New York Cheesecake!
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This baked New York cheesecake is rich, creamy, and perfectly set with a buttery digestive base and a smooth vanilla-lemon filling. It’s finished with a simple homemade berry coulis and fresh fruit for a proper show-stopping dessert.
It takes around 30 minutes to prep, 35 minutes to bake with additional overnight chilling. The key to success is gentle mixing, a slow oven cool down and a full over night chill to set perfectly.
What is a New York cheesecake?
A New York cheesecake is a baked cheesecake that’s rich, dense, and creamy compared to lighter no-bake versions. It typically uses full-fat cream cheese and sour cream for a smooth, tangy flavour and firm texture once chilled.
This version uses a slightly reduced 600g cream cheese base to keep it more manageable while still delivering that classic bakery-style result.
When I decided to try this recipe I was honestly completely stuck on where to start. I have eaten many New York style cheesecakes, or even baked cheesecakes but when I have tried to bake them when I was younger, they have just gone so awfully wrong.
My Baked Chocolate Rocky Road Cheesecake and Baked Gingerbread Cheesecake is always a success for me, but as they use different in the mix it is completely different to this. I spent ages and ages looking at recipes online and they are ALL so different I was confused.
Ingredients and tips
I decided to try out various other recipes and I will be honest here and say they didn’t work for me! Unfortunately, I found the way that the methods were written to be confusing, and the ingredients seemed far too much. I mean come on, 900g of cream cheese in one cheesecake?!
Therefore, I decided to go my own way with it, make it more realistic in my eyes and reduce the cheesecake down to an acceptable size. Oddly enough, using essentially 2/3 of the ingredients with some other alterations, it still took the same amount of time in the oven.
- Biscuits – Can be swapped for hobnobs or other biscuits if preferred
- Unsalted butter – The fat content provides the perfect texture to your base – you can use salted or a baking spread as well
- Cream Cheese – Always full-fat for structure (reduced-fat can split or set too soft)
- Sour cream – Adds tang and softness to the bake, can be swapped for natural yoghurt or greek yoghurt
- Eggs – I tend to use medium eggs, I have used 3x here
- Vanilla – Enhances the sweet flavour of the cheesecake
- Caster sugar – Provides that smooth, sweet taste and mixes in well leaving no grains
- Flour – Must be plain flour as we are not looking for rise here
- Lemon – adds that sharp taste to cut through the sweetness as well as helping the cheesecake set
- Fresh fruit – An optional extra to the finished cheesecake – adding in flavour and freshness
- Icing sugar – A good quality icing sugar won’t clump together in the coulis or make sugar clouds as you mix
How to stop your cheesecake cracking
You might know that I have an adoration for no-bake cheesecakes, and these are still my favourite… but my family had requested one of these beauties for SOOO long, and many of my readers had asked for some baked cheesecakes so I thought I would oblige.
Yes, this sort of cheesecake is prone to having a crack when it comes out of the oven or when it is cooling and this can be down to over mixing or even just how it happens – but this is why I always cover my baked cheesecakes in stuff!
To prevent cracking too much, you can bake the cheesecake in a water bath. Seal the outside of the bottom of the tin with a double layer of foil to stop any water getting in. Place this into a roasting tin filled with water up to half the height of the cheesecake – baking time can increase slightly.
FAQs
Yes, use gluten-free digestive biscuits for the base
I wouldn’t recommend, It affects the texture and can cause a softer, less stable cheesecake
You can but it is likely to lack the creamy, tangy flavour New York cheesecake is known for
The edges will be set, the centre will still have a slight wobble until chilled. Trust the process.
Yes! You can use this as a base and increase flavourings otherwise such as with lemon zest, orange zest, or even coffee.
New York Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
- 300 g digestives
- 150 g unsalted butter (melted)
Cheesecake Filling
- 600 g full fat cream cheese
- 175 g golden caster sugar
- 30 g plain flour
- 1/2 zest of lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
- 3 medium eggs
- 150 ml soured cream
Fruit Coulis
- 200 g strawberries
- 100 g raspberries
- 100 g caster sugar
Decoration
- fruit coulis (as above)
- strawberries
- raspberries
- blackberries
- icing sugar
Instructions
Biscuit Base
- Preheat your oven to 220ºc/200ºc fan and find your 8"/20cm deep springform tin.
- Blitz your digestive biscuits in a food processor into a fine crumb, pour in the melted unsalted butter and blitz again until combined.
- Press down firmly and refrigerate for now.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, mix the full fat cream cheese for a couple of minutes till loose (on a slow speed) and then gradually add in the golden caster sugar and plain flour – still on a slow speed. (I weigh my sugar and flour into the same bowl and then spoon a bit in making sure each spoonful is incorporated fully before adding another).
- Add in the vanilla bean extract, lemon zest and lemon juice. Gradually pour in the eggs whilst still whisking slowly with the same idea above with the golden caster sugar mix (I.e. add in a bit and wait until it is incorporated fully before adding more).
