Classic New York Style Cheesecake -baked cheesecake is made with sour cream for extra richness, denseness, and creaminess.
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If you don’t have a classic cheesecake recipe that’s a regular go-to for you, then this recipe is perfect. It’s great for company, birthdays, or to bring with you when you’re invited over to someone’s house and offer to bring dessert. It's baked in the oven, and comes out rich and dense and wonderful. Add your favourite toppings and you'll love it. It's a classic New York style cheesecake, with sour cream for extra creaminess, and richness. If you love a rich, dense baked cheesecake that's not difficult to make, this is the best cheesecake recipe.
My husband and I have been making this Classic Cheesecake Recipe for years and years. It’s pretty much no-fail, and everyone always loves it. And everyone always asks for the recipe after they've had it. I love it best topped with traditional cherry pie filling and homemade sweetened whipped cream. If you're a fan of cheese cake, you will love this recipe.
New York Style Cheesecake
New York style cheesecake is typically a little more dense and more creamy than regular cheesecake. It gets its extra creaminess from including sour cream. The sour cream adds to the creaminess and the tang pairs beautifully with the flavor of the cream cheese. Some New York cheesecake recipes get their creamy and dense texture from also adding heavy cream. We prefer to use just sour cream in our recipe. Sour cream has a tangy taste that complements the cream cheese. Using cream can change the taste of the cheesecake, and lessen the rich and distinctive cream cheese flavor.
New York style cheesecake also includes more cream cheese, and eggs than regular cheesecake. This adds a delicious richness to the cake and helps create that signature creamy and silky texture that's dense and smooth. New York style cheesecake is baked in a springform pan that allows for a nice golden brown crust to form on the outside of the cake. It also traditionally includes a graham cracker crust on the bottom.
Ideas for Toppings
This cheesecake is delicious on it's on, or served with a little sweetened whipped cream. It's also great with a topping. I topped this classic new york-style cheesecake with beautiful fresh fruit. This topping is perfect for summer. It's a really great plain cheesecake base that you could really add any topping to. You could also serve it plain, or with the old favourite cherry pie filling on top. Any kind of fresh fruit that you love, or fruit pie filling is great on top. You could try raspberry, strawberry, or blueberry. In the fall even apple pie filling is.a great topping.
I love to include a bit of whipped cream, and for the chocolate lovers, you could also add a little chocolate syrup, or chopped up chocolate bars or nuts. How about a combination of all those things and some brownies? And if you're a caramel lover, you can also try your favorite caramel sauce or even dulce de leche.
Whether you have this cheesecake plain or with any combination of toppings it's so delicious.
Graham Cracker Crust
Every classic New York style cheesecake recipe has a buttery graham cracker crust. You can use graham cracker crumbs or make your own by putting graham crackers in a food processor and pulsing the to a fine crumb. The make the crust, the graham cracker crumbs have some sugar added for sweetness, and some melted butter to hold them all together. After mixing it all together and pressing it into the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Next the crumbs are baked to create a firm crust on the bottom of the pan, before the cheesecake batter is added on top.
Some people prefer to use digestive biscuits instead of graham crackers. You can substitute them if you prefer.
Cream Cheese
The main ingredient in any classic New York cheesecake recipe is cream cheese. New York style cheesecake has more cream cheese than regular cheese cake, which creates the dense texture and distinct taste. Use your favorite brand of cream cheese. The best choice for making baked cheesecake is to use full fat cream cheese.
Can I use low fat cream cheese in my cheesecake?
Full fat cream cheese will give the best result for this recipe. Low fat cream cheese has less fat in it, and more moisture. Using it in baked cheesecake can result in a cheesecake that won't firm up as much when it's baked. The main difference in using low fat cream cheese instead of full fat cream cheese in your cheesecake is the texture of the finished cheesecake. The texture of a cheesecake made with lowfat cheesecake is softer and less dense.
You can bake this cheesecake with low fat cream cheese. I would not use no-fat cream cheese. The texture is better with full fat cream cheese. Since there are 3 packages of cream cheese in this recipe, if you are tempted to replace the full fat cream cheese with low fat cream cheese instead, I would still use at least one package of full fat cream cheese for the best results. The only real reason to use low fat cream cheese in this recipe is to save some calories, but given the rest of the ingredients, and the toppings, it may be better to make it with full fat cream cheese and just eat a little less to save calories that way.
