Make this cheesecake and you’ll never make another kind of cheesecake again!
This is a New York-style cheesecake with a simple graham cracker crust that’s not overly sweet. What makes a New York-style cheesecake similar to other cheesecake recipes are a few things: it’s baked, it’s got lots of cream cheese, it has a graham cracker crust, and it’s chilled completely before being served.
If you’re wondering what makes this cheesecake different from other cheesecakes, it’s the ingredients. In a basic recipe that really only needs three basic ingredients in it, namely cream cheese, eggs, and sugar, additional or changes of ingredients make a big difference.
In the case of the New York-style version, it is the addition of sour cream to the cream cheese mixture and the fact that it’s almost always served plain. No blueberry topping, no pie filling, or mix-ins are added to change the flavor of the cream cheese. Instead, any additions are added to enhance the flavors and make it more delicious.
In this recipe, we added lemon juice to boost the tangy flavors of both the cream cheese and the sour cream. It’s not enough to give it a lemony taste but enough to give it that boost in flavor.
If cheesecake is your favorite kind of cake, this is the recipe you’re going to want to bookmark so you can turn to it every time you’re craving this silky and luscious cream cheese dessert.
New York-Style Cheesecake Recipe
- Takes 2 hours plus cooling and chilling
- Makes 10 servings
- For the crust:
- 1 (200 grams) pack graham crackers, broken
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
- For the cheesecake:
- 3 (227 grams each) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 cup sour cream or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
- 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- 2 In the bowl of a food processor, place graham crackers. Process until finely crushed. Add sugar, salt, and melted butter. Pulse until mixture resembles wet sand and clumps together when pressed together. Dump into an 8-inch springform pan. Press the crust mixture firmly onto the bottom of the pan until flattened and even. Chill until needed.
- 3 Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the beater attachment, beat cream cheese on Medium until light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat until mixture is smooth and creamy.
- 4 Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add egg yolk and beat well. Add sour cream and lemon juice, and beat on Medium until well mixed.
- 5 Pour cheese mixture into the prepared springform pan with the prepared crust. Tap against the kitchen counter lightly to release any bubbles.
- 6 Place cheesecake in the preheated oven. Close oven door. Lower heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the edges are just set, the center is a little jiggly, and the top has lightly browned.
- 7 Remove from the oven and cool completely. Then place in the refrigerator overnight or at least 6 hours until completely chilled through and cold.
- 8 To serve, heat the blade of a knife in hot water before slicing for clean slices. Serve cold.
If you want to try another kind of cheesecake, we highly suggest these equally delicious and decadent recipes, too:
