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New York Cheesecake Recipe
New York Cheesecake Recipe
New York Cheesecakes are creamy, and smooth, and rich, and dense, and absolutely
delicious. This cheesecake has three layers, starting witha graham cracker crumb
crust that is topped with a cream cheese filling, and then a layer of lightly sweetened
sour cream.There are two popular cheesecakes in America today, the ones made
with cream cheese (shown here) and the ones made with ricotta. John Mariani tells
us in hisThe Dictionary of American Food & Drinkthat Americans have come to know
cheesecakes made with cream cheese as 'New York' or 'Jewish' Cheesecakes, and
ones made with ricotta as 'Italian' Cheesecakes, with both types having their roots in
immigrant New York City neighborhoods.
We start this recipe by making theGraham Cracker crust which is, by far, the simplest
of all the pie crusts. Now, if you have problems with getting the right crust
consistency, the test to see if you have the right amount of crumbs to melted butter
is, once you have mixed the ingredients together, to squeeze some in your fist. If the
crumbs hold together, you have the perfect crust. Once the crust is made and
pressed into the tart pan, it is left to chill in the refrigerator. If you would prefer a
firmer crust, instead of chilling you can bake the crust in a 350 degrees F (177 degree
C) oven for about 10 minutes. The next step is to simply mix the filling ingredients
together.Make sure to use full fat cream cheese and have it, as well as the eggs and
cream, at room temperature. We cannot talk about cheesecakes without mentioning
the pitfalls, mainly the questions of how do we prevent cracking and when are
cheesecakes done? First, let's talk about cracks on the surface of a baked
cheesecake, as this is a common problem and is caused either by over beating the
batter and/or by too much moisture being lost as the cheesecake bakes (over
baking). In order to prevent cracks make sure you beat the ingredients at low speed
as, unlike a butter cake, you do not want to incorporate a lot of air into the batter,
you only want to beat the ingredients until they are nice and smooth. As far as the
over baking of cheesecakes goes, this is a common problem as it is difficult to know
when a cheesecake is done. The thing to remember is that you want the cheesecake
to be firm but, if you shake the pan gently, it should still wobble a little, and the
center will still look a little wet. For even though the center may not look fully baked,
once it cools it will firm up and be the correct consistency. Cheesecakes are cakes
that should not to be eaten straight away as they need to cool and then be
refrigerated for several hours, preferably overnight, so the flavors have time to blend
and the texture becomes nice and firm. The great thing about cheesecake is that it
stores very well and can also be frozen. To freeze, place the cooled cheesecake on a
baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Remove the cheesecake from the
freezer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Seal and
return to freezer. It can be frozen for several months. Thaw the uncovered
cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.
Grease, or spray with Pam, a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan. Place the springform
pan on a larger baking pan to catch any leakage while the cheesecake is baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with rack in center of oven.
For Crust:
In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted
butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the
sides of the springform pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.
For Filling:
In bowl of your electric mixer place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Beat on
medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping down the bowl as
needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each
addition.Scrape downthe sides of the bowl. Add the whipping cream, lemon zest,
vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Remove the crust from the refrigerator
and pour in the filling. Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan and place in
the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes and then lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees F (120
degrees C) and continue to bake for about another 60 -90 minutesor until firm and
only the center of the cheesecake looks a little wet and wobbly. (The baking time
can vary due to the differences in ovens, so make sure to check that the cheesecake
is firm with only the center being a little wet and wobbly.) Remove from oven and
place on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla
extract. Spread the topping over the warm cheesecake and return to oven to bake
for 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and carefully run a knife or spatula around
the inside edge of pan to loosen the cheesecake (helps prevent the surface from
cracking as it cools).
Let cool completely before covering with plastic wrap. Refrigerate several
hours,preferably overnight. Serve with fresh fruit or fruit sauces.
To freeze:
Place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Then
wrap in aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Seal and return to freezer. Can be
frozen for several months. Thaw uncovered cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.
Crust:
2 cups (200 grams) of graham cracker crumbs or finely crushed Digestive biscuits
Filling:
32 ounces (907 grams) cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or
fat free cream cheese)
Topping:
1 cup (240 ml) sour cream (not low fat or fat free)
Tips: Sometimes the surface of the cheesecake cracks. To help prevent this from
happening do not over beat the batter, especially when creaming the cheese and
sugar.
Another reason for cracking is overbaking the cheesecake. Your cheesecake is done
when it is firm but the middle may still look a little wet.
Also, make sure the springform pan is well greased as cracking can occur if the
cheesecake sticks to the sides as it cools.