This recipe for New York Style Cheesecake is a family favorite. Whether it’s for a birthday or holiday, this easy and delicious cheesecake recipe never disappoints. Serves 14.
Well,*sniff* our youngest turned seven last Thursday, and over the weekend we threw her a family birthday party. And again, like the year before, she requested cheesecake (that’s my girl!). She really didn’t have to ask me twice.
Making cheesecake really doesn’t have to be hard work, you know.
The reason why I love this cheesecake recipe in particular is because you don’t have to bother wrapping the bottom of the pan in foil and placing it in a water-bath. Freaking out the entire time while it’s baking, praying water didn’t leak into the cake. Instead you just pop it in a 350° oven and it comes out looking rustic, cracked and glorious… as a cheesecake should, in my opinion.
As for the party, it went off without a hitch. Minus the part where my coffee pot over flowed onto the ground and when my dog was sprayed by a skunk right in the middle of Mal’s party. Even with this chaos, I think our family had a pretty fun, albeit slightly smelly time. :/
To Make This New York Style Cheesecake You Will Need:
- graham crackers
- unsalted butter (melted)
- softened cream cheese
- granulated sugar
- whole milk
- eggs
- sour cream
- pure vanilla extract
- unbleached all-purpose flour
Preheat your oven to 350°.
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan. Using a pastry brush, dip it in the butter and coat the inside of a 9-inch spring form pan. Save the remaining butter.
MAKE THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:
In the bowl of your food processor, fitted with the blade attachment, break up 8 full graham cracker,
Pulse until finely ground.
Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl and pour in the remaining melted butter -about 3 to 3-1/2 tablespoons.
Stir until the crumbs are moist but not soaked.
Pour the buttery graham cracker crumbs into your prepared pan.
Stamp them out with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup. Build up the sides and press those against the pan as well.
MAKE THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:
In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, add 4 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese and 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar.
Blend on medium-low until smooth and fluffy. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
While the mixer is running on low add in 3/4 cup of whole milk.
Blend on low until smooth.
Add in 4 eggs, one at a time. Mixing well after each egg. Continue to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
Next, add in 1 cup of sour cream and 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract. Continue to mix on low until incorporated.
Lastly, sift in 1/4 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour, blend until completely combined.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl one last time and give it a final mix.
Pour the filling into the graham cracker crust.
Smooth it out and lick the spatula. Seriously, it’s part of the recipe. Do it.
Place the cheesecake on the lowest rack in your preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. When time is up, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door closed for 5-6 hours (or what feels like eternity!). It needs time to settle and slowly cool.
After the five hours are up, remove and place the cheesecake in the fridge until completely cooled. I usually keep it in the fridge overnight.
Slice and serve.
Best. Cheesecake. Ever.
So whether it’s for a birthday, anniversary or just because you need some extra calories in your life… make this asap! You’ll get compliments that will make you feel amazing.
So, do I even need to say that my daughter loves cheesecake? Or can you tell by the picture?
Flash forward 10 years and she still asks for this cheesecake on her birthday. However now she has her boyfriend, Caleb to share it with.
Enjoy! And if you give this New York Style Cheesecake recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
New York Style Cheesecake
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST
- 8 full graham crackers
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
- 32 ounces softened cream cheese, or 4 (8 ounce) packages
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°.
- Melt the butter in a sauce pan and use a pastry brush to generously butter a 9-inch spring-form pan.
- In the bowl of your food processor, add graham crackers and pulse into fine crumbs.
- Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl, and pour in the remaining melted butter and mix until combined.
- Add the crumb mixture to your prepared pan. Using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup, press them firmly to the bottom of the pan.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as you go.
- Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough until incorporated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Lastly, add in the sour cream and vanilla. Once combined, sift in the flour and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl one last time before mixing one final time.
- Pour filling into prepared crust.
- Place the cheesecake on the lowest rack in your preheated oven and bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and let cake cool in oven with the door closed for 5 to 6 hours.
- Remove and place the cheesecake into your fridge until completely cooled before serving.
