perfect new york style cheesecake (rich & creamy!)

My Perfect New York Style Cheesecake is an incredibly easy dessert to make at home, but feels like it came from a fancy restaurant! It’s rich and creamy, with a light yet decadent texture, and a crisp graham cracker crust. Don’t be intimidated – my recipe walks you through everything you need to know for cheesecake success every time!

this recipe

Why you’ll love this Classic Cheesecake:

• Creamy Cheesecake – This cheesecake is ultra creamy and rich, while still having a beautifully light texture.
• Celebration Worthy – This is the perfect dessert to serve for any occasion since it must be made ahead, the flavors are customizable, and it serves a crowd.
• Approachable Recipe – Cheesecake may seem intimidating, but I promise this really is an easy cheesecake recipe! My blog post and recipe will walk you through every step to give you the confidence to produce a perfect cheesecake.

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).

• Cream Cheese – Use full fat cream cheese, in the block style. This needs to come to room temperature before you bake.
• Granulated Sugar – We’re using just enough sugar to sweeten the cheesecake, while still keeping the classic, slightly tangy, cream cheese flavor at the forefront.
• Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temperature.
• Sour Cream – Use full fat sour cream, at room temperature.
• Corn Starch – Just a hint of corn starch helps the cheesecake hold its shape, while staying super creamy.
• Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla extract for best results.
• Salt – A tiny pinch of salt always balances the flavors in any baked good!
• Butter – I always use salted butter because in my experience, it lends the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you prefer.

Recipe Substitutions & Variations:

• Gluten-free – Use gluten-free graham crackers to make this new york cheesecake gluten-free.
• Dairy-free – I have not experimented with dairy-free cheesecakes so I can’t confidently direct you here, except to check out a fabulous vegan baking blog, like The Banana Diaries or Little Blog of Vegan!
• Graham Crackers – I believe that digestive biscuits or something similar would be the comparable option to graham crackers if you don’t live in the U.S.

How to Make Classic New York Style Cheesecake:

Step 1: Make the Crust. Stir together melted butter & graham cracker crumbs. Press into a 9-inch springform pan and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Step 2: Combine the Cream Cheese & Sugar. Beat the cream cheese alone for 30-60 seconds first, to get it creamy. Scrape the bowl. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bowl to ensure no lumps.

You can see how lumps of cream cheese were hiding in the bottom of the bowl in the image below. This is why scraping down to the bottom of the bowl is so important! (The cheesecake batter below is a bit of a different color – it’s from my Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake which uses brown sugar instead of white sugar!)

Step 3: Add the Eggs, Sour Cream, and Vanilla. Mix in the eggs one at a time, on medium speed, until just barely combined. Mix in the sour cream, corn starch, salt, and vanilla.

Step 4: Bake in a Water Bath. Pour the batter into your baked crust. Place the springform pan inside of a 10-inch cake pan, and set that in your roasting pan. Place your roasting pan on the oven rack, and then pour boiling water into the roasting pan only.

Step 5: Cool & Chill. Once done baking, turn the oven off, and crack the door open. Leave the cheesecake in for 1 hour to gradually begin cooling (this helps prevent cracks!).

Then, place the cheesecake on a wire rack to further come back to room temperature, about 1 hour. Then, place in the fridge to chill for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight before serving.

Serving + Storing Cheesecake:

New York Cheesecake Topping Ideas:

Top your chilled cheesecake with fruity toppings, chocolate, caramel, or whipped cream before serving! Here are a few of my favorite topping recipes:

• Salted Caramel Sauce
• Strawberry Compote
• Blueberry Topping
• Raspberry Coulis
• Lemon Curd
• Lime Curd

Expert Baking Tips for the Best Cheesecake:

• Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
• Room Temperature Ingredients – It is imperative that your cold ingredients come to room temperature. Cold ingredients will create a lumpy batter.
• Don’t Over Mix – Over mixing the cheesecake batter when you’re adding the eggs can cause the cheesecake to buckle when cooled, or, it might puff up like a soufflé in the oven which we definitely don’t want!
• Don’t Over Bake – Follow the doneness cues given in the recipe card below to avoid over baking the cheesecake. Don’t panic if it browns the slightest bit on top – that can happen without it being overbaked.
• Stand Mixer – This recipe works well with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment!

FAQs:

Special Tools:

• Springform Pan – This recipe uses a 9-inch springform pan.
• Roasting Pan – You’ll need a roasting pan (with the rack removed) for the water bath.
• 10-Inch Cake Pan – A 10-inch cake pan creates a no fail barrier between the cheesecake and water bath. If you don’t want to purchase this, you can wrap the cheesecake very well in aluminum foil, but it will take many layers – most people say 8 to 10 to ensure no water gets through. When I used to do 2 layers in the past, water always got in. You can also use any pan you already own that fits around the 9-inch springform, and fits inside the roasting pan.

Now that You’ve Mastered Cheesecake, Try These Recipes:

• Key Lime Cheesecake
• Strawberry Cheesecake
• Pecan Pie Cheesecake
• Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake
• Biscoff Cheesecake
• Triple Nutella Cheesecake
• Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake

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