How to Make New York CHEESECAKE
If you are wondering how to make the original American New York CHEESECAKE, you are in the right place.
This dessert, definitely the most typical American dessert famous worldwide, originates from the city of New York, which gave it its name.
It is a cheesecake that has almost become a cult, copied worldwide and presented in various versions. Unlike the no-bake cheesecake, the New York Cheesecake is characterized by a cheese cream base, sugar, and cream that must be slowly baked in the oven.
Appreciated for its softness that melts in your mouth, its slightly tangy taste, simple yet elegant and delicate, it is very easy to make, requiring only a little patience during baking to avoid burning and the resting phase before decorating and finishing to create perfect layers.
The New York cheesecake, also known as American Cheese Cake, literally means cheese cake, although the term cheesecake generally identifies a particular type of dessert, not just a cake, made with a base of cookies and a generous layer of cheese cream.
Like all traditional recipes, there are many variations that revolve around this type of dessert, which basically fall into two categories: they can be baked or non-baked.
In both cases, the bases are then cooled in the refrigerator and served cold with a topping of fresh fruit, fruit coulis, spreadable cream, nuts, jams, and other variations.
Today we will discover together how to make the original New York cheesecake, with some tips to avoid cracking on the surface and thus forming perfect layers.
Once you learn the basic recipe, you can decorate it according to your tastes and creativity. So put on your apron, and let’s start!
Related Recipes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 35 Minutes
- Portions: springform pan diameter 9/9.5 inches
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 532.26 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 44.12 (g) of which sugars 28.89 (g)
- Proteins 10.19 (g)
- Fat 35.47 (g) of which saturated 9.31 (g)of which unsaturated 5.91 (g)
- Fibers 1.53 (g)
- Sodium 340.56 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 12 oz Digestive biscuits
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1.7 lbs cream cheese (Philadelphia)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs (large)
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 lemon zest (organic, grated)
- 1 vanilla bean (seeds)
- 9 oz berries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp gelatin sheets
Tools
- Mixer
- Bowl
- Springform Pan
- Electric Whisk
- Pan
- Bowl
- Blender
- Sieve
Steps
Place the biscuits in a mixer and blend until powdered. Transfer them to a bowl with the melted butter and mix with a spoon until compact. Line a springform pan with parchment paper and externally cover it with foil to prevent leaks during baking. Pour the biscuit and butter mixture into the pan, create the base, and press with the back of a spoon, do the same to create the edge. Place in the fridge to rest for about 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
Pour the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla bean seeds and mix with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, continuing to mix at low speed. Finally, add the sour cream and mix everything. Retrieve the pan from the fridge and pour the mixture inside. Level it with a spatula.
Bake the cheesecake in a preheated static oven at 320°F for about 60 minutes on the lower oven rack. Before removing it, do a toothpick test that should come out dry; otherwise, continue baking for a few more minutes. The baking time depends on both the oven type and the size of the pan (a 9.5-inch springform pan will take a few more minutes). Once ready, remove it from the oven but not from the pan. Don’t worry if it seems soft, it will firm up as it cools. Once cooled, place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
While the cheesecake cools, prepare the Coulis. Soak the gelatin in a small bowl with a little cold water. Wash the berries and place them in a non-stick pan with the sugar. Heat over low heat for about 10 minutes until you get a puree. Transfer it while still hot into an immersion blender cup and blend. Strain the mixture through a sieve, add the squeezed gelatin, and stir to dissolve.
When the coulis has cooled, pour it onto the surface of the unsprung cheesecake, covering it evenly, and bring it 1/8 inch from the pan edge. Decorate by randomly adding blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and currants. Return to the fridge to solidify for at least 2 hours before removing and serving.
NOTES
If you don’t have Digestive biscuits at home, you can also use simple shortbread cookies, but in this case, you might need a little more butter as they are not fatty cookies. For 12 oz of dry cookies, the amount of butter is approximately half (6 oz).
If you can’t find sour cream at the store, you can take the same amount of fresh cream, add 3 teaspoons of lemon juice, and wait 10 minutes for it to sour before using it.
You can prepare this type of cake with either just a biscuit base and free sides or with a tall edge like the entire springform pan to contain the filling.
If you’re worried that during baking the cheesecake might leak from the pan, you can use a transparent glass oven dish like Pyrex. You won’t be able to remove it from the mold, but you will avoid worrying during baking and afterwards about possible disasters… I used to do this in the beginning, then I got the hang of it.
STORAGE
Once the New York Cheesecake is ready, it can be stored in the fridge, tightly sealed for up to 3 days.
CURIOSITIES
Traditionally, the American cheesecake is served plain without any toppings, to be served with various toppings in a jug for personal choice. An even purer version provides that the base is made without cookies and baked.
In the United States, this dessert is made with a creamy cheese similar to Quark, which is usually replaced by Philadelphia in Italy. Due to the particular taste of the latter, more acidic than Quark, lemon juice is usually not added.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Who invented the New York Cheesecake?
The first “New York cheesecake” was created by Arnold Reuben, a German immigrant and owner of several Manhattan restaurants. Reuben discovered the recipe during a dinner and decided to experiment by replacing the curds with cream cheese.
