New York Cheesecake
Authentic New York Cheesecake is a tall, dense, and incredibly creamy style of cheesecake made with sour cream. The techniques used for mixing and baking this classic cheesecake create the best cheesecake that doesn’t crack, no water bath required!
New York Cheesecake Overview
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Components Used: Classic Graham Cracker Crust
New York Cheesecake is an incredibly creamy and dense style of cheesecake that is a bit different from other cheesecakes due to the way it is baked and because we use sour cream and flour in the filling.
Perfect Cheesecake Without a Water Bath
One of my favorite things about a New York style cheesecake is that it is baked without a water bath, unlike many other cheesecake recipes. A water bath can be frustrating because the water can leak into the pan and ruin the cheesecake.
New York cheesecake initially bakes in a very hot oven for a short period of time, then remains in a low temperature oven for the rest of the bake time. This baking method forms a skin on top of the cheesecake which sets the top in place, keeps the filling dense, and prevents cracking on top – all without a water bath!
INGREDIENT FUNCTIONS
- Cream Cheese is the key filling ingredient and provides the main structure and flavor for the cheesecake. Full-fat cream cheese is the best choice for the creamiest, most flavorful cheesecake.
- Sugar sweetens the cheesecake filling.
- Flour is used to stabilize the filling and keep it dense. A little goes a long way!
- Eggs are the binding ingredient and help create a silky smooth texture.
- Sour Cream adds a slight tang and creaminess to the filling.
- Vanilla and Lemon Zest create the iconic classic cheesecake flavor.
How to Make New York Cheesecake
Before you start making the cheesecake, make sure the butter, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature. Let them sit out for at least an hour or more before getting started. This is extremely important for the creamiest and best New York style cheesecake!
Step 1: Make the Crust
Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and sugar until well combined, then press the mixture into the bottom and a little bit up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the crust until it is set and slightly toasted.
Step 2: Prepare the Filling
Cream together the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and flour. This small amount of flour is unique to New York style cheesecake recipes and gives the cheesecake a little more structure.
Mix in the eggs one at a time until they are well incorporated. The eggs will bind our cheesecake together and create a silky smooth texture.
Mix in the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Along with the lemon zest, the sour cream adds a bit of tang to the cheesecake. While totally optional, I think the zest adds the perfect flavor (and it won’t taste like a lemon cheesecake!).
Step 3: Bake the Cheesecake
Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust in the springform pan (no need to wait for the crust to fully cool). Place the filled pan on a sheet pan. The batter should come almost all the way to the top of your pan.
Initially bake the cheesecake at a really high temperature, then turn down the temperature and let it finish baking. This burst of high heat sets the top of the cheesecake while the low temperature will slowly cook it so it stays creamy and the top doesn’t crack.
Step 4: Cool the Cheesecake
The most difficult part of making cheesecake is waiting for it to cool! Once the baking time is over, turn off the oven and keep the cheesecake inside with the door shut for about an hour. This ensures that the cheesecake doesn’t cool too quickly, further preventing any cracks from forming.
Chill the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight!) before removing it from the pan and slicing it.
Step 5: Serve!
While New York cheesecake is delicious on its own, try topping it with fresh strawberry sauce, hot fudge sauce, caramel sauce, or berry sauce (use any fresh fruit!).
How to Store Cheesecake
Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 1 week. To freeze, freeze the cheesecake uncovered until solid. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
- It is super important to use room temperature ingredients before making the cheesecake filling. Room temperature ingredients ensure the filling has an incredibly creamy texture!
- When mixing the cheesecake filling, make sure to use the paddle attachment, not the whisk attachment. Cream cheese can separate if it is not beaten properly.
- This cheesecake filling is enough to fill a 9 inch (23 cm) spring form pan all the way to the top. It won’t overflow because the initial blast of heat prevents it from becoming any taller.
- Cheesecake is a great make ahead dessert recipe because it needs so much time to bake, cool, and chill. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6 hours before slicing so the filling has time to fully set.
