Classic New York Cheesecake
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Think making cheesecake is a challenge? Think again! This foolproof recipe delivers a cheesecake so dense, rich, and creamy, it rivals those from New York’s most beloved delis—and it’s easy enough for beginners to master.
Cheesecake has always been my husband Michael’s absolute favorite dessert. I remember when I first met my future mother-in-law over 20 years ago, she told me the key to her son’s heart was through his stomach—and he could be persuaded to do just about anything for a slice of NY cheesecake. Luckily, having just graduated from culinary school, I had a little advantage when it came to both winning his heart and perfecting my cheesecake! Now, I know that making cheesecake can seem a little intimidating. It’s a custard dessert that requires careful baking in a water bath to prevent cracking and achieve the perfect consistency. But don’t let that daunt you. With a few pointers and a tried-and-true recipe, which I’m happy to share with you, even beginners can whip up a dense, rich, creamy (and crack-free) cheesecake. This is a tradition-worthy dessert that rivals the best NY delicatessens. Who knows, maybe it will even help you win over someone special!
“I made this for my family at Christmas time and everyone LOVED it! I had never made a cheesecake before. The instructions were simple and easy for beginners. I am now tasked with making this for birthdays and holidays!”
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 (or a schmear), cream cheese is used to make many wonderful desserts, like my no-churn key lime pie ice cream, berry trifle, and cream cheese 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 an electric mixer for whipping up 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
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Classic New York Cheesecake
Think making cheesecake is a challenge? Think again! This foolproof recipe delivers a cheesecake so dense, rich, and creamy, it rivals those from New York’s most beloved delis—and it’s easy enough for beginners to master.
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.
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I forgot to put in the sour cream and didn’t realize it until it was in for 30 minutes 😩
Hello,
First of all my family thanks you for the best cheesecake they’ve ever had!
In our family everyone gets to pick what type of sweet they’d like for their Birthday treat, cheesecake is always top of the list, this year my son asked for an Oreo Cookie version. My question is….are there any special steps/ changes I should make while using this recipe for the Oreo version to insure another perfect cheesecake?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Karen, so glad you like this! Cheesecake can be pretty finicky. I haven’t tried mixing anything like cookies into the batter, so it’s hard to say for sure how it will impact the recipe. You could make the crust with Oreos and sprinkle chopped Oreos on top to be safe. Please LMK how it turns out!
I just made this cheesecake for the first time. It’s sitting in the frig chilling. I cannot wait to taste it tomorrow. Cheesecake is my favorite dessert and yet I have always been afraid to make it, until today.
Do you happen to have a recipe for a chocolate cheesecake? An old friend of mine made one many years ago using chocolate wafer cookies for the crust, but I have not been able to find the recipe. Because this NY cheesecake looks perfect, I know I can trust your recipes!
Hope you enjoy the cheesecake! I do have a chocolate cheesecake on page 271 of my new cookbook. If you don’t own the cookbook, email me at jennifer@onceuponachef.com and I’d be happy to send you the recipe.
I would love the recipe if possible!
Hi Melissa, I just emailed it to you. 🙂
If I’m using a 12 in springform pan, how much should i adjust my ingredients? I’m feeding a lot of ppl this year.
Hi Heather, I’d make 1.5 times the recipe. The baking time may be a bit different so keep a close eye on it. Hope everyone enjoys!
can you use a cooking bag instead of foil?
Hi Doreen, I’ve never used one of those bags so I can’t say for sure. A few readers have commented that they’ve wrapped the springform pan in foil as the recipe instructs and then have used the cooking bag as extra insurance. Another option is to use this method. Hope that helps!
The most difficult part of this recipe is waiting to eat it. Made perhaps the best cheesecake I have ever eaten.
I’ve made this twice now for parties and have had everyone say it’s the best cheesecake they’ve ever had.
I had been using a different cheesecake recipe, but I lost it, and boy am I glad I did. This recipe is much better than what I had been using! Delicious, easy, rich, creamy — a perfect cheesecake.
I love this recipe, it came out perfect. Can you recommend me a mini New York cheesecake recipe? Thanks!
Glad you liked it! What are the dimensions of your mini pan?
I’m going to buy a 12 muffin pan.
