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New York Cheesecake

Print Recipe
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

Crust

  • 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs, usually 12 whole crackers is enough, depending on brand.
  • 5 tbsp unsalted, melted butter
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Filling

  • 4 8 oz packages cream cheese, room temperature ( MUST BE ROOM TEMP )
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature ( MUST BE ROOM TEMP )
  • 4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon zest (packed)
  • 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions
 

Crust

  • Preheat oven to 350F
  • Wrap a 9" springform pan in 2 layers of extra strength (and wide) aluminum foil .
  • Spray the inside the of pan with non-stick spray.
  • Combine the crust ingredients in a food processor.
  • Spread the crust across the bottom of the springform pan, and press it firmly into place with the bottom of a heavy, flat object.
  • Bake in the lower third of your oven until the crust is golden brown (usually 12-15 minutes).
  • Remove from the oven, and let cool completely (at least 10 minutes).

Filling

  • Keep the oven at 350F.
  • Start to boil a kettle of water, or pot of water on the stove. You'll need this in about 8 minutes.
  • Break the eggs into a separate bowl, amaze your friends and family with the eggshell hack if you know what that is.
  • Mix the cream cheese on medium-low speed until smooth, approximately 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mixfor another minute.
  • Add the sour cream, cornstarch, and sugar, mix on medium-low for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides, and mix another 15 seconds. The mixture should be lighter in colour, and very creamy.
  • Let the batter sit for 2 minutes.
  • Mixing at low speed, add 1 egg at a time until fully incorporated before adding the next egg.
  • Add the remaining ingredients, mix at low speed until incorporated.
  • You do not want to whip the eggs. The goal is to have a creamy, but very dense batter with no air bubbles.
  • Slowly pour the batter into the springform pan. Place that in a roasting pan, place that in the oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan.
  • Bake for approximately 60-100 minutes. The cheesecake is done when it is "set" (middle barely jiggles), or a thermometer reads 145F in the middle if you're into poking thermometers into the middle of your cheesecakes.
  • Turn off the oven, prop the oven door open an inch, and let it cool completely, approximately 2 hours.
  • Place the springform pan on a cooling rack, carefully run a thin knife along the springform pan to make sure it will come out cleanly. Let cool for 2 hours.
  • Refrigerate overnight, do not cover the cheesecake.
  • Run a knife along the inside the springform pan, remove the pan, decorate, serve, enjoy.

Notes

Baked cheesecakes are not a same day kind of dessert. You need to make this at least a day in advance.
You need to have aluminum foil that is *at least* 4" wider than the diameter of the springform pan. Splurge on a wide roll of extra strength aluminum foil (18") You should have at least 2 layers. If you're worried you didn't wrap it properly, use 3 layers. You can also use a disposable aluminum pie plate and form that around the bottom of your springform pan, but I like using the foil.
Turn the graham crackers into crumbs in your food processor, or crush them in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin or baseball bat.
The cream cheese and eggs must be at room temperature. This is not negotiable.