Whoa! Time, where have you gone? Somehow, despite our relatively early preparations for Christmas, I am nonetheless shocked upon a peek at the calendar.
How is it that Christmas is just a bit over a week from now? When did that happen?
Amidst my crazy – albeit totally fun – baking projects and weekly holiday events, I’m trying (trying!) to take moments to breathe slowly and deeply, sing loudly, and continue to count blessings. (I did mention 1000 Gifts, right?)
Let’s talk Cheesecake. Perfect…New York Style…Cheesecake. I’m all over it.
Hubby is every bit as much of a cheesecake fiend (aka snob) as I am. I admit it. I seriously, one-hundred-percent honestly never order cheesecake at restaurants anymore. That includes my old friend, The Cheesecake Factory. I will always have a soft spot for that place, but I don’t go for cheesecakes like I once did.
Because few things come close to a perfectly dense, rich, creamy New York Cheesecake you make yourself. White Chocolate Cheesecake on Oreo Crust? Got it. Pumpkin Cheesecake on Gingersnap Crust. Done.
An entire cheesecake, not just a slice. An entire cheesecake every bit as good as your fave restaurant, full of oooohs and aahhhs. No sinking, cracking center. Cheesecake perfection in every sense of the word…
This is not a wimpy cheesecake. It’s not fluffy, airy, or whippy, whatever that means. It’s truly a New York Style Cheesecake, unabashedly rich and decadent.
And it is easy. It’s so easy to bake up your own mouthwatering cheesecake at home. This cheesecake uses a low and slow baking method to get its beautiful crack-free, sink-free top. This cheesecake does not need a bunch of frills on top to hide unsightly cracks.
We love just spooning some fresh berries over each slice. Keep it simple. Of course, a dollop of stabilized whipped cream (no runny, melty mess!) will not be refused.
So…if you’re still looking for a perfect dessert to serve for that holiday dinner, party, get-together…here it is.
Make this cheesecake ahead of time, even up to 3 days, and keep chilled in fridge.
IF you have any leftover slices or if you just want to make a whole cheesecake for yourself (been there, done that) this cheesecake freezes nicely. Just slice, wrap, freeze, and thaw whenever you want blissful indulgence.
Enjoy!
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This is a true New York Cheesecake – rich, thick, creamy, smooth, and decadent. The low/slow baking method prevents sinking/cracking on top. Can be made 2-3 days ahead of time and chilled until ready to serve. Leftovers freeze very well.
Ingredients
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup salted butter, melted
- 5 (8 oz each) blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 TB all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 or 10-inch springform pan on bottom/sides. Set aside.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press firmly and evenly into prepared springform pan. Bake crust for 8 minutes.
- Turn oven down to 225F. Place large pan of water on lowest rack.
- In bowl of stand mixer, combine softened cream cheese (the softer the better) and sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add flour and heavy cream, blending and scraping down sides until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Place springform pan on large baking sheet.
- Bake in center rack, until filling seems mostly set, about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Center may still jiggle a bit, but it will set upon chilling.
- Turn oven off. Crack oven open a bit, and allow cheesecake to cool at least 2 hours or longer (I leave it until it reaches room temp.)
- Chill in fridge overnight in springform pan, up to 3 days.
- Run thin knife carefully around edges of pan, and release springform, when ready to serve.
- * For a simple but yummy strawberry topping, slice up 16-20 oz strawberries, mix with 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and allow to macerate a bit. Spoon over cheesecake slices.
Source: Chew Out Loud, adapted from allrecipes.com
Want cheesecake in a simple dessert-bar? Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars:
How about more strawberries and cream cheese…in this Fresh Strawberry Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting:
They look so delicious! I love cheesecake!
Thanks, Peggy! It really is yummy! 🙂
I have never made a cheesecake in my life. I made this yesterday’s followed all your instructions to a T…! Almost killed me to wait until today to try it. But it was worth the wait! Best cheesecake ever! Thank you so much for the recipe, I will use it forever
Awesome job, Cheryl!! Love to hear it 🙂
Okay seriously, how perfect is this?! I definitely need to try this because my cheesecakes ALWAYS have cracks!
Low and slow does the trick, but it’s so hard to be patient cuz I want to dig in! 🙂
Fantastic looking cheesecake. I’m with you. If you are going to get a cheesecake, have a heavy, dense cheesecake. This looks lovely.
Yes!!! 🙂
it looks delish!
Thank you!! It’s my favorite basic cheesecake 🙂
Hello!
I was just wondering about the all-purpose flour that goes into the batter. After researching a bit about cheesecakes, I saw that cheesecakes that incorporate AP flour can turn out ‘cakey’ and not as creamy. Do you feel like that is the case for this recipe?
The results look amazing, so I’m guessing it doesn’t really make a difference. I tried two of your other recipes (pumpkin, white chocolate raspberry), and they were the two best cheesecakes I’ve ever eaten! So obviously you know what you’re doing. I’d really appreciate your opinions! Thanks so much, and looking forward to your future cheesecake recipes!
Andy, this cheesecake is RICH and CREAMY galore! Not a smidgen of “cakey” at all. You will love it as much as you’ve loved the other ones on this site. Enjoy 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. Making for rabbit rescue for Valentine’s Day!
Rabbit rescue…love it, Kiya! Keep up the great work. Hope you all love the cheesecake! 🙂
So I didn’t make this recipe but I made the pumpkin one and it was DELICIOUS, the wait time was totally worth it I have never had a more perfect cheesecake. I want to make another one but really want to make a lemon cheesecake. How can I Modify this recipe to do that? Thanks
That’s great, Shana! So glad you liked the pumpkin cheesecake…it’s my favorite fall cheesecake 🙂 As for making this classic cheesecake into a lemon cheesecake, I would use lemon extract instead of vanilla (I might even up it to 2 tsp to highlight the lemon flavor) and definitely include some freshly grated lemon peel into the batter. You can infuse the whipped cream with lemon extract instead of vanilla, too. Have fun baking!
5 blocks cream cheese is equal to 1 bar?
Kaycee, I just updated it to be more specific…8oz each bar. So, 5 of those. Yeah, it’s a load of cream cheese 🙂 🙂 Thanks for being here today, and hope you try and love this cheesecake! Happy baking 🙂
I want to use this recipe for mini cheesecakes like the raspberry ones. Will this recipe work for minis
Yes, it will be great as minis! Just need to change your cook time, of course, to adjust for the smaller pies. 🙂 Enjoy!
This is my favorite cheesecake recipe. Makes a pretty tall cheesecake so was planning to split the batter in half between 2 pans. Easier when there are several desserts on Christmas to sample. Do you know what the cooking time would be for half the batter?
★★★★★
Yay, Jen! I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying this cheesecake! If you want to try a 4.5″ (or roughly half-size) pan, I would follow same directions but bake for about 2 hours, still letting it cool in warm oven the same way. Look for the cheesecake to be similar in texture as the original. Happy baking!!