New York Cheesecake

Today, I’m sharing all the tips & tricks to make the perfectly smooth and creamy New York cheesecake. Follow the simple steps to make it at home!

💛 I love this baked cheesecake because:

• The texture is incredibly smooth and creamy.
• It's rich but not too dense and has perfect lightness.
• It's so simple and easy to make.
• You can enjoy it in many ways: as a crustless cheesecake, cheesecake cupcakes, with any topping such as whipped cream, lemon curd, strawberry jam, caramel sauce, cream cheese frosting, etc.

💬 In the past, I shared how to make strawberry mini cheesecakes. That recipe contains a lot more sour cream than this one. This one tastes more classic. Like the recipe, it has a good balance of lightness and richness.

In this post, you'll learn essential baking tips such as:

• The secrets to making a light yet creamy cheesecake
• How to judge if cheesecake is baked enough
• Should we pre-bake the crust?
• The benefits of baking cheesecake in a water bath.
• How to remove a cheesecake from a pan

... and so much more!

Let's get started.

Jump to:

• 📌 What's In Cheesecake?
• 📌 How To Make Cheesecake
• 📌 How To Slice Cheesecake
• 📌 Uses For Cheesecake
• 📌 Frequently Asked Questions
• 📌 VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
• 📌 Printable Recipe
• Creamy New York Cheesecake
• 📌 Pin It!

📌 What's In Cheesecake?

Crust

• Graham crackers
  • Use your favorite graham crackers. Here is the product I used this time.
• Granulated sugar
  • A little bit of sugar adds a nicer texture.
• Unsalted butter
  • It helps to form the crust.

Cheesecake Filling

• Cream cheese
  • Use full-fat cream cheese. I like Philadelphia cream cheese.
• Granulated sugar
  • Use any regular granulated sugar.
• Sour cream
  • It adds a refreshing taste, natural tartness, and creaminess.
• Heavy cream
  • It helps to create a milder cream cheese flavor and a lighter texture with the help of cornstarch.
• Cornstarch
  • We can create a lighter texture with sour cream, heavy cream, and cornstarch.
• Egg yolk
  • It adds a rich and deep flavor. It also helps to set the cheesecakes.
• Whole egg
  • It helps to set the cheesecakes.
• Vanilla extract
  • The vanilla flavor matches so well with cheesecakes.
• Lemon juice
  • Adjust the amount as you like!

📌 How To Make Cheesecake

12 Steps To Make Cheesecake

Preparation:

• Leave cream cheese at room temperature until it gets very soft.
• Prepare hot water to melt butter and for a water batch.

Crust:

1. Melt butter in a water bath. Meanwhile, coat a thin layer of butter all over the 9" pan and crush graham crackers.
2. Mix melted butter, crushed graham crackers, and sugar until evenly incorporated, and spread it flat on a pan. Press it well with something solid and flat, like a measuring cup, to form a crust.
3. Wrap foils (or an oven bag) gently around the pan to avoid a water leak from a water bath. Chill it in the fridge until right before use.
   • You can also pre-bake the crust to make it crispier: Bake (Preheated) it at 340 F | 171 C for about 7 - 8 mins. * Let it cool completely before use.

Cheesecake Filling:

4. Mix cream cheese until it looks creamy without lumps.
5. Add granulated sugar and mix.
6. Add sour cream and heavy cream. Mix well until it looks smooth.
   • Mix it slowly at the beginning so the heavy cream doesn't spill out.
7. Add cornstarch and mix well until you don't see lumps.
8. Add yolk and whole egg. Mix well until it looks very smooth.
9. Finally, add vanilla extract and lemon juice and mix until combined.
   • Scrape off the side and bottom of the bowl with a spatula at the end to ensure everything is blended evenly.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake it with a water bath. Pour hot water up to about ⅓ of the pan. (See the image or the video tutorial below to see how it looks.)
    • 1. Bake (Preheated) at 340 F | 171 C for 30 mins
    • 2. Turn it down to 310 F | 154 C and bake for another 65 - 75 minutes.
    • 3. Open the door to check if it’s done, turn off the heat, leave it open about an inch with a wooden spoon, and wait 30 minutes before taking it out from the oven.
    • [Water bath] Use hot water with lots of steam coming out. Avoid boiling water.
    • * Do not open the door until the end to get the best result.
    • * Adjust the time and temperature accordingly depending on the oven, the size of the pan, etc.

After baking it:

11. Let it cool on a cooling rack. Chill in the fridge for about 6 hours before removing it from a pan.
12. Remove the cheesecake from a pan:
    • 1. Carefully insert a small cake spatula or knife along the side to ensure the side is detached completely. Remove the side of the springform pan.
    • 2. Insert a small cake spatula around the bottom edge to remove the crust easily.
    • 3. Insert a large cake palette and carefully check if the bottom is detached.
    • 4. transfer the cake to a plate or board using the palette.