- With a simple graham cracker crust, this classic New York cheesecake is truly amazing on its own and makes for a great canvas for fresh berries, chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, or caramel sauce!
- For a flavorful twist, swap the traditional graham cracker crust for an oreo crust, shortbread crust, or gingersnap crust.
MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like to try another cheesecake dessert that’s perfect for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or any other special occasions.
New York Cheesecake
Authentic New York Cheesecake is a tall, dense, and incredibly creamy style of cheesecake made with sour cream. The technique for mixing and baking this cheesecake makes it truly the best!
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 186 grams (about 12 sheets) graham crackers, or another type of crunchy cookie like a digestive biscuit or gingersnap
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
- 113 grams (½ cup, 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling
- 904 grams (4- 8 ounce packages) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 300 grams (1 ½ cups) granulated sugar
- 22 grams (3 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 240 grams (1 cup) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
Note: It is extremely important that your oven is truly heated to 475°F/250°C before baking the cheesecake. An oven thermometer can help determine if your oven is heating hot enough. It usually takes at least 20 (sometimes longer) full minutes for ovens to reach a temperature this high. It is also essential that you do not open the oven door during the baking process. Letting out the heat can cause the cheesecake to not set.
Prep:
- 1 ½ hours before preparing the cheesecake, set out the cream cheese (904 grams/ 4- 8 ounce packages), eggs (4 large), and sour cream (240 grams/ 1 cup) to come to room temperature. It is extremely important for a creamy cheesecake that your ingredients are not cold.
- You will need a 9 inch (23 cm) spring form pan for this recipe. Right before starting the crust, preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C and position your oven rack in the center position. (Do not use the convection setting if you oven has it for this recipe)
Prepare the Crust:
- Place the graham crackers (186 grams/ about 12 sheets) in a food processor and pulse until you have cookie crumbs. Alternatively, you can put them in a plastic zipper bag and use a rolling pin to roll back and forth until they are crumbs.
- Place the cookie crumbs in a medium bowl and mix with the granulated sugar (50 grams/ ¼ cup) and melted butter (113 grams/ ½ cup). Firmly press the crust into the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the spring form pan.
- Bake the crust at 375°F/190°C for 8 minutes. Set the crust aside to cool while you prepare the filling.
Prepare the filling:
- Increase the oven temperature to 475°F/250°C. It needs to be preheating for at least 20 minutes before the cheesecake goes in.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer) combine the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar (300 grams/ 1 ½ cups), and flour (22 grams/ 3 tablespoons). Beat on medium speed for a full 6 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time while the mixer is running on low speed. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract (1 teaspoon), and lemon zest (1 teaspoon). Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all of the mixture is evenly combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared crust. It will completely fill up the pan and then place the pan onto a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan on the center rack and bake for 8 minutes.
- Leave the door closed and reduce the oven temperature to 200°F/93°C for 1 hour. Turn the oven off (do not open the oven door!) and leave the cheesecake in the off oven for 1 more hour.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool at room temperature. Move to the refrigerator and chill for at least 6-8 hours (or overnight) before removing the sides of the pan and slicing.
Notes
*Recipe adapted from The Baker's Manuel New York Style Cheesecake
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
168 Comments on “New York Cheesecake”
Ok this looks great. I am low dairy-no dairy due to necessity. Is like to make this with substitutes for the dairy. Daiya cream cheese and a non-dairy yogurt. Any suggestions or tips?
Thanks.
Hi Marita!
I have not tried this cheesecake with dairy free substitutions but I would pick one that has a flavor you like since the cream cheese is the main flavor of the cheesecake. Let me know how it goes!
If I make 1/2 the recipe, small family would I still cook for the hour and let sit the hour, or should I try like half or 45 mins cook instead?
Hi Rena,
I haven’t tested this recipe as a half batch. I think I would likely try reduce to 200 for 45 minutes, then another 45 minutes with the oven off. Let me know if you try it!
Its really yummy
I love all your recipes , specially the tricks and tips. I never find the post publication date and sometimes that confuses me, would not it be good to put it? Thank you.
Hi Sandra! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes and posts!