Hi Kathy, Muffin versions of this will work, but they will be a bit challenging to remove from the muffin tin. Assuming you’re referring to a standard-size muffin tin, you’ll need to reduce the baking time by a lot; I’d start checking around 25 minutes. I’d love to know how they turn out!
My mini muffins came out perfect. Thanks again for a great recipe!
So glad they came out well — thanks for reporting back! 🙂
What would happen if I hypothetically…. left out the sour cream? Haha…
Hi Anna, I wouldn’t just omit the sour cream, but you could replace it with Greek yogurt. Hope that helps!
I asked a question about the amount of sugar in the recipe several days ago and unfortunately did not get a response. I said that a friend highly recommended your recipe and that it has a cup more sugar than a recipe I had used that didn’t seem to need additional sugar. I said that the recipes were otherwise very similar, the other uses a quarter cup of creme fraiche and a quarter cup of heavy cream instead of the sour cream but states that sour cream is good if creme fraiche isn’t available. They use corn starch, you use flour, similar. The main difference is your two cups of sugar to their one cup and you use an extra egg (they use four eggs and one egg yolk).
I’d asked if the sugar was for structure and consistency or for added sweetness and if you thought I could use 1 and 1/2 cup or if the two cups were important.
It never posted though. I had to make the cheesecake today and I opted for 1 and 1/2 cup with some creme fraiche and sour cream.
Hi Janice, So sorry I didn’t see your original question. We were having some technical issues on the site last week, so it may have been lost. I apologize! I do think the sugar could be reduced by 1/2 cup, if necessary.
One of my all time favorite recipes! Every time I make this cheesecake and someone new tries it, they tell me I should open a bakery and sell it, it’s that good. It’s become so popular amongst friends and family, that I now make it several times a year for birthdays and holidays. I’ve played around with the amounts of lemon juice and zest and I’ve found that I prefer about half the lemon juice and lemon zest (when I used all of it, it did have a noticeable lemon flavor). However, it’s still amazing with all of it or none of it!
can i avoid lemon zest and lemon juice
Yes, you can omit them if you’d like. Enjoy!
I love this recipe! The instructions are clear, easy to follow, and very helpful for a beginner like me. 🙂 I found that you can buy an aluminum casserole dish at the dollar store and kind of scrunch it around the pan.
Hi Jenn! I’m so excited to make this tomorrow for my birthday on Saturday. In the past family members have chided me for making my own celebratory cake, but I’m the only one who makes cheesecake and it’s my favorite so scold me all you want! I’m confident that it is going to exceed my expectations as all of your recipes do 🙂 Also, I just received your new cookbook and am excited to try so many of the recipes. This weekend it’s going to be the dijon and panko crusted rack of lamb. Do you have a suggestion of what side pair with it? Thanks in advance!
Hi Candice,
Thanks for your note and nice words about the recipes – so glad you like them! Happy early birthday — I hope you have a great day and enjoy the cheesecake! Thanks for your support with the cookbook; Hopefully it gets a lot of use in your kitchen. With the rack of lamb, if you want to stick with recipes from the cookbook, you could go with either roasted broccoli or roasted brussels sprouts (both on page 172 of the book) and the rice pilaf (on page 171). Hope that helps and that you have a great birthday weekend! 🙂
Thank you for the reply and birthday wishes! We love Brussels sprouts. Sounds like a winner! 😋
Greatest recipe ever.
My 2 cents :
* Making it with lactose-free dairy ingredients give it a very nice singed surface.
* 10 inches is the perfect size for the pan, but you have to make more crust, something like 1.5x ish
My only questions are :
* How could I tweak it to make it in a pan?
* The linked sauce, while tasty, wayyyy overpowers the cake itself. How would I fix that? Drizzle only a tiny volume? Thin it?
Glad you enjoyed this! Regarding your questions, I’m not sure what pan you’re referring to. Can you clarify? And for the sauce, you could just drizzle it or thin it with a bit of water.
Sorry for being incredibly vague, I meant using a typical rectangular baking dish. That way you could serve squares in a much more potluck-friendly way.
Hi, If you’re referring to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, I’d use this recipe. Because it calls for an 8-inch square dish, you’ll need to double it for that size pan. The baking time may be slightly different, so keep a close eye on them.
