Creamy New York Style Cheesecake (Foolproof)
This tall and creamy New York Style Cheesecake is dense, velvety smooth, perfectly sweet and so easy to make at home! It packs a punch in flavor and is known for its creamy, dense and ultra-rich texture!
The name of the game is ‘simplicity’! This recipe uses simple ingredients, it’s simple to make and tastes incredible! It’s the perfect indulgent dessert to share during those big holidays and can even be dressed up for birthdays or just a weekend treat!
Looking for more cheesecake recipes? Start with my Chocolate Cheesecake which is ultra-indulgent, my Strawberry Cheesecake Bars or my Eton Mess Cheesecake!
What makes this a New York Style Cheesecake?
What makes a New York Style Cheesecake different (and honestly amazing) to other cheesecakes is that it’s dense, creamy, light and ultra-rich which makes one slice the perfect serving amount. Unlike other cheesecake types like no-bake cheesecakes and regular baked cheesecakes that rely more on cream or sour cream for their fluffy texture, a New York Style Cheesecake is heavy on the cream cheese. What you’re left with is a perfectly smooth with no bubbles in sight!
Equipment you’ll need.
- Springform pan – to make this cheesecake, you’ll need a springform pan. This is a cake tin with removable bottom. Other equipment that will help is a
- Food processor – to blitz the cookie crumbs. Although you can do this by placing your cookies in a zip lock bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.
- Piping bag and tip – to pipe your cream on top. Optional, but I think it adds a bit of flair.
- Large baking dish and cake tin slightly larger than your springform pan to get a no seep gentle water bath bake. See below for more info!
No More Soggy Cheesecake!
This gorgeous New York Style Cheesecake bakes gently, giving you a creamy, dense and light cheesecake interior and the way to achieve that texture is by baking in a water bath. Most recipes will have you wrap the springform pan in aluminum foil. I have to tell you, I’ve tried this method. It’s disastrous every time. It doesn’t matter how many times I wrap it in how many layers of foil, the water seeps in and gives me a soggy biscuit base.
No ma’am. I am not about that soggy bottom 😂
My method is much better. No soggy base but you still get that gentle bake. Simply add a clean kitchen towel to a large and deep baking dish. It needs to be bigger than your springform pan. Place a cake tin slightly bigger than your springform pan on top and place your filled cheesecake into the cake tin. There is absolutely no way water is seeping into that!
Ingredients To Make this gorgeous Cheesecake!
Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
- Vanilla cookies – USA, use graham crackers, AU and UK, use digestives! Arnot’s Marie biscuits will also work. Crush your biscuit very finely. Use a food processor for best results.
- Caster sugar – granulated sugar will also work.
- Salt – I used fine salt
- Unsalted butter – make sure you let your butter cool slightly before adding to the biscuit base
- Corn starch – this helps stabilize and bind your cheesecake mixture once baked.
- Lemon – you’ll only need the zest. Surprisingly it gives the cheesecake a lot of citrusy flavor which is delightful.
- Cream cheese – I used Philadelphia cream cheese blocks. This is not the same as spreadable cream cheese which will not work for this recipe. Make sure your cream cheese os softened. You can do this by letting it thaw to room temperature on your kitchen bench or by microwaving it for 20 second bursts, turning over each time until softened. Make sure it doesn’t get hot or sizzle. It will effect the outcome of your cheesecake. You want to just gently softened it if microwaving.
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt – I used Greek yogurt because I always have it in my fridge but sour cream will also work. Make sure it’s at room temperature before using.
- Vanilla Extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if you’d like to try your own!
- Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature.
- Chantilly Cream – to use on top! I used a quarter of my recipe for this cheesecake.
How to make the BEST Cheesecake of your life!
- Line the bottom of your springform pan with baking paper to help taking it out easier once baked. Clip the sides back onto the bottom of the pan.
- Add your biscuits, sugar and salt to a food processor and blitz until you get fine crumbs.
- Add the butter and pulse to coat the crumbs.
- Add to your springform pan and spread evenly across the bottom and halfway up the sides. Bake for 6 minutes. Take out of the oven and allow to cool.
- Add sugar and lemon zest o a bowl and rub together to infuse sugar with lemon oils.
- Add the softened cream cheese, sour cream and vanilla.
- Mix until smooth using a spatula, not mixer!
- Add the eggs one at a time.
- Mix until mixed well and smooth.