📝 More Tips With Images

Now, let me share detailed tips on each step, which are all crucial for making cheesecake successful.

Step 1: Melt butter. Meanwhile, coat butter all over the pan and crush graham crackers.

It takes some time until the butter melts completely. Meanwhile, I usually finish other preparations:

💬 The cheesecake comes out from the pan more easily by applying a thin layer of butter.

💡 Instead of crushing the crackers completely and making them powdery, leave some pieces in them. The texture of the crust feels much more present that way.

Step 2: Mix melted butter, crushed graham crackers, and sugar. Press it on a pan to form a crust.

💬 At the beginning, you'll see the chunks here and there, like in the image below. Rub it well with a spatula to break them. 

I like to use a measuring cup to press it:

👩🏻‍🍳 In the beginning, it feels like it would not come together, but no worry, keep pushing, and it'll eventually get solid. The crust falls apart if you don't press it enough.

🌬️ Chill it in the fridge until right before use.

Step 3: Wrap foils (or an oven bag) gently around the pan to avoid a water leak.

👩🏻‍🍳 Do this very gently so that the foil is not going to get torn because it can lead to water leaks and a soggy crust.

💡 For those who want to avoid the risk of a water leak completely, try oven bags! Just tie it around the side of the pan, just like with foils, and it works perfectly!

Step 4: Mix cream cheese until it looks creamy without any lumps.

Step 5: Add granulated sugar.

Mix until it looks smooth.

Step 6: Add sour cream and heavy cream. Mix well.

💬 Mix gently at the beginning so the heavy cream will not spill everywhere.

👩🏻‍🍳 Scrape off the side on the way to ensure everything is evenly blended.

Step 7: Add cornstarch and mix well until you don't see lumps.

💬 Mix slowly first so it doesn't scatter everywhere and gradually speed up.

⚠️ When you measure it with a tablespoon, level the surface to get an accurate result. 

Step 8: Add yolk and whole egg. Mix until it looks smooth.

💡  Mix well with good speed until it looks very smooth. Evenly blended eggs contribute a lot to making a nice and smooth cheesecake!

Step 9: Add vanilla extract and lemon juice. Mix until combined.

💬 At the very end, scrape off the side and the bottom with a spatula to ensure everything is incorporated evenly.

💡 You can also mix the batter using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.

Step 10: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake it with a water bath.

💬 Lay a towel or paper towel on a tray so the heat gets delivered more gently. 

And pour the hot water slowly from the side. (Pour hot water up to about ⅓ of the pan.)

⚠️ Avoid boiling water. It's ready once you see the steam coming out from the pot!

🔥 Today, I baked it at 340 F | 171 C for the first 30 minutes because I like nice golden caramelization on the surface. But you can also start baking it at 310 F | 154 C if you prefer not to brown it. Bake a little bit longer in that case!

Once it's done, turn off the heat and leave the oven door as in the image below:

And wait another 30 minutes to ensure the center is completely cooked through. 

Step 11: Let it cool on a cooling rack. Chill it in the fridge for about 6 hours.

💬 If you see any edge stuck to the side, gently insert a spatula or knife to hold the beautiful, nice shape. 

Chill it in the fridge for about 6 hours before removing it from the pan.

Step 12: Remove the cheesecake from a pan.

📌 How To Slice Cheesecake

The steps to slice cheesecake:

1. Warm a knife with hot water.
2. Wipe off the water.
3. Slice.
4. Clean a knife with a wet paper towel or cloth.
5. And repeat the process!

📌 Uses For Cheesecake

Toppings:

The cheesecake itself tastes incredible, but it also tastes exceptional with toppings.

Some of the popular toppings are:

• Whipped cream
• Sour cream
• Lemon curd
• Strawberry jam or sauce
• Blueberry sauce
• Caramel sauce
• Cream cheese frosting

What's your favorite sauce to add on top of cheesecake? Let me know!

Using different pans:

Today, I used a 9-inch pan. Use different sizes for different occasions! Just make sure to adjust the time and temperature depending on how big or small that is.

In the past, I shared how to make these mini cheesecakes using a cupcake pan in my strawberry mini cheesecake recipe:

The recipe is different, but you can bake it the same way (With the same temperature and time as well.)

📌 Frequently Asked Questions

📌 VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!

To learn how to make cheesecake visually and have a deeper understanding of all, watch this video!

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📌 Printable Recipe

💬 If you loved this recipe, please share your feedback on this post! I always love hearing how you enjoyed it with your friends and family.

📌 Pin It!

Pin it if you love this recipe, and find so many other recipes on my Pinterest page!

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