Classic New York Cheesecake
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Think making cheesecake is difficult? Think again! This foolproof recipe delivers a cheesecake that’s dense, rich, and creamy—rivaling those from New York’s most beloved delis—and it’s simple enough for beginners to master.
Cheesecake has always been my husband Michael’s 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. Fortunately, I had just graduated from culinary school, so I had a little advantage in both winning his heart and perfecting my cheesecake recipe!
I know making cheesecake can be intimidating. It’s a custard dessert that needs careful baking in a water bath to prevent cracking and to get that perfect, creamy consistency. But don’t let that scare you off. With a few pointers and a tried-and-true recipe, even beginners can whip up a dense, rich, and crack-free cheesecake. Who knows, it might even help you win someone over!
“I made this for my family at Christmas time and everyone LOVED it!”
What You’ll Need To Make New York Cheesecake
- Graham cracker crumbs: Forms the base of the crust, providing a sweet, crumbly texture.
- Butter: Binds the graham cracker crumbs together and adds richness to the crust.
- Sugar: Sweetens both the crust and the filling, balancing the tang of the cream cheese and lemon.
- Salt: Enhances the flavors of both the crust and filling.
- Cream cheese: The key ingredient of the filling, it provides the rich, creamy texture and tangy flavor. I recommend using a good brand, like Philadelphia.
- All-purpose flour: While it may seem unusual in a cheesecake, the flour is the secret to success. A little starch helps prevent cracking and makes the filling lighter and fluffier.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and enhances the sweetness of the filling.
- Lemon zest and juice: Adds a subtle brightness and tang that cuts through the richness of the cream cheese.
- Eggs: Give the cheesecake its structure and help it set while maintaining a smooth texture.
- Sour cream: Adds extra creaminess and a slight tang, balancing the sweetness.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Key Equipment
You’ll need a 9- or 10-inch springform pan and heavy-duty foil. The removable sides make it easy to release the cheesecake, but they often leak. Wrapping the pan in foil prevents water from seeping in during the water bath. Alternatively, place the springform in a larger cake pan to avoid using foil (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
Prep the pan and preheat the oven: Set the oven to 375°F. Wrap the springform pan with two layers of heavy-duty foil, covering the bottom and sides. Spray the inside with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the graham cracker crust: In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt; stir to combine.
Press the crumbs into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until set.
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, then mix in the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt.
With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary. Then add the sour cream and mix until the batter is uniform.
Pour the batter on top of the crust.
Place the unbaked cheesecake in a large roasting pan and add boiling water to the pan, about an inch up the sides of the springform. This water bath, or bain marie, ensures even, gentle baking and helps prevent cracking or drying. Bake the cheesecake at 325°F until it’s just set; it should not appear liquid, but will slightly wobble when gently nudged, as it will continue to cook as it cools.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and cool the cheesecake in the water bath on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Then, remove the springform pan, discard the foil, and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Slice with a sharp knife, wiping clean between cuts. Serve with berry sauce, if you like. Cheesecake can be made up to two days ahead of time, or frozen for up to 3 months.
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Classic New York Cheesecake Recipe
This easy, foolproof cheesecake recipe creates a dense, rich, and creamy dessert with irresistible flavor—perfect for any occasion and sure to impress.
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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Hi Jenn! Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂 I’ve made it about a dozen times now over the last year or so, and have played around with the time for making small cheesecakes (I’ve figured out to put it in for 40 minutes in my convection oven, for anyone looking to make a small version of this! Also, halving this recipe yields about 8-9 small 4-inch mini cheesecakes, depending on how much of a crust you have in there…)
Tip for getting the cheesecake out of the springfoam pan: beforehand, cut out a circle that’s the same size or just slightly smaller than the bottom of the springfoam pan (make sure to use the smaller diameter of the pan’s bottom, not the lip of the bottom piece, as the guideline), leaving a few tabs of extra parchment paper on opposite ends. It takes a bit of practice, but you can thread the tabs through where the bottom and the side of the pan connect, before you fasten the pan closed. Pull the tabs through all the way, and either fold them up the sides or underneath the pan, then proceed to wrapping the pan in the tinfoil! Additionally, you can cut out strips of parchment paper to line the inside of the pan, to give you a nice clean edge when you take out the cheesecake! For even more ease, you can REALLY lightly grease the parchment paper (works best with a spray, but if you’re careful, butter/oil will also spread) too.