Can we have the berry sauce in metric please
I just added them. 🙂
I made this for my mom’s birthday. It came out better than any cheesecake I’ve ever eaten. I did leave out the lemon and added some vanilla bean. It had no cracks and was just so perfect….I have tried many recipes and this was by far the easiest and most delicious ever.
I really love a cheesecake that has a crust up the sides. Could I double the recipe and press the crust up the sides and hope for the same results?
Yep 🙂
Hello. Have you tried her recipe doubling the crust? How did your cheesecake come out after making that change? I tried her recipe and it was amazing but I wanted the additional crust up the sides as well. Thank you for presenting that question.
Hi Jenn,
Will this also work on a 8 inch springform pan?
Joyce
Hi Joyce, Unfortunately, I think an 8-inch pan will be too small. Sorry!
Recommendations for making this crustless? For a gluten-free family member who doesn’t particularly like the taste of gluten-free graham crackers? Thanks!
By the way, I’ve made this before and it was AMAAAAAAAZING!
Hi Jamie, unfortunately, I don’t think it would work to make this crustless but you could use the crust from this recipe if you’re able to find gluten-free ginger snaps or you could make an Oreo crust using gluten-free Oreos. (And glad you like it!)
Hi. You can make a crust with Almond Flour. Find a Keto friendly recipe! 🙂
Hi there! Is it OK to halve the recipe and make a smaller cheesecake?
Sure, but I’d use a smaller springform pan — a 6 or 7-inch one should work. Enjoy!
How far in advance can I make this? We have a celebration on Saturday and today is Wednesday. Can it sit in the fridge that long or should I wait until Friday night to make?
Hi Sherry, I’d wait until Friday to make it for the best results. (It will last nicely in the fridge for about 2 days.)
Hi, Jenn. I’m fairly new to the baking world so I googled to locate the highest rated cheesecake recipe and yours popped up first. I tried it and it came out beautifully! I’m so glad I found it. Thank you for sharing. Can you tell me if I need to adjust the filling part of the recipe when I double the crust to press going up on the sides of the cheesecake? Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it Sheila! No, you should not need to adjust the filling if doubling the crust. 🙂
This cheesecake was AMAZING!!!!!
It was a very simple recipe to follow and the best thing was it didn’t CRACK. I will keep this recipe and TREASURE it. Can’t wait to test out the pumpkin cheesecake for the holidays.
I’ve made this recipe several times and everyone loves it!
I have adjusted the recipe slightly to using 4 xl eggs + 2 yolks and 1/4 cup sour cream + 1/4 heavy cream which seems to make the filling just a touch denser but super creamy. Either way it’s great!
The best ny cheesecake ever made.
The sour cream is perfect!
I didn’t follow your cooking instructions, since my oven becomes a mess and I also make a mess using the water. I did half the ingredients (a small cake), cooked for the first 10 minutes at 250 Celsius and after at 90 Celsius for 1 hour and 20 minutes. It did crack a little bit, but it was delicious, and covering it with a glass bowl during the cooling helped to reduce the cracking. Thank you from Italy !!!!!
I have made this cheesecake twice. The second time it was for my husband’s birthday. Both times it has been cheesecake perfection! The second time my husband asked me to apply a thin sweetened sour cream layer to the top of the cheesecake. Either way it is delicious. Every recipe I have tried on Jen’s site has exceeded expectations. It means so much to be able to go to a site that you can trust, knowing what you make will be delicious. Thank you.
❤️
Hi Jenn! What size springform pan did you use in the pictures, above?
Hi Linda, My pan is about 9-1/2 inches.
Could I please have the berry recipe for this cheesecake? Thank you!
Here you go. Enjoy!
I was so glad to read reviews where the recipe was actually made. Because of that, I felt confident enough to try it for a birthday…..and it was perfect.
This cheesecake is delicious, and it is the first cheesecake I have ever made that didn’t crack. Thank you!
Hey I have a 7 inch pan. Will the measurements be the same?
Hi Mallika, I’d actually cut the recipe in half for a 7-inch pan. You’ll need to cut the bake time by about a third (but keep an eye on it as that’s an estimate). Hope you enjoy!
Excellent recipe. Can’t go wrong with this one. Super easy and turned out really well. Better than most big bakery ones. The family loved it and will one for the family recipe book.
Thanks so much for the recipe and very accurate instructions. Loved it!
Just want to ask if the heat is top & bottom, top & bottom with fan?