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THANK YOU in advance for your support!
i absolutely love the edge on that cheesecake…so much character! and it would make for a very happy day indeed if i was eating that 🙂
Just found your blog…stunning!!!!!
You're absolutely right Heather! This would make the worst day turn wonderful, in a single bite!
Thank you Kath!
I love the look of it, and it will be on the menu for our next birthday party. Thanks for sharing (again).
Cant believe I haven't been to your blog before – but what a great post to first visit with. Your daughter has great taste asking for a birthday cheesecake! I hope my little boy does that too one day (still working on getting teeth).
This cheesecake looks fantastic!
Glad you stopped by Chris! 🙂
I might die now.
Like, I really might die.
Oh my, just look at how beautiful it is! A complete success!
Happy birthday to your kiddo! Lucky her to have been given this lovely cheesecake to celebrate.
It does look amazing and I know I would have enjoyed a slice-yum!
Great post.
That looks absolutely delicious! Could we possibly add some lemon zest to the filling mixture? What have you done to me, Laurie? Haha, now I think I can *slightly* modify recipes. Love, love, love it. That picture of your daughter is perfect…I mean honestly, who needs forks? Not I, that is for sure. Have a great week! Thanks for posting this!
What a cutie first off…
This cheesecake looks to die for!! WOW
wow…i am drooling over here..
I love NY cheesecake! I always use the "leave it in the oven for hours" methed too. Right before my daughter's 5th birthday party was to begin, our dog got sprayed by a skunk and ran through the house. It does make the day EXTRA-memorable (and smelly)!
So creamy! And I love that this cake can be eaten with your hands 🙂
What a gorgeous cheesecake! Simple & elegant. Lovely job!
This looks delicious, fabulous job! Haha your graham cracker crust looks SOO much better than mine, I can never get mine looking right 🙂
I would have loved to have this amazing cheesecake on my birthday!
Nothing tops a classic New York style cheesecake. Noting. Winning ;D
Every cheesecake I fall in love with has sour cream in it. I'm thinking that has to be the secret ingredient! And, 4 packages of cream cheese is totally worth it! I mean, hello? You're making cheesecake!
This cheesecake looks amazing and seem so easy to make! I have to make this soon! 🙂
That cheesecake looks perfect!!!! Forks are totally overrated and sometimes things are best eaten with your hands. 🙂
WOW!!! This is some cheesecake girl!! I have never been a cheesecake fan, but this looks to die for!! Great pics!
xxoo
Looks amazing, Laurie! I would love to try this on my church family, I would need to multiply the recipe x12! 🙂
Oh gosh you guys! Thanks for all the love! After working my shift at the hospital, it's so nice coming home and reading your comments! Thanks a bunch! Xo
Looks perfect!!! So delicious!
Oooo perfect timing! I'm embarrassed to admit that I tried the Jello Temptations "cheesecake" last night. I say "cheesecake", because a bite or two in I looked at my husband and said "This is not like cheesecake." So ever since, I've been thinking about real cheese cake. Thanks for posting!
Happy Birthday to your little girl! What an amazing looking cheesecake! Sounds like you have a life long birthday tradition starting.
Beautiful cheesecake. When you said something about it being on your thighs, it reminded me of a day when my daughter and I were talking about making all kinds of cheesecakes. We were thinking up catchy names for them like "Heaven on My Thighs Chocolate Cheesecake" and "You Wear it Well Dulche De Leche Cheesecake".
What an adorable little girl. I can tell she agrees that it is very good. 🙂 New York Cheesecake is super!
Mine is in the oven right now. Wish me luck! And thanks for the recipe. I love your site.
Good Luck!! 😉
Simply the best New York Cheesecake I have ever made! Love the rustic look! Thanks for sharing.
Yay Andrea! I love it too! The only time you can say… that "crack" is cool! ha! 🙂
I'm going to make this for easter and I was wondering if you could use cherry or raspberry pie filling to top the cheesecake. Thanks!
Of course! Enjoy!