Jenn, I do have a question though… I want to make coffee, chocolate, and berry swirls in future cheesecakes (not all in one cheesecake though lol). How do I go about doing this? I want to keep the flavours separate from the parts of the cheesecake batter that won’t be flavoured… so how do I do this? Do I put aside some of the batter once it’s all mixed, and add in the flavour to that small amount, then mix it in once the main batter is in the pan?
Thanks again for sharing this amazing recipe and the detailed instructions!
Thank you for all this useful info, Jillian! Yes, that’s what I’d do for the coffee and chocolate. But for the berry version, I wouldn’t combine the berry mixture (I assume jam) with the batter; it will be too diluted in color. I’d just dollop it sparingly on top and take a knife and swirl it in. I would love to know how it turns out. 🙂
If i use half the recipe how many inches of a springform pan will i be needing? And are the baking instructions same then?
Hi Ahmed, I think you could get away with using a 6-inch springform pan if you halve this. Baking instructions would be the same but it won’t need to bake as long; I’d start checking it at 45 minutes. Hope that helps! 🙂
Followed the recipe, wrapped the pan twice in the wide foil and still the water bath leaked into it. I’m so discouraged! This was to be dessert for Christmas, now it will be a soggy mess. I’ve tried using the roasting bags too and water still made it in. I’m ready to give up on the water bath.
Hi Liz, Sometimes you can get a bit of condensation inside the foil. It is likely only a bit soggy around the edge. I would remove the rim of the springform pan and let it dry out in the fridge – it should be just fine. Promise! (Next time, you might try this methodfor leak-proofing the pan.)
Perfect.
I absolutely love New York style cheesecakes, but I’ve been very intimidated about making a baked cheesecake. Being a mom to a three year old doesn’t give me much to to bake anymore, but I was able to steal some time to myself and after reading over your recipe a few times, I went for it. I’m so glad that I did! Everyone loved it at Easter and now I’m going to make it for Mother’s Day. What is your advice about adding a swirl of pureed strawberries to the batter? I was thinking of adding half of the batter to the pan, a swirl of strawberry purée, then the rest of the batter with more purée. Would that mess up the recipe? Trying to switch it up and add more tang (I loved the lemon flavor!). Thanks for this fail proof recipe, I don’t want to mess it up!
Hi Faith, I know how hard it is to find time to bake with little ones. My kids are teenagers now but I just spent a weekend with my 4- and 5-yr-old nephews and was reminded that you do not get a break! So glad the cheesecake worked out. I have never done a swirl with this recipe but if you wanted to try it I would start with a small amount of puree (a few tablespoons) and dollop it over the top of the filling, and then swirl it with a knife. You can always serve more on the side or as a sauce if you want more intense fruit flavor. Hope that helps!
I’ll definitely be making this several more times this year, so I will start with your suggestion and experiment more with our “for our house only” cakes. My Easter cake browned a bit on top too but definitely didn’t affect the flavor. Thanks for your advice!
Thanks for your reply ! I don’t know for sure but I guess I may have beaten it too long. I will try again soon as the first time it was perfect and delicious !! Thanks !
Jen I made this once before and it was heaven ! I made this for Easter and it didn’t turn out so good…I can’t figure out what I did different. The only thing I did do was after the cheesecake stayed in the pan with water you said to put it in the refrigerator. I did not do this because I thought it was still too hot. It was very dense an looked like it collapsed a little. Can you help ! I loved this the first time !!
Thanks !!!
Hi Char, I don’t think that leaving it out of the fridge would cause it to collapse. Collapsing is usually a result of over-mixing the batter after the eggs are added. This incorporates too much air, which causes the cake to rise in the oven and then fall as it cools. As for the texture, cheesecakes are generally pretty dense — was it dry? If so, it may have been over-baked.
This was my first attempt making a cheesecake and it came out PERFECTLY. The lemon was a nice addition and the cake was rich and fluffy. It was a hit at Easter dinner!
I’ve tried several cheesecake recipes and NONE have turned out as perfectly as this one. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Thank you so much for such a fantastic and easy to follow recipe!! This was the first time I’ve ever made cheesecake because I always found it too intimidating. It browned a bit on the top so next time I think I’ll cover it with foil for the last half hour, but otherwise it was perfect! I made it for Easter so I omitted the lemon and added 3/4 cup crushed Mini Eggs to the filling. It was a huge hit!
Made this today, for Easter…it was sooo yummy! Served with diced fresh strawberries & whipped cream…to die for ❤️
Have you ever subbed the flour for cornstarch or gluten free flour??
I haven’t tried it, Lena, but I think it’d work fine.