Hi A, most ovens have heating coming from both the top and bottom and would use the conventional/non-fan setting. Hope that helps!
Thank you for the recipe. I made it with my 10” pan , followed the recipe and baked it at 160C with my SMEG oven. However, it’s start browning around the rim at the minute of 45 and I pop it out of the oven at 1.30 hr, it turned out very brown on top, it doesn’t came off like in the photo. I can’t wait to test it tomorrow. For the next batch, I think about reducing the time and temperature. Would you have any suggestions to prevent the top from turning brown?
Hi Patty, It is normal for the top to brown. Next time, you can cover it loosely with foil if it starts to get too dark.
I made this cheesecake for a friend’s birthday celebration. I followed it and made no changes. I baked the cheesecake in a 9” springform pan for 1 hour and 30 mins. I took it out and left it in the water bath for 45 mins and then put plastic wrap on it and put it in the fridge for about 24 hours. It was perfection! The creaminess of the cheesecake and the taste was amazing. Everyone raved. This will be my “go to” cheesecake recipe from now on. Loved it! Thank you!
I absolutely love this recipe. It is perfect.
Tammy McAlister, SC
Hi Jenn,
After my cheesecake was finished in the oven, I noticed that most of the water had evaporated. Did I do something wrong? It was initially about an inch up the sides of the pan and it cooked for an hour and a half. I’m waiting for it to cool overnight and will do a taste test :-/ do you think the cake is ruined?
Thank you!
Hi Taylor, the water bath is to prevent cracks on top of the cheesecake. If you don’t see a lot of cracks it should be fine. (It will still be delicious if it does have cracks and you can cover them up with the berry sauce mentioned in the recipe. Hope that helps!
Thank you SO much for your quick reply! I let the cheesecake cool overnight in the refrigerator and still no cracks! Can’t wait to try it tonight with the berry sauce we made last evening. Thank you for ALL of your recipes. Always our go-to and always so delicious and easy to follow <3
Glad it came out well — hope you enjoy! 🙂
This cheesecake was delicious. I even got a comment that is was the best cheesecake that they ever had. I am not a baker but I followed the recipe and was shocked that it turned out and that it was so good. I’m making another one just to confirm how good it is! I hope this one is just as good as the first! Thank you for this recipe it is a keeper!
The texture of this cheesecake is amazing. I used room temp ingredients and took care not to overbeat the batter. Baked it 80 minutes at 325 and it was perfect. It is a little sweet for me, but I will be serving with a tart cherry sauce so it might be okay. I will cut sugar by 1/2 cup next time. Great recipe!
SO good. Best cheesecake I’ve had. It’s super fluffy and the lemon zest and juice really make it.
Hi.. this is a great recipe as everyone has been saying! I was wondering if I could scale the recipe to make an 8″, what would you recommend?
Glad you liked it! Yes, I’d cut the recipe in half for an 8-inch pan, You’ll need to cut the bake time by about a third (but keep an eye on it as that’s a guesstimate).
Would I be able to put in cherries (halved, pitted) between the layers of batter? Or chocolate chunks/chips? I’m excited to try out this recipe, the reviews look great!
Hi Tessa, I wouldn’t recommend adding cherries or chocolate to the batter as cheesecake is very finicky. You could certainly add cherries or chocolate shavings to the top of the cake though. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
You’re awesome! Thank you so much for the reply! Greatly appreciated
Hi Jenn! I want to use a 9 inch pan should I 3/4th’s the recipe? I don’t want it to be too eggy. Thanks!
Hi Yasmine, a 9-inch pan here is fine with no modifications. Enjoy!
Hi there,
Apologies if this question was already answered; I read through a good amount of comments and didn’t see it. I don’t have a springform pan. What would be your thoughts on the next best option?
Best,
Katie
Hi Katherine, you could use the same sized round cake pan if you don’t have a springform. It will be a bit more challenging to get pieces out of the pan to serve, but it is doable. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Delicious and exactly the taste and texture we were hoping for! Thank you. (I didn’t use the water bath because I didn’t have the aluminum and got cracks and sinking but covered it up with fruit topping and it was perfect!)
Love it! Tastes exactly like Secret Recipe’s NY Cheesecake! Thank you for the recipe!
