Do you remember the FRIENDS episode, the one with the cheesecake? Of course, you do! Do you wish you could join Rachel and Chandler on the floor to eat that stolen cheesecake? Well, this Classic New York Cheesecake recipe will get you a little closer to that dream!
There is no better way to describe this cheesecake, so I’ll just let Rachel do the talking – “It was cheesecake. It was fine. It had a buttery, crumbly, graham cracker crust, with a very rich yet light, cream cheese filling… Wow!”
In other words, this is the best baked cheesecake recipe ever!
What cheesecake was on Friends?
From looking at the FRIENDS episode, it looks like Rachel and Chandler were eating a baked cheesecake. As they were living in New York, I think it would be safe to say that they were eating a New York cheesecake.
What makes a cheesecake a New York Cheesecake?
New York cheesecakes are dense, rich, smooth, and creamy. To achieve this, heavy cream or sour cream is added to the batter. This type of cheesecake is typically baked in a spring-form pan, in a water bath, to allow for even baking. The high temperature it is baked at gives the cheesecake its signature golden brown crust.
Why I love this recipe?
Light cream cheese filling The cream cheese filling in this cheesecake is incredibly light for a baked New York cheesecake, making it very pleasant to eat.
Easy to make This is such an easy baked cheesecake recipe, especially if you have an electric mixer!
No water bath Although a dish of water is still required to be in the oven, I do not need to find a dish or tray big enough to fit my springform pan. In addition, not placing the cake in a water bath means that I won’t need to worry about water getting into my cake while in the oven.
Great for entertaining As this cheesecake can keep for up to one week in the fridge, it is a great dessert to make for entertaining. I love that I can make this cheesecake a few days before a dinner party. That way, I can be organised and spend more time on other food preparations closer to the date.
What you will need
Biscuit crust
Digestive biscuits Normally, New York cheesecakes use Graham crackers in their biscuit crusts. However, we do not have Graham crackers in Australia. Digestive biscuits are a delicious substitute. If you have access to Graham crackers, you may replace the digestive biscuits with them. If you do, stir in 75g of caster sugar into your graham cracker crumbs before adding the melted butter.
Melted butter This will not only give the crust the signature buttery taste, but also hold the biscuit crust together.
Cheesecake filling
Cream cheese Cream cheese is a MUST for any New York cheesecake! 🙂
Caster sugar It is no surprise that sugar is used in cheesecake. I use caster sugar in this recipe, as it has finer granules than regular white sugar. This allows the sugar to be incorporated into the batter more easily.
Salt I love adding a pinch of salt into all my cakes. It balances out the sweetness, enhances the taste, and makes you want to go back for more.
Sour cream The sour cream lightens the filling, making the typically dense New York cheesecake it more pleasurable to eat.
Vanilla extract This gives the cheesecake a delicious hint of vanilla flavour.
Eggs These binds the batter together, and keeps the cheesecake from falling apart when baked.
Frosting
Heavy cream The cream allows the frosting to become light and fluffy.
Powdered sugar Unlike regular white sugar or caster sugar, powdered sugar is perfect for whipped frostings as it dissolves extremely easy in the cream and sour cream.
Sour cream This gives the frosting a cream cheese taste, without actually adding any cream cheese.
For more information about this frosting, check out my “Cream Cheese” Frosting recipe.
How to make this Classic New York Cheesecake?
Prepare the cake pan
Prepare a 9-inch spring-form pan by wrapping the pan with two layers of aluminum foil (with the shiny side facing out). This will prevent the sides of your cheesecake from browning too much.
If you would like to transfer your cheesecake onto another cake board or serving plate later on, place a piece of round baking paper at the base of the pan.
Make the biscuit crust
Crush the digestive biscuits into a fine crumb and mix in the butter. Set aside.
I like to use a pestle and mortar to crush my biscuits, as it takes minimum effort to get fine crumbs. However, you may use your preferred method to crush your biscuits. For example, using a rolling pin to crush your biscuits, or a food processor.
Pour the biscuit crumbs into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to tightly pack down the crumbs.
Make the cheesecake filling
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese for 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides, making sure there are no lumps left.
Add in the sugar and beat for a few more minutes until combined.
Then, add the salt, vanilla, and sour cream into the mixture and beat for a few more minutes.
Lastly, add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until fully incorporated.
Pour the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit based. Lift the cake pan slightly (about 1-2 inches off the counter top) and drop it. Do this a few times to get rid of any air bubbles that may be in the cheesecake mixture.
Bake the cheesecake
Fill a roasting tray or a medium sized casserole with boiling water (3/4 full) and place it in the bottom rack of the oven. Place the unbaked cheesecake onto the top rack of the oven. Bake for 1 hour. During this time, do not open the oven.
After 1 hour, check to see if the cheesecake is ready. The sides of the cheesecake should be firm, but the whole cake should jiggle. If the sides are not firm yet, bake it for another 15 minutes and it will be done by now.
Once your cheesecake is ready, leave the cheesecake in the oven. Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the slightly opened oven for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, take the cheesecake out and let it cool on a cooling rack in room temperature for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, run a knife along the sides of the cake to loosen up the cake, making it easier to remove it from the pan later on (do not remove the cake from the pan now). At this point, refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Be sure not to remove the cheesecake any sooner, as it will need time to set. If you remove the cake too soon, your cheesecake will fall apart.
Make the frosting
In a small mixing bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, sour cream, and cream together until fluffy.
Carefully remove the chilled cheesecake from the spring-form pan and even spread the frosting on the top.
Tips to make this classic New York cheesecake
Prepare the oven Before turning no the oven, arrange your oven racks so that your cake pan and roasting tray/casserole is able to fit in the top and bottom racks respectively.
Room temperature ingredients To get the smoothest cream cheese filling, make sure all your ingredients are room temperature before mixing. This minimises the amount of lumps in the filling mixture.
To get the perfect slice Dip your knife in some boiling water, dry it, and slice your cake. Repeat this step every time you slice the cake.
Shelf life This cheesecake keeps well for about 1 week when kept, either wrapped in cling wrap or in an air-tight container, in the fridge.
How do you know when your New York cheesecake is baked?
The sides of the cheesecake should be firm, but the whole cake should jiggle. If the sides are not firm yet, bake it for another 15 minutes and it will be done by now.
Why do baked cheesecakes crack?
Sometimes, cheesecakes can crack while baking in the oven. Here are some tips to prevent your classic New York cheesecake from cracking:
- Do not over-mix the cheesecake filling. Over-mixing will incorporate too much air, making your cheesecake to rise during baking and fall back down once it cools. It is important to stop mixing the filling once it becomes smooth.
- Do not over-bake your cheesecake. The sides of your cheesecake should be firm, but the whole cake should jiggle. If the sides are not firm yet, bake it for another 15 minutes (but no more). Once your cheesecake is ready, leave the cheesecake in the oven. Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the slightly opened oven for 30 minutes. Take your cheesecake out after this time, and let it cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour before chilling it in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
- Once the cheesecake is out of the oven, loosen the edges by running a knife along the sides of the pan. This is because, as baked cheesecakes cool, they contract, and if the edges of the cake is stuck to the pan, it will crack.
I hope you will enjoy this classic New York cheesecake recipe as much as I do! PS: It is best served on the floor! *pun intended*
Did you make this recipe and love it? Please give it a 5-star rating or leave a review in the comments below!
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Classic New York Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the biscuit crust
- 300 g digestive biscuits or graham cracker
- 150 g butter melted
For the cheesecake filling
- 1 kg cream cheese room temperature
- 225 g caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 415 ml sour cream room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs room temperature
For the frosting
- 60 ml heavy cream
- 25 g powdered sugar sifted
- 120 ml sour cream
Instructions
Prepare the cake pan
- Prepare a 9-inch spring-form pan by wrapping the pan with two layers of aluminum foil(with the shiny side facing out). If you would like to transfer your cheesecake onto another cake board or serving plate later on, place a piece of round baking paper at the base of the pan.
Make the biscuit crust
- Crush the digestive biscuits into a fine crumb and mix in the butter. Set aside.
- Pour the biscuit crumbs into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to tightly pack down the crumbs.
Make the cheesecake filling
- Preheat the oven to 160°C.
- In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese for 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides, making sure there are no lumps left.
- Add in the sugar and beat for a few more minutes until combined.
- Add the salt, vanilla, and sour cream into the mixture and beat for a few more minutes.
- Add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until fully incorporated.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit based. Lift the cake pan slightly (about 1-2 inches off the counter top) and drop it. Do this a few times to get rid of any air bubbles that may be in the cheesecake mixture.
Bake the cheesecake
- Fill a roasting tray or a medium sized casserole with boiling water (3/4 full) and place it in the bottom rack of the oven. Place the unbaked cheesecake onto the top rack of the oven. Bake for 1 hour. During this time, do not open the oven.
- After 1 hour, check to see if the cheesecake is ready. The sides of the cheesecake should be firm, but the whole cake should jiggle. If the sides are not firm yet,bake it for another 15 minutes and it will be done by now.
- Once your cheesecake is ready, leave the cheesecake in the oven. Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the slightly opened oven for 30 minutes.
- After 30minutes, take the cheesecake out and let it cool on a cooling rack in room temperature for 1 hour.
- After 1hour, run a knife along the sides of the cake to loosen up the cake, making it easier to remove it from the pan later on (do not remove the cake from the pan now). At this point, refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Be sure not to remove the cheesecake any sooner, as it will need time to set. If you remove the cake too soon, your cheesecake will fall apart.
Make the frosting
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, sour cream, and cream together until fluffy.
- Carefully remove the chilled cheesecake from the spring-form pan and even spread the frosting on the top.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to one week.
