and up the sides. To smooth out the bottom I like to use our handy little pastry roller.
Now dock the dough so steam can escape while the crust bakes (otherwise it will make a big dome).
After baking, it’s set and light golden brown. We’ll let it cool while we assemble the filling. Don’t forget to turn the oven down now: the cheesecake will bake at 325°F.
Now for the filling. This is one of those points I was referring to earlier: lumpy cream cheese means lumpy filling, and that’s not what we’re after. Put the softened cream cheese in the mixer with the sugar from the recipe.
Let the mixer run at low speed (you don’t want to beat air into it; you’re just trying to combine everything), until it’s smooth.
Stop and scrape the bowl to be sure there’s no cream cheese sticking to the bottom or sides, and mix again. This part of the recipe is your best opportunity to get rid of lumps, so be sure you do so now, because after the eggs are in it’s much harder to accomplish.
Everything nice and smooth? Ok, now you can add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time. Too many eggs at once will make you a big slimy mess that won’t want to mix; you need the traction of the cream cheese mixture’s thickness to help you incorporate the egg.
After each egg disappears, scrape the bowl to make sure everything is the same consistency, and you don’t have any thicker batter sticking to the sides and bottom.
Add the lemon zest last, so it doesn’t all get stuck to the paddle.
Don’t forget the sour cream.
Pour the batter over the crust in the pan.
Smooth it out with an offset spatula.
Now for the trickiest part: the bake. I can hear you saying, “Huh? What’s so hard about putting a pan in the oven?” Nothing. What’s hard is knowing when to turn the oven off and let the cake coast across the finish line from the retained heat (it’s called carryover cooking). Since cheesecake has a generous amount of raw eggs in it, people freak out and frequently overcook them. I did.
A little food science here: The protein in eggs begins to coagulate at 140°F for whites, 150°F for yolks. The addition of sugar and other ingredients raises that temperature, but not by much. The more you cook an egg past that temperature, the tighter the proteins become, and the more they shrink. They can contract so much that they squeeze out the liquid they’re supposed to be capturing: that’s why overcooked scrambled eggs begin to weep.
The first cheesecake I made was from a recipe I was adapting; I made a basic testing error, and didn’t set the timer for 10 minutes less than the recipe said to. When I checked the temperature of the cake an inch from the edge, it was 195°F. It was still wobbly in the middle, so I thought I was going to be ok.I propped open the oven door with a potholder, turned the oven off, and set the timer for an hour.
When I came back, it looked like this:
This cracked cake tasted fine, but its texture was a bit grainy and a on the dry side. Time for take two.
Take 2: another cheesecake, but this time I backed off on the bake time. When the batter measured 175°F an inch and a half from the edge, I repeated the coasting process: oven off, door propped open, timer set for 60 minutes.
The top seemed awfully juicy (about 3 inches across in the center), but I stuck to my guns, and turned the oven off after propping it open. Here’s the way the cake finished up.
Now that’s more like it! The blemish you see on the right is where I took the cake’s temperature, but that will be hidden by the topping. This cheesecake was incredibly silky. Dangerous to the diet, that’s for sure.
Refrigerate the cheesecake while you make the topping. You can use any kind of fruit you like, but tart cherries or fresh strawberries are classic.
Cook the water/sugar/cornstarch mixture until it’s thick,
add a few drops of red food coloring (not critical, but it does look better if you do), remove from the heat and stir in the fruit.
Spoon over the top of the cheesecake, and your creation is ready for prime time.
Buy vs. Bake
This cake certainly demonstrates the savings you can capture by baking your own dessert:
Eileen’s cheesecake (NYC) 10” plain cheesecake: $65; 20 servings, $3.25 each
Bake your own: $11.48, 20 servings, .57 each
September 15th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
I heart NY style cheese cake.
I also heart graham cracker crumb crust…thick made with sugar and butter…..
Now I am hungry.
