Classic New York Cheesecake
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With this recipe, a creamy, gorgeous, crack-free New York-style cheesecake is totally doable, even for beginners!

Photo by Vladislav Noseek
Cheesecake is my husband, Michael’s, favorite dessert. In fact, the first time I met my future mother-in-law over 20 years ago, she told me the way to her son’s heart was through his stomach – and whenever she wanted him to do anything as a child, she bribed him with a slice of NY cheesecake. A traditional lady she may be, but I got the message loud and clear: learn to make a good cheesecake!
Though the ingredients are simple, cheesecake can be a little intimidating to make. Because cheesecake is a custard, it needs to be baked gently in a water bath, and you have to worry about the surface of the cake cracking, as well as over or undercooking. However, with the right recipe and a few pointers, a creamy, crack-free NY-style cheesecake is totally doable, even for beginners.
What You’ll Need To Make A Classic New York Cheesecake
This recipe makes a classic New York-style cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust and rich, dense filling made from cream cheese, eggs, sugar, sour cream, vanilla, a hint of lemon, and a few tablespoons of flour.
Cream cheese is the key ingredient, so I recommend using a good brand, like Philadelphia. Though it is used most often as a spread for bagels, cream cheese is used to make many wonderful desserts, like pumpkin cheesecake, no-churn ice cream, trifles, and frosting.
Flour might seem like an unusual addition – not all cheesecake recipes incorporate it – but it’s the secret to success. A little starch helps prevent the cake from cracking and also makes the filling lighter and fluffier.
Key Equipment
You’ll need a 9 or 10-inch springform pan and 18-inch heavy-duty aluminum foil. The springform pan features sides that can be removed from the base, so you can release the cake easily without having to flip the whole pan over (this would be a disaster with cheesecake). Springform pans, however, are notorious for leaking. Since the cheesecake bakes in a water bath, the foil prevents the water from seeping in during baking. If you’d like to try another technique that doesn’t require wrapping the pan in foil, you can place your springform pan inside a larger cake pan (see how it’s done here) or purchase a silicone wrap for your pan.
You will also need a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer for mixing the batter and a large roasting pan for the water bath.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the Oven and Prep the Pan
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Wrap the springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside of the pan and extending all the way to the top. Repeat with another sheet of foil for insurance. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2: Make the Graham Cracker Crust
In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt.
Stir until well combined.
Press the crumbs into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until set. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
Step 3: Make the Cheesecake Batter
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and flour.
Beat on medium speed until just smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure the mixture is evenly combined.
Add the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt; beat on low speed until just combined.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary.
Mix in the sour cream.
Make sure the batter is uniform but do not over-mix.
Pour the batter on top of the crust.
Step 4: Bake
Set the unbaked cheesecake in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about one inch up the side of the cake pan. The water bath (also called a bain marie) regulates the temperature and keeps the cheesecake baking at an even, low heat. The steam/humidity created by the water bath also protects the cheesecake from drying out and cracking.
Bake until the cake is just set, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. The cake should not look liquidy at all but will wobble just a bit when the pan is nudged; it will continue to cook as it cools.
Step 5: Cool
Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath, discard the foil, and transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator to cool for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Remove the sides of the springform pan. You can serve the cheesecake right from the base of the springform pan. Or, if you’d like to transfer it to a serving platter, run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas to transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between slices. Serve with berry sauce, if you like.
video tutorial

Photo by Vladislav Noseek
More Cheesecake Recipes
- Cheesecake Bars
- Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Raspberries
- Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust & Caramel Sauce
- Baileys Cheesecake-Marbled Brownies
Classic New York Cheesecake
With this recipe, a creamy, gorgeous, crack-free New York-style cheesecake is totally doable, even for beginners!
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs, from 12 whole crackers
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Filling
- 32 oz (four 8-oz blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon packed lemon zest, from 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- Special equipment: 9- or 10-inch springform pan; 18-inch heavy-duty aluminum foil (see Pro Tip)
- Berry sauce, for serving (optional)
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the lower middle position. Wrap a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top so there are no seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. Repeat with another sheet of foil for insurance. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Stir until well combined. Press the crumbs into an even layer on the the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until set. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Set a kettle of water to boil.
- Make the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on medium speed until just smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure the mixture is evenly combined. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt; beat on low speed until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary. Mix in the sour cream. Make sure the batter is uniform but do not over-mix.
- Check to make sure your oven has cooled to 325°F, then set the cheesecake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour the batter on top of the crust. Pour the boiling water into the large roasting pan to come about 1 inch up the side of the cake pan. Bake until the cake is just set, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. (If the cheesecake starts to look too golden on top towards the end, cover it loosely with foil.) The cake should not look liquidy at all but will wobble just a bit when the pan is nudged; it will continue to cook as it cools. Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and discard the foil. If necessary, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake to make sure it's not sticking to the sides (which can cause cracks as it cools), then cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to cool for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- For serving: Remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cheesecake right from the base of the pan; or, to transfer it to a serving platter, run a long, thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas to carefully transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish. Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between slices. Serve with berry sauce, if you like.
