Classic New York Cheesecake

Close up of New York cheesecake with strawberry and blueberries

Lew Robertson/Getty Images

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Servings: 12 to 16 servings
Yield: 1 cake

If you love a wonderfully dense cheesecake, this New York cheesecake recipe is for you. We bake it at 500 F for a few minutes, then turn the oven down to 200 F and bake it the rest of the way. The result: creamy cheesecake perfection.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 10 cracker graham crackers

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter

For the Filling:

  • 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • 6 large eggs

  • 2 large egg yolks

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1 pinch salt

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Graham Cracker Crust

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F.

  2. Break up the graham crackers and pulse them in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. While you do this, you can be melting the butter in a small saucepan over low heat (or just melt it in the microwave).

  3. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl and stir in the sugar.

  4. Finally, stir in the melted butter and combine until the crumbs are uniformly moistened.

  5. Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan until you have an even layer.

  6. Bake for ten minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and let the crust cool while you do the next steps.

Prepare the Cheesecake

  1. Preheat oven to 500 F.​

  2. Cut the cream cheese into cubes and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to soften.​

  3. Transfer the softened cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat it on medium speed with the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes.​

  4. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the sugar, salt, lemon juice, vanilla, and sour cream and beat for another 2 minutes.​

  5. Scrape the bowl again, then add the eggs and egg yolks and beat until everything is completely blended and the mixture is smooth and fluffy, another couple of minutes. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bowl every now and then.​

  6. Fill a roasting pan half full of water and set it on the lower rack of your oven. Seal the bottom of the springform pan with foil and set it on a baking pan.​

  7. Now pour the filling into the springform pan and transfer the baking pan (with the cheesecake on it) to the upper rack in the oven.​

  8. Bake at 500 F for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 200 F and bake for another 1 1/2 hours. Don't open the oven door. When it's finished, the cheesecake should jiggle a little bit at the center but be firm at the edges.​

  9. Transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack, and after cooling for 15 minutes, carefully loosen the edges of the cake with a knife.​

  10. Let the cheesecake cool for a full 3 hours at room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least overnight, although a full 24 hours is best.

  11. Serve and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
440 Calories
34g Fat
26g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 440
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g 44%
Saturated Fat 19g 96%
Cholesterol 194mg 65%
Sodium 332mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 10%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 23g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 97mg 7%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 146mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)