Regarding dates: The publish dates was always at the top of the article until about 2 weeks ago. I decided to remove them because my hope is that this website becomes a baking resource and that the recipes are timeless that can be used time and time again. I truly didn’t see a benefit in posting the date, especially since there is some evidence to show that when articles are older many people will not look at them when they come up in google search. The dates are however shown in the article feed, as well as the recipe archive. I’m open to considering adding them back. I’m curious to know what value you find in them? Thanks Sandra!
Before making cheesecake. Do I grease pan first?
Hi Linda! No, you do not need to grease the pan!
This cheesecake look absolutely amazing! Love the texture!
Thank you Natalie!
I open the door on the 425 baking cause the oven smoke i had to see what was happening. My cheesecake does not have a darker top its white light brown and giggles a little is this going to be any good after it sets in the fridge.
Hi Christy,
Very strange that there was smoke in your oven. Was there perhaps something that had previously dripped in your oven that was causing smoke? The cheesecake should not be doing that. You also mention 425 baking time, when it is actually 475. Did you perhaps not bake it hot enough in the first step? After baked, the cheesecake will jiggle very slightly but will set in the fridge, however since you did open the oven and possibly baked it at a lower temperature, it is hard to know if enough heat stayed inside to cook it through. Let me know how it turned out!
The outside of my cheesecake was perfect..creamy and delicious! However, the middle was runny. Something about the temperature or time is incorrect in the recipe. I’m going to get my two out of three cheesecakes to room temperature and try to get the middle to set. My bad for trusting someone else’s oven. Wish me luck!! p.s. thankfully I have an understanding Chef!! LOL
Hi Amy,
So sorry to hear that you had issues with the cheesecakes setting. This is a tested recipe made time and time again with success so it sounds like your oven temperature may be off. Do you have an oven thermometer to check that it is getting hot enough? Ovens can tend to be off. I will make a note in the recipe that it is important. Also, make sure that you truly don’t open the door ever during the baking process. The loss of heat during this can truly make or break this recipe. Hope that helps!
Also, I see you are saying that you are going to get them to room temperature and then get them to set? These will not set until they are fully chilled. Did you cut into them before they were chilled?
Can i use oreo cookies for crust? Do you have recipe for it or is it same as grahm crackers crust
Yes you can! Same recipe!
I use full package of Oreo thins and add 3 Tbsp. Melted butter. No additional sugar needed. In fact I just made one yesterday. Turned out magnificent.
Sounds amazing Judy!
I have a question. How do you stop the cheesecake to crack in the middle. My email is [email protected]
Thank you
Hi Susan,
This cheesecake should not crack in the middle. It is possible that your oven isn’t cooking hot enough during the first part of the baking. You really need it to be hot enough to set the crust on the cheesecake. Do you by chance have an oven thermometer to check that your oven is getting hot enough?
I’ve noticed cheesecakes crack as they cool when they are setting. The outside is “stuck” to the pan, while the center is trying to settle, effectively pulling it in two directions. When I turn the oven off after the 200° bake, I quickly run a knife around the outside of the cheesecake to separate it from the pan. I’ve not had one crack since.
Also, whipping, or incorporating too much air into the filling can cause cracks. Go with the paddle attachment, and use room temp ingredients as stated. 🙂
Oh interesting! I have never had this cheesecake crack with this baking method! The slow cooling process really helps keep it nice and smooth!
I made this recipe and it’s the best cheesecake I have ever had, but if I want to make it
chocolate how would I do that?
Hi Dianne! That makes me so happy! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I have never made this as a chocolate cheesecake but I think I would try adding about 10 oz of melted chocolate into the batter. I would also leave out the flour because the chocolate will stabilize it enough. Let me know if you do try it!
This cheesecake cracked before it finished cooking at the 200 degrees. I followed each instruction explicitly timing the amount of beating time, etc. The top over cooked in the high oven heat. I would Suggest the recipe specify if the lowest rack should be used and convection should be used as those were two questions I ran into.