- Make Ahead: The cheesecake can be made and stored in the springform pan in the fridge, tightly covered with plastic wrap, up to two days ahead of time.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cheesecake can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze, place the cake in the freezer briefly, unwrapped, to firm it up. Then double-wrap it tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it.
- Pro Tip: Springform pans are notorious for leaking. Since a cheesecake bakes in a water bath, the foil prevents the water from seeping in during baking. Please do not attempt to use standard 12-inch (30cm) aluminum foil – you can’t have any foil seams on the bottom or sides of the pan. No matter how well (or how many times) you wrap the pan, if there are seams exposed to the water, the water will find a way in. Even when wrapped properly, you can occasionally get some condensation inside the foil. If this happens, don’t worry – the crust is likely just a bit moist around the edges. Simply remove the sides of the springform pan before refrigerating and let it dry out in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 659
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated fat: 24 g
- Carbohydrates: 59 g
- Sugar: 49 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Sodium: 464 mg
- Cholesterol: 233 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
it was good, i’ll use this recipe again for sure, but it needed a lot more time in the oven, and it rose..a lot. i don’t do water baths, i had a bad experience with then, so maybe that’s why, but it still tasted amazing!!
THIS IS THE BEST!! Cheesecake recipe 😋 😍 recipe bookmarked and my goto from now on…….and I’ve made a many cheesecakes.
Thank you for this!
Cheesecake is fluffy but bain-marie a bad idea. Water inevitably seeps through the aluminium foil (I put six layers of it over my spring form pan).
If I ever made this again, I’d do it without the bain-marie.
This recipe also calls for far too much sugar. I used 1.5 cups and it was sweet enough (what I tasted anyway).
Made this cake for someone’s birthday and now I’m going to have to see if I can fix it after it got waterlogged otherwise I guess I’ll have to make ANOTHER one.
The best recipe for cheesecake ever.
Thank you so very much. Just have one tip for all your readers. I make the cheesecake once a month. At least and best way to slice it.
For a perfect slice, freeze if possible, then cut it frozen and let it thaw out when you’re serving.🍰 Enjoy.
Hey Jenn, how are you?
I have just found your website, because I was looking for the perfect cheesecake recipe.
I am from Brazil and we do not have sour cream here, do you recommend any substitution, please? Maybe crème fraîche? Or Greek Yougurt? I would love to hear it from you!
Thank you in advance!
Best,
Julyane
Hi Julyane, Creme fraiche is a great option. Full-fat Greek yogurt would work beautifully, too. Enjoy!
Hi, Can I cut this recipe in half for a 6-inch springform?
Hi Wendy, Yes I think that should work. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn
Does this recipe make a firm cheesecake ?
The last couple of cheesecake recipes that I have experimented with have turned out too creamy and soft .
Thank you
Hi Ann, I would describe this as fairly firm/dense.
I made and finally my cheesecake was an extreme success! Thank you for sharing your secret!
Matteo
Do you use bleached or unbleached flour?
Thanks
Hi Annie, either will work. Enjoy!
I have been using this recipe for years. Every single time, without fail, people are impressed by how good it is. The recipe is very easy to follow and allows for the perfect cheesecake every time.
Should I freeze this cake with the springform side attached?
No, You should remove the side first. 🙂
First time making this and strictly followed your directions. It turned out beautifully and delicious. Thank you very much for your help in making this a hit. You turned a complicated looking dessert into a simple dish.
Hi Jenn!
Thanks so much for this fantastic recipe. I made it recently during a visit for my Moms birthday with a raspberry coulis. It was a huge hit! Having relocated from Canada to Switzerland I have been unable to source the Philadelphia blocks of cream cheese. Unfortunately, only the soft tubs are available. I was wondering if you might have any suggestions for how I could tweak your recipe to have it work using the softer tubs. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. We really love this original recipe and would like to keep it as similar to this as possible. Thanks so much!!
Hi Miriam, so glad you like this! While I think the cheesecake will work with the tub cream cheese, I’m not sure if any tweaks would be necessary. Not having tried it myself, I’m uncertain what the difference in the end product will be. If you do try it, I’d love to hear what you think!
Followed to a T. Checked on cake after 1 hr and it was brown on top and a massive long crack on the side. I realised the 1 inch of water in the tray had evaporated. Is this why it was so dark?
Hi Natasha, I’m sorry you had a problem with this! Based on the problems you had, it sounds like your oven may be running a little hot. Here are some tips for how to check your oven temperature. Hope it tasted good though!
I made this recipe and just finished baking it. I followed the recipe to a ‘T’, using Philadelphia brand cream cheese. Major cracks in the top. Wondering where I went wrong. ?
Hi Valerie, Sorry to hear you have cracks on top! If you followed the recipe exactly, it’s like that you overmixed the batter. If it’s not too late, you can always cover the top with fresh fruit or this berry sauce.