- Pour into the cake tin. Bake in the water bath for 90 minutes or until the center is a little wobbly. Cool in the oven for an hour then take out of the oven and cool to room temp. Transfer to the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.
- Run a knife around the top
- Release from springform pan
- Use a knife dipped in hot water to slice!
- Oops! I decided last minute I wanted to pipe cream haha.
Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!
- Make sure you use room temperature ingredients! It’s the best way to get a perfectly smooth cheesecake mixture without over-aerating it.
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened, and I mean really soft! Otherwise, you’ll end up with a lumpy cheesecake mixture.
- Use a spatula, not a mixer to mix your cheesecake ingredients. You don’t want to over-aerate it which can cause cracks.
- Gentle Cool! Cool in the oven for an hour before taking out to prevent cracking.
- For super clean edges – use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped with a paper towel to slice the cheesecake. Wipe with every slice for super sharp edges!
What should I serve with my cheesecake?
- Fresh fruit
- Chocolate Sauce
- Chantilly Whipped Cream
- Raspberry Sauce
- Lemon Curd
- Chocolate curls
Frequently Asked Questions about making a New York Style Cheesecake
How do I store this?
Store your cheesecake in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also tightly wrap this cheesecake in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months!
Can I make this into mini cheesecakes?
I haven’t tried doing that so I can’t say for sure, but I have a yummy No-Bake Nutella Cheesecakes recipe and a Strawberry Cheesecake Bar recipe that you might like!
Can I make this into a chocolate cheesecake?
Yes! I have a Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe on the blog which is fabulous!
Help, my cheesecake cracked!
This can happen for a couple reasons, it mostly has to do with the way it was mixed or the way it cooled.
- Whipping too much air into the cheesecake layer can cause it to crack so use a spatula and don’t overmix.
- If your oven was too hot or the cheesecake didn’t cool down gently in the oven, it will crack.
- Cracking can also be caused by overbaking which can cause the edges of your cheesecake to
Gave this a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!
If you loved this recipe, check these out!
Chocolate Cheesecake
Rainbow Cheesecake Bars
Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Mini Nutella Cheesecakes
Chantilly Cream Recipe
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @thescranline on Facebook and Instagram!
New York Style Cheesecake
Serves 12
Ingredients
Biscuit Crust
- 150 g crushed vanilla cookies, see notes
- 20 g caster sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 85 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled.
Cheesecake
- 210 g caster sugar, superfine sugar
- 36 g corn starch/flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 kg x4 250g blocks Philadelphia Cream cheese, softened (see notes)
- 250 g sour cream or Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 14 g vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, 55g each room temperature
- Chantilly cream to serve, optional
Instructions
Before You Begin
- Note: For this recipe you’ll need a 20cm / 8-inch springform pan with removable bottom that is at least 7cm / 2 3/4 inches high. You will need a slightly large cake pan to put the springform pan and then an even larger square or round metal cake tin lined with a kitchen towel to create the water bath. Refer to the step-by-step photos for a visual reference.
Biscuit Crust
- Preheat your oven to 180 / 355F (fan off), 160C / 320F (fan on). Prepare an 20cm / 8-inch springform pan by removing the edges and lining the bottom with baking paper. Reattach the edges.
- Crush cookies – In a food processor, combine the cookies, sugar and salt. Blend until fine crumbs form. Add the melted butter to the crumb mixture and pulse until well coated. The mixture should hold together when squeezed.
- Bake biscuit layer – Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the crust in the oven for 6 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and let it cool while you prepare the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Lower your oven temperature to 140C / 285F (fan off), 120C / 250C (fan on). For this recipe I prefer to bake with no fan for an even and gentle heat.
- Combine dry ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, corn starch, salt and lemon zest. Use your hands to rub the zest into the sugar mixture until well combined.
- Add cream softened cheese – Add the softened cream cheese (make sure it’s very soft, see notes), sour cream and vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix using a spatula until well combined and smooth.
- Add eggs – Scrap down the bowl and add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Be careful not to overmix and create air bubbles.
- Pour into springform pan – It’s important to pour the cheesecake filling to the springform pan slowly and as close as you can to the tin so that it pours in gently. Pouring in from a distance will get rid of air bubbles. Once filled, gently tap your springform pan on your workbench lined with a kitchen towel to get rid of any bubbles.