Hi Charity! I’m sorry to hear that your cheesecake cracked. Do you by chance have an oven thermometer in your oven? It is possible that your oven is heating hotter than it is set at. I have tested this cheesecake a number of times and haven’t had this issue. You definitely do not want to use convection on this. Only use convection when it is specified in a recipe. And I bake this on the center rack. I will add that detail to the recipe.
So I followed the steps but I also had to open the oven due to smaller cheesecakes I placed in there. My cheesecake is jiggling a little should I of placed in there for another few minutes ? I’m afraid it’ll be runny. What should I do ?
Hi Diana, the cheesecake will jiggle just slightly in the center after baked. It will solidify once completely chilled. I hope you enjoy it!
Oh ma my!!! This was truly incredible!
All your tips and directions are spot on. I made this a few months back and silly me, i forgot to bookmark your page. I looked and looked and it took a while to find it.
So now, i’ve bookmarked this page, as well as printed and saved a pdf copy of your recipe. So, so very much love it!!
Can I do this cheesecake without the crackers. My husband love cheesecake but hate the crust.
Hi Cyd, I have never tried it, so I’m not sure if it will stick to the bottom of the springform pan. You can try greasing just the bottom so it doesn’t stick.
Got my cheesecake in the oven as speak and hoping it comes out great. On the last baking step I accidentally lowered the temp from 475 to 300 instead of 200… oopsie!! The top of the cheesecake browned pretty heavily and cracked a lot but as long as it takes good I don’t care how it looks. Going to load it up with whipped cream and berries to cover the brown and cracks. Will post a picture when it’s all finished!!!
Hi James! I hope you enjoyed the cheesecake!
OMG it was AMAZING!!! I’ve never cared for cheesecake but I could honestly eat this everyday!!!! Although I browned the sides and top to Hell it still tasted amazing! Can’t wait to make this again(hopefull without browning it so much next time) thank you for so many amazing recipes!!
Hi James! So happy to hear it turned out well for you! That’s great!
I am a sucker for a good New York Style Cheesecake! This looks absolutely wonderful!
Thank you!
how can i make this a “lemon” cheesecake? its what a teacher asked for her birthday… thank you!
I would suggest adding about 1 TBSP lemon zest and 3 TBSP lemon juice into the batter. Enjoy!
Hello, curious if non fat greek yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream? Going to make this later today ans I have everything except the sour cream
Hi Jami! I’m just now seeing this. I think the yogurt would have worked. Did you try it?
My family loved the cheesecake. It is so creamy and delicious. However, I did have some cracks and had trouble with the crust. It stuck so badly I gave up on trying to cut it with the cake. No one cared about either by the way. I would like to try again and perfect it. I put a thin layer of sour cream on top along with some graham crackers crumbs which help hide the cracks. Any ideas? I used a non stick spring pan.
Hi Deborah! It isn’t traditional for a New York Cheesecake, but you can try baking it in a water bath which can help with the cracking. As far as the sticking, that is strange. That has never happened to me. You might try spraying the pan with some non-stick spray. Does your spring form pan have a non-stick surface?
It was amazing. I usually like them a little denser/stiffer but this was simply AMAZING.
Aimee
That is so great to hear Aimee! So glad you enjoyed it!
Hello! I just baked your recipe and I did not get cracks and it seams that my cheese cake has set well but my top is a dark brown instead of the creamy color of yours. Did I do something wrong? I really want to have that pretty smooth top like yours.
Hi Brittany! I hope you enjoyed the cheesecake. It sounds like your oven may be heating a little too hot. If you have an oven thermometer check to see what it is actually heating to. You can try turning down the temperature by about 25 degrees to see if that helps!
Just made this cheesecake with my granddaughter.. we followed the recipie and timed each step.. it did crack around the outside edge.. it did also look jiggly in the middle. It is chilling overnight and she is serving it tomorrow.. she is putting strawberries on top so the cracks should be ok.. hereis hpong it firms up and is a delicious as it looks!!
I hope you enjoyed it Joan!