Well, I guess that leaves no choice but to make one! Have fun and thanks for sharing. Elisabeth @ The Baker’s Hotline
September 15th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Hi KAF,
Do you have suggestions for baking without a springform pan? I don’t own one and am reticent to buy it for a single purpose. I mean, people weren’t baking cheesecake with these pans 100 years ago! Plus, Alton Brown says he never uses them and I listen to pretty much anything he says. Thanks for any tips!
Hi, Christine! You can bake a cheesecake in any deep (at least 2 inches) cake pan. I’d recommend putting a parchment circle underneath the crust to facilitate getting it out of the pan after baking. In the bakeries I worked in, we’d bake cheesecakes, cool them thoroughly (usually overnight), then to get them out of the pan we’d heat the bottom over a low flame for about 30 seconds, (this helps free up the buttery crust) then flip them out onto a plate and then back right side up. Hope this helps. Susan
September 15th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
i never knew why cakes cracked in the middle like that before. Now i know its about the eggs and sugar seizing up due to overly hot temperature. I know that baking it in a water bath helps aid the baking process as well. This is right, right?
Dear Amanda: Baking in a water bath increases the window of opportunity to get the cake’s cooking stopped at the right time by smoothing out the rate at which temperatures rise and fall. It’s like trying to make a right turn at 5 miles an hour vs. 50. Susan
September 15th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
This looks absolutely delicious. For some reason New York style always taste more rich and creamy. Can I add your recipe to our site http://www.cheesecake-recipes.org?
Thanks, Allie - of course, we’d be honored to have our recipe on your site. Include a link back to it or this blog, if that’s convenient- PJH
September 16th, 2008 at 4:13 am
So here is a puzzler for you baking masters…I currently live in Denmark where you _can_ buy cream cheese but only the spreadable kind which does not work well in baking (trust me, I tried). I did manage very good cream cheese frosting by using mascarpone but I am hesitant to try that switch in something pickier like a cheese cake. Any advice?
I think mascarpone would work just fine. It’s a little more wet than cream cheese on this side of the pond, but I think you can adjust for that by either adding 2 more tablespoons of flour to take up the extra water, or another egg. Good luck, and let me know if it works! Susan
September 16th, 2008 at 9:36 am
A month or so ago, I had to make cheesecake to serve 60 guests. I was trying out different recipes, and I’m not sure if this is the same recipe that’s in the Baker’s Companion (too lazy to look it up), but it was favored by a majority of taste testers (my husband’s coworkers). I made it in a 9 x 13 inch springform pan and lined the bottom with parchment paper before I baked the crust. I also used a water bath. The parchment paper made it so easy to remove the cheesecake from the bottom.
September 16th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I LOVE this blog. I check it everyday. I have tried many of the recipes.
I can’t wait to try this one. I have a question about freezing cheesecake.
Can it be frozen ? If yes how long could you leave it in the freezer ?
Thanks so much for taking the time to break down each step. It really helps. Yes, you can freeze cheesecake. I once froze one and forgot about it and it was still wonderful 6 months later. Joan@the baker’s hotline
September 16th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Step 5 (for the filling) indicates salt should be added, but I can’t find how much. I can only see salt in the crust part? Am I missing something? Sorry– it should say 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Joan @ the baker’s hotline
September 17th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I too visit this blog often; usually daily and LOVE it! Thanks!!! Actually, KAF is the only site I visit often. I have been “burned” when buying bakeware and other baking supplies on-line when not from KAF (every time except twice!). I’ll stick with what works and with what I trust.
With regard to this cheesecake, it can be summed up with one word; YUM. I can’t wait to try it. This recipe is very similiar to the one I’ve been using. I got it from a great Jewish Deli/Bakery that used to be in Manhatten. His recipe was made with a graham cracker, sugar & butter crust of which I must say I prefer. Sorry. His recipe also calls for a layer of sour cream on top of the cheese filling - not much, just about 1/4″ and then topped with fruit, if desired. Lemon curd is my all time favorite (cherries, 2nd.).
Good God, my stomach is rumbling; my mouth watering!
