The Classy Lady New York Style Cheesecake

Baking a classic vanilla cheesecake has always been on my to-do list. We all know about the iconic pieces you can get from Cheesecake Factory. Yum! Well, I finally got around to prepping and buying all the ingredients needed in order to make one. I was very surprised that it wasn’t overly complicated. Once you have a firm understanding of what ingredients you need and the overall steps (broken down into crust, filling, and topping) it is smooth sailing from there. I chose a classic family recipe (one that takes a few hours time to bake), but I’m sure I will soon try a version that is quicker down the road. I just wanted to master this one first.

The time I put in to this baking project was not wasted. I even learned some tricks along the way that I am happy to share with you all. This recipe is simple, delicious and is guaranteed to impress anyone you serve it to.

Things to Know Upfront/Quick Tips

• The cheesecake will bake for 1 hour 25 minutes, sit in oven for 55 min. after, and then will need to chill for 5-6 hours. So be sure to plan ahead. 🙂 If you need this for an evening event, be sure to bake the night before and let chill overnight.
• You will need to create a water bath for the cheesecake. This is to make sure the cheesecake does not burn/crack.
• You will need a large roasting pan for the water bath or you can always buy a disposable large pan at any grocery store.
• Go ahead and put foil on the bottom of the spring-form pan so you don’t have to mess with it later when you have ingredients inside. This makes things much easier.
• If you don’t want to bother with making graham crackers into crumbs, I found the Keebler Graham Crumbs, which are genius! They are already made into perfect crumbs for your crust! You can get them online or at your local grocery store.
• Feel free to substitute the strawberry topping for a different fruit or topping that you prefer.

What You Need

Crust Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham crackers, pulsed into crumbs (I like the Keebler Graham Crumbs – already done for you!)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons butter, melted

Cheesecake Ingredients:

• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, very soft
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs & 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Topping Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• lemon zest (if you like)

Step By Step

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F)
2. Go ahead and wrap the bottom of the Spring-form pan with multiple layers of foil to ensure that no water gets into the pan/into the crust.

Crust Steps:

1. Lightly spray a 9-10″ Spring-form pan with non-stick spray (this will help your crust not stick to the pan afterwards).
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt; use a blender or food processor to pulse graham crackers into crumbs if you need to. Add melted butter and stir everything until combined.
3. Press crust mixture down firmly into your Spring-form pan starting from the inside out. Be sure to press firmly around the edges as well with your hands or the back of a spoon.

Cheesecake Filling Steps:

1. Use a blender, food processor or stand mixer. I was able to simply use a hand mixer with a large bowl. Beat the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Make sure it is completely smooth before adding in the rest of the ingredients. This ensures the creamy cheesecake texture.
2. Add in the sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
3. Add in the eggs and egg yolks. Mix until smooth.
4. Add in the flour. Mix until it is just combined.
5. Stir in the cream immediately. Mix until it is combined into the mixture.
6. Pour cheesecake mixture into your Spring-form pan over your crust. Spread evenly and smooth.
7. Place your spring-form pan into your large pan and set in oven. Once inside fill the pan halfway with water.
8. Bake your cheesecake for 1 hour and 25 minutes.
9. After baking let the cheesecake sit in the oven for another 55 minutes with the heat turned off completely.
10. Take your cheesecake out of the oven and set on your counter. Gently run a knife very around the edges of the cheesecake. Let cool for 10-15 minutes.
11. Cover your pan with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours.

Photo of my Water Bath

Chilled for 6 Hours

Topping Steps:

1. In a blender or food processor blend your strawberries (or other fruit of choice) and sugar. You may also add some lemon zest if you prefer.Mix until smooth.
2. Add in any remaining fruit slices for topping.
3. Chill your mixture for 30 min. to an hour.

Enjoy!