I'm the one who just posted above- AND OH MY GOSH THE CHEESECAKE WAS 2 DIE FOR!!! I'm 13 and I find so much inspiration from you. It was my first time making cheesecake and I got so much compliments from the people at our Easter party. Thank you so so so much! And I hope you had a good Easter! 🙂
I did thank you! So happy to hear that this was a hit for you! 🙂
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Heya, I’m curious. What is the finished texture of the cake? Is this the kind of cheesecake that has an actual crumb to it on your fork, that goes all creamy in your mouth, or is it creamy and kinda homogenous to begin with? Thanks!
I made this yesterday for my sons 14th birthday as he requested and it was so delish! thanks so much for posting and it wasn’t difficult either!
So glad Angie! That’s why I love this cheesecake… crack and all 😀
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My yields were a little off. I had too little crust and too much batter, so I made adjustments. Think I’ll be fine otherwise, and thanks for sharing. No doubt this is going to be a hit this Thanksgiving. Again, thank you.
Hi, this cheesecake looks amazing! Do you have any advice on adjusting it to use a 10″ springform? Thanks!
Fantastic
parchment paper never leaks. Just wrap the pan, tie it off with yarn and lower the temp 25 degrees with the water bath.
I tried this today using 3 packages of chocolate cream cheese, one package of regular cream cheese and a bit less sugar, and a lot more vanilla (obsession) and I used 1/2 cup of 2% milk and 1/4 cup of 10% Half and half cream. It looks amazing so far, and I’ve made a ton of cheesecakes. Only bummed that it did not caramelize on the top like yours! fingers crossed it tastes good! Tick tock in the oven!
Hi I use this recipe all the time love love love! This year I would like to make several 4 in cheesecakes as gifts. Can you tell me if this recipe would work and what the baking time would be, any help would be greatly appreciated thanks very much
Hi Geri! It’s hard to say, I have not made this recipe into individual portions. My assumption, would be 350 about 15-18 minutes. But again, without testing this out myself, I cannot promise the results. If you give it a whirl, please let me know what worked for you!
Hi !! Iam from Mississippi, and I’ve got my cheese cakes in the oven as I type this (cooking down for 5 hours) they look amazing already (I made 2 out of the recipe) one 9 inch, one 8 inch…i made more crust, I doubled your recipe…… fingers crossed, they smell amazing !! I’ll let y’all know how they turned out!!! Thank you, oh I added a little lemon set zest to the batter, right at a teaspoon….
Hi, I wanted to make this into a strawberry cheesecake with fresh strawberries and a glaze? What do you suggest? Do I just add the strawberries on top and when?
I Alana! I actually made a strawberry glaze-like topping for this in my cookbook. But in a pinch fresh strawberries tossed with sugar would make a delicious topping too! I would top right before serving. Enjoy!
Anyone ever tried adjusting this recipe for flavors (ie chocolate, eggnog, etc). I think im going to try adding eggnog instead of milk to see how that turns out.
Ill update this with results.
I can’t wait to hear how this goes!
3/4 of eggnog to reolace the milk was not enough for the eggnog taste to come through. Cheesecake still turned out amazing; just no real hint of eggnog.
Oh darn! I was excited to hear how this turned out. Thanks for coming back and letting us know, Bryan!
I’ve made this recipe several times now and it never eats that edge? Do you room temp cream cheese? I haven’t by tried that this time. Well see how it turns out.
Hi Nelly, I do use room temperature cream cheese, otherwise it won’t blend as smoothly. 🙂
Could I Sub coconut flour for wheat flour?
Without testing the recipe out, I can’t say for sure. If you do try it, please let me know how it worked for you!
This is currently in the oven and I can’t wait! I love to bake and have made SIX CHEESECAKES this summer (it’s a pandemic and what can I say?) while I try to find the perfect recipe. I hope this is the one! Re the graham crackers, I think it would be helpful to state the size. Do you mean FULL graham crackers (I hope so!) or squares? I will comment again once this cake is in my stomach, lol.
It looks delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe.