New York Cheesecake

When you search New York Cheesecake it seems there are a lot of related searches as to the difference between this and other cheesecakes – well let’s get down to what make a New York Cheesecake so amazing.

Cream cheese, cream and eggs make this cake a standout and it is then baked in a water bath which leads to a light and creamy texture. The below recipe adds mascarpone which I have perfected after multiple times of making this and leads to the exact creamy, but not too heavy texture that you want with a great slice of New York Cheesecake. It has led to a number of people who have tried this as ‘the best cheesecake.’

I don’t say this lightly, but one thing I’ve learned from this blog is that you shouldn’t be afraid to try something new. Even if there is a little fear prior to giving something a go, it can be worth it and the least you can say is that you’ve tried it. What are your feelings about New York Cheesecake? Let me know in the comments below!

I’ve lived my life in the most recent years with a sense of ‘you only get one chance at today.’ Which is true, but with real life comes real distraction. You have to work late so miss catching up with a friend. A cold strikes you down so you can’t take that drive to adventure you were planning.

Living life with a sense of trying something new, grabbing the bull by the balls (ahh Never Been Kissed, I still love you like I’m twelve years old) as such, can take real determined effort and this is what led me to making my first ever New York Cheesecake.

A friend of mine suggested we try Bikram Yoga recently (you know where you are in a heated room which makes you feel like you’re in the sauna and then trying to do yoga which I don’t actively do regularly anyhow, at first thought I’d like to try that, despite much hesitation.

Then I decided on it, and when I decide my stubborn will takes over and I have to do it. My best friend joined me and there we were in that hot room trying things in a heat I never imagined I’d walk into knowingly. I did it, I succeeded, no hesitation or anxiety could hold me back.

Like trying Bikram Yoga, there was some hesitation about my first cheesecake, I had read that they can fail and it can take some time, but sometimes just willing oneself to endeavor something new can succeed, read the notes below and trust that making this as noted below will lead you to have a creamy cheesecake like you get in the Big Apple.

How to prepare New York Cheesecake

• Prepare your springform tin: Carefully and tightly wrap aluminum foil in multiple layers around your cake tin.
• Crush those crackers: Finely crush the graham crackers and stir the melted butter through.
• Press: Evenly and firmly pres the crushed cookies into your cake tin.
• Bake your base: We want that base baked and lightly golden.
• Place into a roasting tray: Set your cake tin inside a large and deep roasting tray.
• Beat the cream cheese and mascarpone: We want this smooth and without any lumps.
• Add the sugar: A little at a time, the sugar needs to be dissolved.
• Vanilla in the cake: The salt and vanilla extract are added in until combined.
• One egg at a time: Crack one egg and beat until combined, repeat!
• Cream baby: Add and whisk the cream for a few minutes…if you’re beating with a hand beater, you’ll deserve a coffee break after all this mixing!
• Pour: Pour that cheesecake batter into your cake tin.
• Create the water bath: Gently place the roasting tray with the cake tin in the center halfway into your oven and carefully pour boiled water into the roasting tray until it reaches half way up the outside of the cake tin.
• Bake: Bake for 1 1/2 hours, you’re looking for the top to be golden and the cake to be only slightly jiggly in the center.
• Cool: Allow to cool in the oven with the door ajar for 1 hour and then refrigerate because cheesecake needs resting time.
• Serve: Slice and serve with a little homemade or bought berry coulis or even a little lemon curd.

Tips for the best New York Cheesecake

Preparing your cake tin for the water bath: A New York Cheesecake bakes in a water bath, so if you are using a springform cake tin you will need to ensure you prepare the cake tin before doing anything else, this is best done by wrapping at least three or four times with aluminum foil (dependent on the size of your foil), making sure it comes up to the edges of your cake tin on all edges, folding over and pressing firmly on all edges so water cannot get into the gaps and ruin the cheesecake.

Aluminuim foil shouldn’t fold inside the cake tin: Do not overlap the aluminium foil into the inside of your cake tin, but instead pinching firmly to maintain it holds on the outside, this will ensure that as the cake rises during baking (it usually does so about 1/4 inch) it will maintain the smooth top.

Size of cake tin here: This cake was baked in a 20cm or 8 inch cake tin.

Graham cracker sub: If you do not have access to graham crackers, a perfect sub is digestive biscuits.

Mascarpone sub: If you cannot source mascarpone you can absolutely use cream cheese for the full cream filling, but mascarpone does add a lightness to this.

Don’t overbake: No time for cracks here! Once golden on top and the cake has baked for the recommended time, do not be tempted to test out how firm the cheesecake is by tapping on the roasting tray or touching it…let this rest in the oven with the door ajar and this will turn out perfect every time!

Homemade coulis: 2/3 cup mixed berries and 3 tablespoons sugar, simmered covered in a saucepan for 5 minutes will create enough berry coulis for 1 tablespoon per slice.

Keeping your cheesecake: This is best consumed within 2 days of making, however, left covered and refrigerated, this will last up to 5 days.

More cheesecake recipes you’ll enjoy

Raspberry Custard Cheesecake

Käsekuchen – German Cheesecake

Estonian Rabarbi Kohupiimakook – Estonian Rhubarb Crumble Cheesecake

New York Cheesecake
Adapted from Simply Recipes
Serves 12

Ingredients:
Crust
260 grams / 2 cups graham crackers, finely crushed
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
70 grams / 2.5 ounces butter, melted
Filling
700 grams/ 1 1/4 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
250 grams / 1/2 pound mascarpone, room temperature
250 grams / 1 1/4 cups superfine/caster sugar
4 medium eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
160 milliliters / 2/3 cup whipping cream

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 180°C/350F.

Prepare your cake tin as tightly and carefully as possible with aluminum foil (see notes regarding preparing a springform cake tin), to ensure no water can get in, every side of the tin should be well covered with the foil.

Place the finely crushed graham crackers, sugar, salt and melted butter into a bowl and stir together until it holds together.

Press into the cake tin firmly in an even layer.

Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Remove from the oven and place in the center of a large and deep roasting tray and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, lower the oven to 160°C/325F.

For the filling, place all the cream cheese and mascarpone in a bowl and beat on medium with a hand mixer for 4 minutes, a stand mixer for 3 minutes or by hand for 6 minutes, until smooth and no lumps remain.

Add 1/4 of the sugar in installments, beating to incorporate until it is fully combined and smooth.

Add in the vanilla extract and pinch of salt and whip for a further minute.

Add 1 egg and beat until well combined for approximately 30 seconds, repeat with the remaining eggs.

Add in the pouring cream and whip for a further 4 minutes, until smooth.

Pour the creamy filling into your cake tin and prepare your boiling water (you want the water to come half way up the tin, so this amount of water may vary according to your roasting pan, I recommend at least 4 cups).

Place the cake tin set inside the roasting tray into the oven as soon as your water is boiling. Allow 1/4 of the roasing tray to overhang the oven tray and carefully and slowly pour the boiling water into the roasting tray until it comes half way up the sies of your cake tin.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until golden on top.

Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool in the oven with the door ajar for 1 hour.

Remove the cooled cheesecake from the oven and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours.

Slice and serve with a little coulis on the side.

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