Me gustaria hacerla pero salada que proporcion de sal le vendria bien? Gracias por la pagina esta muy bien. Ya la hice dulce y esta para ponerle un piso
¡Hola! No estoy seguro de entender la pregunta. ¿Estás tratando de hacer una versión sabrosa de este pastel de queso? Por favor disculpe mi español. No lo hablo ni lo entiendo bien.
Perdona porque no te pregunte bien, te queria decir que quiero hacer la tarta de queso pero la quiero hacer salada no dulce y queria saber que proporcion de sal deberia usar. Gracias
Hi Bettie! LOVE this cheesecake recipe! It has become my new go-to to make at home. If I wanted to flavor it (i.e., coffee, white or regular chocolate, etc.) would any of the other ingredients need to be adjusted? I wanted to add coffee to the last one that I made but didn’t because I was nervous that it wouldn’t set right.
Hi Kellie! I have it on my list to test and publish some variations on this recipe. However, if you want to try it here is what I would suggest. For a coffee cheesecake I would add about 2 TBSP of instant espresso powder into the cream cheese when mixture when you cream it. For a chocolate or white chocolate cheesecake, I would leave out the flour and melt about 10 oz of your desired chocolate. I would then stir in the melted chocolate at the end after everything else is mixed. For white chocolate, make sure you are using real white chocolate. Not those low quality chips like nestle white chocolate chips. Again, I haven’t tested this yet. But this is where I would start!
Tried this with a lotus biscuit (Speculoos) and they caught round the edge of the base a little. Thinking it might be because of the high sugar content already in these biscuits so going to give it another go without adding additional sugar to the base. – Do you have any other suggestions?
Also for anyone with a fan assisted oven it may be worth reducing the temperature’s by about 20 degrees C. I left my cheesecake in for the full 246 degrees C for the first 8 mins and it browned a lot on top (still edible though) I then played it safe and decided to reduce it to 65 for the remaining hour.
Hi Kathryn! I suspect you are probably right about the higher sugar being the issue. You could grease just the part of the pan that will have the crust to help it from sticking. Thank you for the info about the fan assisted oven. Are you not able to turn off the fan function?
I absolutely love this recipe for New York Cheese Cake, thank you for sharing. This is the second time I have made this and both times was a great hit!!!!!!
That makes me so happy Jan! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hello, I’m about to make this cheesecake and I was wondering if I cut the recipe in half, would I still need to have it at 475 degrees.?
Sorry if it’s a dumb question.
Hi Lucy! Sorry, I’m just now seeing this comment. I have never tried a half batch of the cheesecake. Yes, I would still bake it for a high temp at first to set it, but the second baking time would likely need less. I would watch it closely.
Made this yesterday to have for family dinner. Followed the instructions. This cheesecake turned out absolutely amazing! I topped it with homemade blueberry sauce. Not a crumb left behind. Thank you for sharing!
That is so great to hear Brian! a blueberry sauce on top sounds amazing!
This is the best cheesecake recipe I have ever tried. Even living in Denver with the high elevation, it came out perfect! My husband is from New York, and a cheesecake connoisseur, he has raved about this cheesecake since I made it the first time. I have just made it again with the same excellent results! I am a cake decorator and have worked in a bakery for over 31 years, so I know a thing or two about baking, hands down the best ever!!!! This is the recipe that is going in my cook book for my 6 daughters! Thanks so very much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Jeanine, this comment just made my day. I’m so so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed it so much. That is just fantastic to hear!
O…..M…..G….
I have been trying to make New York style cheese cake for twenty years and have it turn out right. I’ve tried dozens of recipes. I needed two cheesecakes to feed a band at a concert I am hosting this weekend. I stumbled across this recipe and decided to give this method a shot. I kid you not, they came out TEXTBOOK PERFECT. I won’t know for two days how it tastes, when I can sneak a piece after those guys. But, judging by the raw batter I ate…… (no I did not care about the raw eggs by that point. ROFL). Holy cow. THANK YOU!!
I can’t wait to hear how it was enjoyed Jennifer!