September 17th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
I have a New York style receipe and it called for a can of sweet milk instead of sour cream…how much of a difference in taste is there of the two mixed in a cheese cake? I seem to be lucky and so far (knock on wood) mine don’t crack.
Kimberly, are you meaning sweetened condensed milk? If so, the result will be a sweeter cake. If you make that substitution, I’d suggest cutting the sugar in the filling back to 1 1/2 cups. Susan
September 18th, 2008 at 1:17 am
Hi,
Can you make this cheese cake with REAL cream cheese?
I live in Central Europe, where cream cheese is made with CREAM and not with stabilizers, emulsifiers, guar gum and other oddities - nothing you don’t find on the farm is added.
Only in the past year or so has the famous stuff in the silver box come into the market here (at ridiculous prices). I’m afraid that after ten years of eating REAL cream cheese (either made at home on someone’s farm or bought in any grocery store - it’s all the same simple, old-fashioned FRESH cream cheese), I’m spoiled. The silver-wrapped stuff looks like library paste, feels like slime in the mouth and tastes like… nothing much. It’s too chalky-white, too gummy/slimy (ever notice how it hardens up into a crust if you leave a bit of it exposed to air?) and just doesn’t taste like cream.
So, does anyone make cheese cake anymore in the US with REAL cream cheese? Or does ‘cheesecake’ in the US mean ‘library-paste in a silver wrapper’ cake?
Would using the real thing make the cake different? I’d like to try this because all the cooks I know over here are keeping mum about their mother’s and grandmother’s and aunt’s and great-aunt’s recipes for their fabulous cheese cakes, and I’d like to make a real, baked cheese cake myself. But I just won’t eat that stuff in a silver wrapper anymore.
Do the various additives do anything necessary to this cake?
Thanks.
Nel: I envy you your access to the real McCoy, so to speak. I think you should be able to use this recipe without too much trouble. The only variable would be how much moisture your real cheese has vs. the “silver slab”. If you feel you need to make an adjustment (try the recipe as is, first), I’d suggest the same tweaks that I recommended above for mascarpone: an additional tablespoon or two of flour in the filling, or an additional egg to help the filling set better. Good luck, and I wish I could be there for a taste!! Susan
September 18th, 2008 at 7:40 am
I have been wanting to try out my new individual cheesecake pan. What baking time do you suggest? Are there any other changes that would need to be made?
Individual bake times can vary by pan. I would begin checking the cakes at 10 minutes. Frank from KAF.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Hi All, I’ve been out of town this week and am just catching up! Apple/Carmel cake looks great (next blog entry) and this looks good too, tho I’m not a fan of NY style. I do like French style. Can this be adapted? Can you give equal time to those that don’t care for 2lb hunks of cheesecake?
Thanks!
September 19th, 2008 at 10:43 am
I have never made a cheesecake before but tried this yesterday. The whole family have said this was amazing and perfect :o) Thanks so much for the recipe. It was my Mums birthday today and this was the perfect celebration dessert
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:42 am
Hi KAF,
Thanks a lot, I made this cake (with blueberries) 2 days ago and it was delicious!
The only minor issue was that the crust absorbed some moisture from the cream while baking and got a little soggy. What should I do to solve that? Will a graham cracker crumb crust solve it, and can I use Digestive biscuits instead?You might try putting the rack one notch lower in your oven. This would help make the crust less soggy. You could use a graham cracker or digestive biscuit crust if you wished. Mary @ King Arthur Flour
September 23rd, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Hello
Just a sugestion for all of us that have had a cracked cheesecake come out of the oven. Just add a scant teaspoon of cornstarch fixed my cracked cheesecakes. Also a waterbath at 275 degrees for 2 hours in a convection oven gives a great textuer. Remember cooking times can vary. But I do prefer to slow cook a cheesecake. A springform pan works great for other things also, like a flourless chocolate cake.
