New York Cheesecake

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Every time I visit the United States, I make sure to taste at least one cake from the Cheesecake Factory. The dizzying selection of dozens of cakes with a variety of flavors and textures always inspires me and makes me crave a delicious cheesecake, even if in the end I eat only two bites.

Having said that, classic New York cheesecake is always my top favorite. So I decided making it myself at home. A golden and buttery base with biscuits or graham crackers (store-bought or homemade), a very rich and creamy cheesecake filling, and an airy coating of delicate whipped cream.

Looking for more cheesecake recipes? Try these: no-bake Oreo cheesecake pie | apple pie cheesecake | chocolate snowballs cheesecake | light cheesecake with yogurt | almond cheesecake with berries

New York Cheesecake | Photo: Natalie Levin

New York Cheesecake | Photo: Natalie Levin

New York Cheesecake | Photo: Natalie Levin

Easy and delicious | Photo: Natalie Levin

New York Cheesecake

  • 24 cm round cake pan

For the crust:

  • 150 grams Graham Crackers or chocolate flavored biscuits
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 75 grams of melted butter

For the cream cheese filling:

  • 750 grams cream cheese at room temperature
  • 200 grams (1 cup) sugar
  • 30 ml. (2 tablespoons) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • Grated peel of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 35 grams (1/4 cup) AP flour

For the top:

  • 250 ml. (1 cup) whipping cream, very cold
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Crust:

  1. In a food processor with a steel blade grind the biscuits and sugar into very thin crumbs.
  2. Add in the melted butter and process briefly until a mixture that resembles wet sand is obtained.
  3. Transfer the crumbs to the bottom of a lightly greased pan and press tightly with your hands or the bottom of a cup to form a crust. If you want, you can also raise the crust slightly to the sides to a height of 1-2 cm – not required.
  4. Cool the bottom for about 15 minutes in the freezer.
  5. Preheat oven to 175 Celsius degrees.
  6. Bake the bottom for about 10 minutes until it is slightly golden, remove from the oven and cool completely to room temperature. Refrigerate until the filling is ready.

Cream cheese filling:

  1. In a large bowl place cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, vanilla and salt and mix until a uniform mixture is obtained. It is important not to whip, just mix well until combined.
  2. Add in the eggs one at a time while mixing between additions until they are incorporated into the batter.
  3. Add the flour and mix in until combined.
  4. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the base.
  5. Lower the oven temperature to 160 Celsius degrees.
  6. Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes or until it is firm at the edges and slightly vibrating in the center.
  7. Turn off the oven and let the cake cool in it (while it’s off) for about half an hour.
  8. Cool the cake overnight in the refrigerator before icing.

Make the top:

  1. In a mixer bowl, whip cream and powdered sugar to a very stable whipped cream.
  2. Pour the whipped cream on top of the cake and flatten with a spoon into a uniform layer.
  3. Cool for another hour in the refrigerator to set and serve.
  • The cake is kept in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • It is recommended to take out the cake about 15 minutes before serving at room temperature.
  • It is important to use cream cheese with a high percentage of fat. Mascarpone cheese would also be fine.
  • Gluten-free version: Use gluten-free biscuits instead of the graham cracker or biscuits. In the filling – use cornstarch instead of the same amount of flour.

New York Cheesecake | Photo: Natalie Levin

New York Cheesecake | Photo: Natalie Levin

New York Cheesecake | Photo: Natalie Levin

So delicious | Photo: Natalie Levin