To Bake
- Prepare the leak proof water bath – Place your springform pan into a slightly larger cake tin. Then place both of those in a large dish. I’ve got step by step photos in the post for reference. Fill the large dish with hot water a few inches in height, just over half way up your springform pan.
- Traditional water bath option – For a traditional water bath, wrap the outside of the springform pan tightly in 2–3 layers of foil, making sure there are no gaps where water can seep in. Then, place it in a deep roasting pan and fill with hot water halfway up the sides before baking.
- Bake – Bake on the middle rack of your oven for 90 minutes or until the center is slightly jiggly. If it moves like liquid, keep baking. It will finish setting as it cools. Once baked, leave it in the oven to cool with the door slightly ajar. This will prevent your cheesecake from cooling down too quickly which can cause it to crack.
- Cooling down – Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door slightly open for 1 hour. Then, remove it from the water bath and let it cool to room temperature before chilling in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Serving – To serve, run a knife around the edges before releasing the springform. For clean slices, dip a sharp knife in hot water and wipe between cuts.
16 comments
Needed mini cheesecakes for bridal shower tea. Halved cheesecake recipe and topped it with the cherry sauce from your no bake cherry ripple + a single fresh cherry with stem. Got 52 mini cupcake size cakes. Delicious! I like your waterbath technique. I have been using the crockpot liner method with foil. 🥺 For this I put 2 mini cupcake pans on a full size cookie pan and added boiling water to cookie pan. My problem is always – when is it baked? I know jiggly centre but sometimes that’s not cooked. I tried baking these at 250° for 20 minutes then oven off, door ajar another 20 and not done. Wouldn’t hold shape when removed from pan. I put them back another 20 minutes. Should I have left them in the mini cupcake pans to chill? How do you know when they’re done? When any cheesecake is done?
Hi Jo! I haven’t tried it in mini form so I can’t say for sure. I would suspect 30-40 minutes would be the time required. For mini ones, I would gently touch the top to see how soft they are or firmed up. N x
Well, it was to tangy with the lemon zest. Definitely Kinda had a bad after taste. Definitely won’t make again.
There is no tang in lemon zest. The lemon zest contains aromatic oils that give it a lemon flavor. Either you’re lying, or you added lemon juice and forgot to mention that you changed the recipe. Jesus lol. I worked on this recipe for days, tested it multiple times, there is absolutely no tang in this cheesecake.
I left out the zest and used lemon juice instead. It was delicious❤️
Glad you loved it Mal! N x
Made it for Sis In-Law’s birthday. It was delicious! Just get ready for a workout while making this but worth every effort you put into it! ❤️
Yay! So glad to hear you loved this recipe Tera! I love it too! N x
Left out the zest and used lemon juice instead it worked great and if you use a premade pie crust it fills two up completely
That sounds like a great tweak, Lea! Lemon juice would still give it that nice citrus balance. And good to know about the premade crusts—it’s always handy to have that option. Thanks for sharing! N x
Hi Nick. Will it matter that the cream cheese block no longer equal 250g?
Hey Dee Dee, great question. If the blocks are a little smaller now, just weigh out the full 1kg using kitchen scales. It’s always better to go by weight rather than blocks or cups—get the right amount and the recipe will work exactly as it should. N x
I love it! This is my go to new york cheesecake recipe. Although i left the lemon out (i don’t trust myself putting on lemon) 😭. Nonetheless, it tasted great. Your technique is so reliable, kudos!
And you will be proud, I used this cheesecake base for my pistachio cheesecake. It was so good! Thank you, thank you!
This is my first time to comment to let you know that this recipe is amazing and I appreciate you! You are my go-to dessert guru 😬
Hi Jomsy, this made my day! I love that you made it your own, and using it as a base for a pistachio cheesecake sounds incredible. Thank you so much for the kind words and for trusting my recipes—it really means a lot. N x
Looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it !
(But I’m an idiot and don’t understand how to do the water bath ; are you saying to put the spring firm pan with the the batter into a slightly larger deep pan, and then put THAT pan into another bigger pan with the water in THAT one ?)
Thanks so much ! (lol , I should probably use a fake name 🤣)
You’re not an idiot at all Bunny Bard! 😂 The water bath setup can definitely be confusing the first time. You’re exactly right—place the springform pan with the batter into a slightly larger pan (to catch any leaks), then place both into a big roasting dish and pour hot water into that one. It helps the cheesecake bake gently and evenly. Hope you love it when you try it! N x