Bettie, it was not only enjoyed, it was inhaled. LOL. They are still talking about how it was the best cheesecake they have ever eaten, better than the restaurants. I admittedly ate it for dinner the other night. Haha! THANK YOU so much for sharing this recipe!! 🙂
This is the best cheesecake recipe ever! Have made it twice now and has turned out with a beautiful smooth flat top and tastes delicious. I think knowing your oven is working right is a must. I felt confident it would come out right since I just had my oven repaired and knew the temperature was correct. Thanks!
That makes me so happy Rob! I love this cheesecake so much too! And I agree, making sure your oven is heating properly really is key.
I’m so excited the cheesecake is in the oven right now! i just had one question. I can see from the oven window that it didn’t really brown on top. It just puffed up a tiny bit around the edges. It’s now on 200 with a half hour left. Should it have been browned in those first 8 minutes? If so should I turn up the temp a bit? (Note: I don’t have an oven thermometer but I oven has been on for about an hour before even putting the cheesecake in)
Hi Maria! How did it turn out? Depending on your oven, it sometimes doesn’t get too brown on top. But it should cook through by the end.
Omg it came out so amazing! The crust was a bit thick in some spots so next time I’m going to use a toothpick to judge the thickness better! I also want to try not pre baking the crust so it’s a little less hard. Thanks!
That’s so great! I’m so glad it worked out for you.
I’ve made this cheesecake a couple times and it always turns out amazing. I wanted to know if I could add pumpkin?
Love your recipe (felt it was the best out of all the recipes I looked at)
I want to try it for thanksgiving but I foresee a few problems
My oven takes awhile to cool down and I’m afraid the cake might burn or easily get overdone
I read one recipe that says to leave the oven door cracked open
If I can’t open it, how can I tell if the cheesecake is ready
(Yes I do use an oven thermometer)
Thank you
Meg
I have made many cheesecakes in my 52 yrs of marriage and this is the best New York style ever. Just made 2 7″ and the perfect amount of filling for both. One for a Christmas gift and one for brunch on Sunday.
Should I change the temperature for a dark spring pan
Your recipe was very easy with all of the directions you gave. My cheese cake is in the oven and looks great! After I put it in the oven I kind of freaked out because I saw the cornstarch on the counter and thought I had left it out! So I looked at the recipe again and there was no cornstarch. Every other recipe I looked at had cornstarch in it. Why not this one? Just curious.
Hi Kitty! How did the cheesecake turn out? Many cheesecakes use either cornstarch or flour. I use flour in mine. This helps set the filling a little firmer and gives a creamy texture. I don’t find there to be much of a difference between one or the other and I have just always used flour in mine.
I have made this exact recipe about 5 times. 4 times just like it says, and every other time I have cut the cook time in half at every stage and made 2 half size cheesecakes in half size spring form pans. For me, the crust was too crunchy the first go-round.(#1) So I stopped precooking the crust, and it has turned out perfectly since. It is the absolute best cheesecake I have ever eaten let alone made, with or without receipe tweeking. The first 2 times i ended up with a dark/burnt film on top of the cheesecake. To save face I coated it in whipped cream with berries and it was still a m a z i n g.
I couldn’t figure out why the tops were blackening. Even when I made the half size cheesecakes and cooked for half the time at every step(excluding the precooking of the crust). UNTIL! I realized that my oven looses its temp as I open it initially to put uncooked cheesecakes inside(Even with having it preheated at temp for 20 minutes before cooking). Causing the oven to heat higher then I am needing since its goes straight to preheating after losing the desired temp. So! My second hack(#2) is to put the oven on ~485\490, just above the 475 notch on my old oven. So that that when I place the pans in the oven, I can quickly shut the door and lower to my actually desired temp of 475°
I LOVE this recipe and am so so so thankful to Baker Bettie for sharing such wisdom! These are just some hacks that worked for me 🙂
Hi Andreana, you’re welcome! Thanks so much for your feedback and I’m so glad you like the cheesecake! Oven temperatures always get to me too, they can be so fickle and really have an effect on our baked goods.