October 3rd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Thanks for the recipe! I created a much lighter sort of chiffon cheesecake years ago as my signature cake, but my husband has always preferred the New York variety. I’ll have to try this out for him.
BTW, my “secret ingredient” for my cherry cheesecake is a few drops of Fior di Sicilia in the cherry topping. And instead of cornstarch, I use your clear gel.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
How do you water bath a cheesecake?
Calla, you mean how do you bake a cheesecake in a water bath? Put the cheesecake pan in a larger pan of hot water that comes about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. This helps bake the cheesecake slowly and gently. - PJH
October 13th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I am very grateful for King Arthur’s comments that we are all in this together. I want to suggest the need right now for so many who read and buy from KA’s catalogue to get busy in meaningful ways as I have found too many people normally and many more now in each of our communities without breat to eat let alone all these delicious goodies listed here often.
In fact, local food pantries have exhausted their free offerings to those in need and shelves empty very often now and have been so for most of this year.
I bake lots of breads and other things and distribute them to all I know who need around our house.
Imagine, if so many who bake organize and so so; not relying on canned foods and cash alone but to give special treats, too, from your heart to those most in need.
In times of need and most of all in real and unusual times not seen like these for a very long time, why not, eh?
Happy baking and thanks, King Arthur, for helping to back us up so those who really need can share this goodness through hands and hearts that can make it happen just by baking it all.
Looks in faces of all who are surprised to receive is the best kind of response one can get. Dropping goodies off in hander bags and disappearing is the best way:
The greatest good deed is the one you cannot be thanked for.
Thank you so much, Mark. A wonderful message. King Arthur prepares and serves community dinners to the hungry in our area regularly, and we’re seeing a real upswing in numbers of guests. A sad commentary, but when all of us pull together, we can make the world a better place. Readers, Mark is right - bake and share. Bake and give. When do you ever like to bake just for yourself anyway, right? Now’s the time to cast your net a bit wider and find another audience for your treats. Thank you, everyone - PJH
October 14th, 2008 at 7:36 am
I have had huge success making cheesecakes with Tyler Florence’s recipe called “Ultimate Cheesecake”. I’m sure I’ve made it at least 100 times in different variations from plain to fuit topped to a version completely enrobed in chocolate. It’s a no brainer, it always works.
Jim M
November 6th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
I made this cheesecake. It was a complete success!! What a wonderful recipe!! Thanks so much for sharing it! You can see pictures (if you have a chance) at my blog.
November 7th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Hi, I was wondering if it would be okay to freeze this cheesecake WITH the topping on it too…I’ve heard that you shouldn’t freexe cheesecakes with the toppings, but don’t really know why?
Thanks!
Thanks for asking. It is best to top any cheesecake after removing from the freezer. Many fruit toppings get a little runny after freezing.
Happy Baking!
MaryJane @ The Baker’s Hotline
December 18th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Hello, It says above not to freeze the cheese cake with the topping, what i wanted to know was if the cheese cakes with fruit swirled into them could be frozen, or if the texture would be altered. thanks.
Hi, Erica. If fruit or a puree is swirled through the cake, yes, it can be frozen. Topping, not so much. The starches that thicken them aren’t usually freeze/thaw stable. Susan
December 30th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I have a fabulous recipe that I used to make years ago. My daughter just bragged to her fiance that I made the best cheesecake, so I made one for Christmas. I had to throw it out - just awful. The “cheesy” layer is supposed to be smooth as silk, but it was curdled or grainy. That happened a couple of times before, but mostly turned out perfectly. I always chalked up the failure to the kind of lemon juice I used. I HATE to have baking failures! Any thoughts?
Jennifer: if you send me your recipe at susan.reid@kingarthurflour.com I can take a look at it for you. Curdling is usually a sign of the cake being overbaked; are you using a different oven then you used to? Does it have an independent thermometer? If the temperature in it swings a lot it might be overcooking it at the high end of the range. Is the pan darker, or not in a water bath? If I can see what your recipe is saying I can give you a better “guesstimate”. Susan