Introduction: How to Make a New York Style Cheesecake
Here I will be showing you a step by step process to make a beautiful New York Style cheesecake. It may seem a little intimidating but its very simple to make, it just takes a lot of time. This is great for first-time bakers and expect to pay anywhere from 20-30 dollars for a cheesecake that would cost $50 or more. Also, this recepie is taken from Tasty and I will leave a link to their step by step video at the bottom.
Supplies
Hand mixer (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)
1 big bowl
1 springform pan
1 oven-safe tray, big enough to hold the springform pan
foil
7 oz graham cracker
2 cups sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
32 oz cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup heavy cream
2 cups sour cream
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
4 large eggs
boiling water, for baking
Step 1: The Base
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take one packet of graham crackers and smash them down. After doing so, add 5 tablespoons of butter and mix it in a bad. It is the easiest in a food processor but you can do this with any plastic bag as well.
- Once that is done, place the mixture in the springform pan and compress it using any flat surface.
- Place the springform pan with the mixture in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes then turn the oven off.
The reason why we bake the crust first is that if you did not, the crust would just mix in with the batter when you bake the cheesecake.
Step 2: The Batter
- In a large bowl combine 32 ounces or 4 packs of cream cheese.
- Add in 1 and a half cup of sugar and using a hand mixer, mix until everything is combined smoothly.
In the video it it says to add in 2 cups of sugar but from testing and personal preference, 1 and half cup gives the best kind of sweetness.
Step 3: The Batter Cont.
- Mix in half a cup of heavy cream and 2 cups of sour cream, mix until fully combined.
- Make sure to scrape down the bowl so everything is combined properly.
You can don't have to add either one of these two ingredients up adding the heavy cream will help the creamy ness of the cheesecake, while the sour cream adds in a little bit of tang. So I wouldn't skip out on either one of these two ingredients.
Step 4: The Batter Cont.
- Take a measuring spoon and add in 5 tablespoons of flour.
- Add a pinch of salt, ONLY a pinch.
- Add 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract.
The flour will help bind the cheesecake together, while the salt helps bring the flavors out. If you don't have vanilla extract don't worry, it's not completely necessary, you will still get a great result.
Step 5: The Batter Cont.
- Take 4 large eggs and incorporate them one by one.
- After all the eggs have been combined pour the batter into the springform pan.
- Start preheating your oven again to 350 degrees.
One thing to take one of, make sure you stop mixing once the egg is incorporated. overmixing may result in a dense cheesecake. Once you don't see any more yellow stop mixing!
Step 6: The Wrap
- Take two long sheets of foil approximately 2 feet long each and place them to form a "plus" shape.
- Have the springform pan in the middle and fold the corners of the foil to make a seal for the springform pan.
You want to make a seal because you will be placing this cheesecake in a water bath. If you don't there is a chance that water may seep into the base and give you a soggy crust. No one whats that. The seal will help prevent water from getting into the crust.
Step 7: The Water Bath
- Place the springform pan in an aluminum tray or any oven-safe tray and pour about an inch of water.
The water will make a moist environment for the cheesecake in a rather dry over. This will help prevent the cheesecake from burning and cracking.
Step 8: The Cooking Process
Pay close attention to this part.
- Place the cheesecake in a 350 degrees F oven for one hour.
- after the hour has passed turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside to hook for another hour
The cooking process is going to be very long but this will ensure that the cheesecake is fully cooked through every single time.
Step 9: Sour Cream Top
- In a separate bowl, take two cups of sour cream, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, and stir them all together.
- Spread it evenly on top of the cheesecake and place it back in the oven at 350 degrees and back for another 10-15 min.
- Then turn the oven off again and leave the cheesecake for another hour.
- Finally, after the hour has passed, you can let it set in the fridge overnight.
There is always a chance that a cheesecake could crack. There are countless reasons but don't worry. There's a simple and delicious fix to this. It's a sour cream top. Personally, I put a sour cream top every time just to enhance the flavor. I wouldn't skip out on this part either.
Step 10: Enjoy
After the cheesecake has set overnight you can take it out and run a knife around the edges of the cheesecake. Then release the springform pan and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