Hi Bettie
Delicious recipe. I’ve made it twice. First time I wrapped foil around spring form pan and cut wax paper for the bottom of the pan. It baked perfect per recipe. I did have butter “ooze” on the the cake carrier after being transferred. I did freeze it a couple days. The second one didn’t set fully. I used the same pan and recipe. I used an easy bath cheesecake wrap and sprayed the inside of the spring firm pan with cooking spray per the easy bake wraps instructions. Didn’t use wax paper and the crust was better. Why do you think it didn’t fully set/cook in the middle. Any suggestions are appreciated
This cheesecake turned out perfect!
Taste and texture great. I went by the recipe exactly.
I baked the cheesecake according to the recipe- everything was at room temperature, the oven was set to the right temperature, I didn’t open the oven door, and still the cheesecake cracked really bad on the top. Is it because of the dry climate here in New Mexico, and the fact that I’m 6000 feet above sea level? If so, what do I need to do to change it so it won’t crack?
I found this from the Denver Post. Someone wrote in with your problem: {{We asked Elena Clement, a Johnson & Wales University pastry professor:
“Cheesecakes do not need any altitude adjustments to the ingredients. Let the cream cheese come to room temp before mixing because it tends to be smoother. Scrape your bowl often to avoid lumps. I put cheesecake in a water bath, but putting a pan of water in the oven to make it humid will also work. Cheesecakes tend to dry out and crack without any moisture in the oven,” Clement says. }} Hope it helps
I made this cheesecake on Sunday for Easter and used shortbread cookies for the crust.
Hands down this was the best I’ve ever made and eaten!
Everyone LOVED it! It is definitely a keeper! Thank you!
Could you make this in ramekins, and if so how would the cooking time change?
Hi Amy, unfortunately having never tested it in ramekins I’m not sure what the changes would be. I would need to make it a few times that way. I also think the method of starting at a really high heat and then moving to a low heat might not be the best for individual cheesecakes. You would probably want to use a water bath.
The cheesecake was wonderful. But, if you can get your hands on the “McCalls Cooking School” three ring binder from about the 1980’s there is a recipe for cheesecake that is superb and will knock your socks off
I make a lot of cheesecakes, in fact hundreds and hundreds. All different kinds. Here’s what I’d like your opinion on. I never use a spring form pan. I use a 3×9″ pan and invert cake, after refrigerated (yes thin knife around edge and heated bottom first to loosen crust) I always look for new recipies. I’d like to give yours a try. Can I de-pan your cheesecake this way?
Second, while baking; does your cheesecake billow above the pan and then settle down?
Hi Robert, I have never tried inverting this cheesecake the way you say, but I suspect it will work. It because very firm after chilled. It does very slightly billow over the pan. Not a great deal.
Hello,
Thank you this recipe,
but my Cheesecake tore form the top quite a bit. I mean cracked from the top…..
and i had another query : some recipes call for Sour Cream , whereas some use Heavy / Whipping Cream,
what essentially is the difference ?
So disappointed. Followed the directions about temperature and not opening the oven door… when I finally opened the oven to remove the cheesecake it was very jiggly. I hoped it would set up in the refrigerator, but when we ate it, it was super runny and inedible.
Just made this but had 3 big cracks what did I do wrong ?
I’m sorry to hear that! Did it crack in the oven? I suspect it could be due to your oven temperature. Do you have an oven thermometer? Sometimes our ovens are off.
Great cheese cake! Turned out nice.
Thanks to your recipe – I nailed it !!! . My practice run before my daughter’s birthday was a success !! Thank you !! Great tips and GREAT recipe !!
I absolutely love this recipe! This is my third time making it. I have to admit though, I still use the water bath (I never have success without one) It comes out perfect so I don’t want to mess with a tried and true technique.
Love this recipe! I’ve made it twice and it’s delicious! However, like someone else, I also ran into smoke in my oven, especially during the high temp time. I know my oven was clean. I put a pan under the cheesecake and watched close— there was oil dripping from the springform pan! Maybe time to replace my pan? Anyway, at least I placed a cookie sheet under the cake!