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American

New York cheesecake

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

A tall, dense and creamy baked cheesecake made with cream cheese and sour cream on a graham-cracker crust, with a hint of lemon and vanilla.

New York cheesecake is an American cake from United States, ready in about 7 hours 45 minutes and made with cream cheese and sour cream. It serves 12 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
25 min
Cook
1 h 20 min
Rest
6 h
Total
7 h 45 min
Serves
12
Level
Intermediate
Calories
527

Includes 1 hour cooling in the oven and at least 5 hours chilling (overnight is best).

Ingredients

12 slices

Crust

Filling

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 175 °C. Mix the cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar (opens in a new tab) and press firmly into the base of a 23 cm springform tin. Bake 10 minutes, then cool. Lower the oven to 160 °C.

  2. Step 2

    Beat the cream cheese (opens in a new tab) on low speed until smooth, then beat in the sugar (opens in a new tab), flour and salt. Add the sour cream (opens in a new tab), vanilla (opens in a new tab) and lemon zest (opens in a new tab).

  3. Step 3

    Add the eggs (opens in a new tab) one at a time, mixing on low only until each disappears. Scrape the bowl well.

    • 3 min

    Beating in air causes cracks; keep the mixer slow.

  4. Step 4

    Pour onto the crust and bake at 160 °C until the edges are set and the centre still wobbles, about 70 minutes. A tray of hot water on the shelf below helps prevent cracks.

    • 70 min
    • 160°C

  5. Step 5

    Turn off the oven (opens in a new tab), prop the door open and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edge, then refrigerate at least 5 hours before unmoulding.

    • 5 min

About this dish

Origin
New York City, United States · Well documentedMore food from United States
Dish
Dessert · Cakes · Desserts
Cooking method
Oven-baked
Taste
creamy, rich, sweet, tangy
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Cream cheese · Sour cream · Graham crackers · Unsalted butter · Sugar · All-purpose flour
Techniques
Baking

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom graham crackers, unsalted butter, cream cheese, sour cream
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Wheatfrom graham crackers, all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom graham crackers, all-purpose flour
  • May contain: Soyfrom graham crackers

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

527 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 155 g · recipe makes 12

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 6%
  • Carbohydrate 30%
  • Fat 63%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy527 kcal340 kcal
Protein8.3 g5.4 g
Carbohydrate40.7 g26.2 g
Net carbohydrate40.2 g25.9 g
Sugars30.2 g19.4 g
Added sugars25.9 g16.7 g
Fibre0.6 g0.4 g
Fat37.7 g24.3 g
Saturated fat21 g13.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol162 mg104 mg
Sodium391 mg252 mg
Salt equivalent1 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
173 mg
Calcium
113 mg
Iron
1 mg
Magnesium
17 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
324 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.4 µg
Folate (DFE)
41 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Common mistakes

  • Using cold cream cheese, which leaves lumps.
  • Overbaking until the centre is firm — it sets as it chills.

Serve with

  • Serve plain or with a spoonful of strawberry or cherry sauce.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze slices up to 2 months.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Structure

Crust

Used in steps 1, 2

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 25 min

    Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.

  2. Bake · about 1 h 20 min at 160 °C

    Puffed with golden-brown spots on both sides.

  3. Cool · about 6 h

    Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

  4. Start to finish: about 7 h 45 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

If something goes wrong

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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