I have made a few cheesecakes in my day but this is by far the best! I give them as gifts to say “thank you” or “feel better,” Two of my friends said I should sell them! That’s not for me, but I thought you might enjoy the compliment. I’m getting ready to try a 6 inch version so I don’t eat too much. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Valerie
This is an AMAZING cheesecake. It’s very easy, and absolutely delicious. It is creamy, rich, and decadent. It isn’t too sweet, with a nice tanginess. I doubt there is a better cheesecake recipe out there. Everyone who has tried it raves about it! I’ll definitely be making this again. I just have one quick question. I wanted to make a coffee cheesecake, so I wanted to put around 2 tbsp of coffee in the cake. I was wondering if I could just add that to this recipe, or if I would need to make any changes. I could always find a different recipe, but I didn’t think it would be as good as yours, so I wanted to see if I could just add coffee to yours. If not that’s fine too 🙂
Thanks for the amazing cheesecake!
So glad you enjoyed it! Unfortunately, I don’t think adding 2 tablespoons of coffee would be enough to give it a coffee flavor and I wouldn’t add anymore than that as cheesecake can be pretty finicky. As you mentioned, I’d look specifically for a coffee-flavored cheesecake. Sorry!
You could try using an instant espresso powder like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Medaglia-Coffee-Inst-Expresso-Pack/dp/B00H5UOTAK/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=instant+espresso+powder&qid=1629165335&sr=8-8
Or even instant coffee powder. Maybe a teaspoon mixed with 2 tablespoons of hot water stirred into the batter and omit the lemon. I use espresso powder all the time when baking. It’s more concentrated than brewed coffee so it will give it the flavor you are looking for. Hope this helps!
Oops, I meant 1 teaspoon instant coffee/espresso (2g) with 2 TEASPOONS (10g)
of hot water, NOT tablespoons :)!
What would be the recipe for a 12″ pan?
I’d make 1.5 times the recipe. The bake time may be a bit different so I’d keep a close eye on it. Please LMK how it turns out if you make it!
Should the eggs be room temperature as well? Thanks!
No, Sarah, it’s not necessary. Hope you enjoy the cheesecake!
Although I bake a lot, I’d never actually made a cheesecake before, but I will never try another recipe, because this one 100% knocked it out of the park! I made it for my boyfriend’s mother’s birthday (she requested cheesecake), and his family couldn’t stop raving about it. Because both by BF and his siblings are gluten free, I used GF graham crackers (one whole package of Pamela’s brand) and GF one-to-one flour when called for. The only other thing I changed was to use a touch more lemon zest, since the lemon I zested resulted in more than a teaspoon. The finished cheesecake was perfect. Thank you!
Hi Jen! I’m thinking of making two versions, the original and an Oreo one. Would it be okay if I were to make some tweaks from this recipe by adding chopped Oreos in to the batter and change into an Oreo crust to make it into an Oreo cheesecake?
Hi Sheila, It’s fine to use Oreos in the crust. Regarding the filling, cheesecake can be pretty finicky. I haven’t tried mixing anything like cookies into the batter, so it’s hard to say for sure how it will impact the recipe. You could sprinkle chopped Oreos on top to be safe. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hey Jen! Is it normal for the cheesecake to become brown on top? It tasted delicious, and I followed all the directions.
Hi Julia, the top can get a bit golden. If you found that it was too dark for your liking, next time you make it, keep a close eye on it and loosely lay a piece of foil on top of the pan when it starts to change color. Hope that helps!
Absolutely WOW! I had never made a cheesecake before this and I was extremely nervous. Everyone LOVED it! This recipe is flawless. Thank you so much!
I’ve made this recipe so many times. Every time a hit. This is my go-to for cheesecake. I substituted the sour cream with Greek yoghurt and the Graham crackers with digestive biscuits (because of availability). Still divine. My husband loves the cheesecake. In fact, I have one cooling in the fridge right now for him for Father’s day😁. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Someone made me this cake for my birthday and it was amazing!! Trying it myself now, If I make these in large muffin tins instead of a spring form, how long would you recommend baking them?
Thank you!
Kate
Glad you enjoyed it! Muffin versions of this will work, but they will be a bit challenging to remove from the muffin tin. Assuming you’re referring to a standard-size muffin tin, you’ll need to reduce the baking time by a lot; I’d start checking around 25 minutes. I’d love to know how they turn out!