Sour Cream
One of the distinctive ingredients in New York style cheesecake is sour cream. It helps create the creamy, and silky texture of the cake, adds tanginess that goes well with the cream cheese, and
Flavoring
The cheesecake gets most of its flavor from the cream cheese. The sour cream is tangy and goes with the cream cheese flavor very well, along with adding creaminess, smoothness, and denseness to the cake. The cheesecake is flavored with vanilla. Use best quality vanilla extract, or vanilla paste as the flavoring.
Store your cooled cheesecake covered in plastic wrap and in the refrigerator.
Troubleshooting -How To Keep Your Cheesecake From Cracking
Cheesecakes often crack while they’re cooling. But, don’t be too worried if it cracks. A cracked cheesecake tastes just as yummy as an uncracked cheesecake. If your cheesecake does develop a crack and you don't want it to show when you're serving it, you can hide the crack with toppings. Topping your delicious cheesecake with whipped cream and fresh fruit will hide a multitude of sins.
Cheesecake Tips
To avoid the cheesecake cracking there a few tips that can help.
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you make it. Cold ingredients are hard to mix together, and can make the batter go lumpy. Room temperature ingredients are easier to mix together, without over mixing. Over mixing adds too much air to the cheesecake batter, and can lead to cracking as the cake cools down.
- Don't overbeat your eggs. The eggs in particular add air to the batter, that can later lead to cracks forming as the cheesecake cools.
- Use the low setting on your mixer to avoid over mixing the batter.
- Stop beating as soon as the mixture is smooth.
- Once you've added the mixture to the springform pan, tap it gently on the counter a few times to eliminate any air bubbles which can lead to cracking after the cheesecake is baked.
- While you're baking the cheesecake keep the oven door closed. Opening it can cause drafts. Any major changes in temperature can result in cracks forming.
- Don't overcook your cheesecake. The center of the cake should be just barely set, like jello. The cheesecake may crack if it's too dry from overbaking. Remember it will continue to bake a little more as it cools.
- Let the cheesecake cool in the oven with it turned off and the oven door slightly open. Sudden changes in temperature often lead to cracking. Cooling in the oven is more gradual, and helps to keep the cake from cracking as it cools.
- Run a knife around the inside of the edges of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan after it's baked. Cracks can develop as the cake cools if it's stuck to the edge of the pan, and can't pull away as cools.
Perfect For The Cheesecake Lover
This homemade cheesecake is sure to be a hit with any cheesecake lovers. It is a great recipe that you will come back to again and again. With the buttery graham cracker crust and rich and creamy cheesecake filling this is the perfect cheesecake. I love how versatile this plain New York style cheesecake is. Add any toppings you like or serve it plain. It's lovely served with fresh in-season fruit. It is also delicious with classic cherry pie filling on top, or any pie filling flavor. It's also great dressed with chocolate or caramel sauce and whipped cream. Whatever way you choose to enjoy it, it is sure to become a favourite.
This cheesecake is perfect for a birthday cake, any special occasion, or a dinner party. Everyone always loves it. It's a favorite at our house for Christmas day. It's also one that we love to make for a week of summer vacation at the lake. It makes the perfect rich dessert with a cup of tea or coffee.
Recipe
Classic New York Style Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon butter melted
- 24 oz cream cheese 3 x 8 oz packages
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoon all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make the crust for the cheesecake, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoon sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
- To make the cheesecake, combine the cream cheese, ¾ cup sugar, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until blended.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each one, and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add in the sour cream, and vanilla and combine. Do not overmix your ingredients, which can add air and leading to cracking in your cheesecake as it cools.
- Pour the cake filling over the crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees, and continue baking 45-50 minutes until the centre is just set, like jello. Loosen cake from the sides of the springform pan by running a knife around the inside, and let cool before removing the rim of the pan.
- Let chill before serving. Top with whipped cream, and fresh fruit, or cherry pie filling, or chocolate sauce to serve.
Nutrition
With a delicious New York style cheesecake, life really is a party!
More Dessert Recipe Inspiration
You might also enjoy our Black Forest Cake In A Mason Jar recipe here. Make these little desserts in mason jars so that they're perfectly portable and easy to serve. Perfect for a picnic or when entertaining.
Also check out our Donut Strawberry Shortcakes. The easiest and best shortcake you ever made. They're especially delicious during strawberry season when local berries are fresh. Try them with different donut bases for different flavors, including chocolate for anyone who loves the combination of strawberries and chocolate.
You might also like our Strawberry Pie recipe here. For my cheesecake lovers. This pie made with an easy crust, and a delicious tangy layer of no bake cheesecake filling is topped with fresh strawberries. It's a crowd pleaser and easy to put together. Save this recipe for strawberry season.
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