- Fold through the soured cream and pour into the tin carefully.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 220ºc/200ºc fan and then reduce the oven temperature to 110ºc/90ºc fan and bake for a further 25-30 minutes.
- Once baked, leave to cool IN THE OVEN with the door ajar for 2 hours.
- Once cooled, wrap the cheesecake (still in the tin) in foil and refrigerate overnight.
- Once chilled overnight, use a knife to run around the edges of the tin and carefully remove from the tin.
Coulis
- Chop the the strawberries into quarters and remove the tops, add the strawberries and raspberries in to a pan with the sugar and heat on a medium heat.
- Mash the fruit with a fork and heat/stir until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit has become saucy.
- Pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and bin the mushy bits that are left.
- Refrigerate until needed.
- Decorate your cheesecake with some fresh fruit, drizzles of the coulis and a dusting of icing sugar – enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend leaving this recipe wrapped in foil overnight in the fridge as it will produce the texture that you want and leave a really moussey and delicious cheesecake.
- This cheesecake can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Once wrapped tightly this cheesecake can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Storage and baking tips
Using the right tin makes a big difference to how this cheesecake bakes and sets. I always recommend an 8-inch (20cm) deep springform tin, as it perfectly fits the mixture and helps create that classic thick, bakery-style slice. A springform tin also makes it much easier to release the cheesecake cleanly without damaging the edges.
Once baked and fully chilled, this cheesecake will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure it is covered properly to prevent it from drying out or absorbing any fridge smells. The texture actually improves slightly after the first day, becoming even creamier and easier to slice.
If you want to make it ahead, this cheesecake freezes really well for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly in foil or cling film, then place it in an airtight container. When ready to serve, defrost it overnight in the fridge to maintain the best texture.
For the best results when slicing, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between each cut. This helps you achieve smooth, neat slices without dragging through the filling.
Related recipes
If this cheesecake was a big hit you will love some of my other cheesecakes. Not all cheesecakes have to be baked and no-bake cheesecakes like my no-bake lemon cheesecake has been a big hit. If you wanted more of a chocolate hit you could try my white chocolate Biscoff swirl cheesecake. However, if you’re more of a traditional cheesecake baker you will love my classic no-bake vanilla cheesecake.
Hi
Is it possible to swap out the sour cream for creme fraiche
Hello! Yes you can xx
Could I change the base to be a brownie instead of biscuits? Do you think it would be too soft to put the cheesecake on top of?
My springform tin is so old that there are gaps so I’ve decided to use a solid round 8″ cake tin and doubled up on the baking parchment on the base and around the sides. Fingers crossed I have no issues removing from the tin. 😬
Hi Jane, my daughter has requested a baked cheesecake for her 18th Birthday. I make malt ice cream, which my family love. She’s asked if I could make a malt baked cheesecake now ! I use malt from a jar for the ice cream, any ideas how I might adapt your recipe to make it a malt one ? Many thanks for all your gorgeous recipes 🙂
Oooh I would assume you could add some into the mixture if its the jar kind and not a powder!) x
Hi Jane, what should I do if we don’t want the lemon taste? Thanks
It doesn’t really taste of lemon – it’s just a part of the flavour of ‘New York Cheesecake’
Can you make this into mini cheesecakes? Thank you
Hi Jane
Do you absolutely have to cool it over night? Will it not stay set after it’s baked?
It needs to be in the fridge to set correctly x
Hi Jane is it possible to take the cheesecake out of the oven while other things are cooking for about 20 minutes then put it back in for the 2 hours and let it dry out… or will this affect it negatively if I do so ?
Unfortunately 20 minutes without the warm environment can and probably will effect it somehow as the temperature difference is a lot x
Remember the episode of Friends where Chandler and Rachel lie on the floor eating the cheesecake that had fallen? Well, if this cheesecake had of fallen on the floor I would literally have been on my hands and knees eating it off the floor! It was soooo good! It was creamy, moist, sweet but not overly and just delicious! Great recipe! Will definitely be making again!
Hi Jane
Just wondering about getting the temperature down, should I leave the door open and wait until it reaches the right temperature, or just turn the temperature down as it’s baking ? X
Just turn the temp down as it’s baking! x
Hi Jane, I don’t have a stand mixer. Would you recommend using an electric whisk or whisking by hand?
Either would be fine – its naturally a thinner mix as its a baked cheesecake rather than no bake x
So it’s my sons birthday soon and he has asked for a New York Cheesecake but he wants a bit of chocolate in it too…. Help!
Will it still taste ok if I add some dairy milk melted and maybe swirled in there? Then I’m worried about the lemon…. Why oh why can he just not want a plain baked New York Cheesecake 🙄
Any tips please
I would maybe add melted dark chocolate (it won’t taste dark because of the other ingredients) and then leave the lemon out? x
Hi Jane,
Would this recipe work in 9inch tin? Should I bake it in a water bath? Do you have any tutorial videos of the best way to get your cheesecake of the cake tin base and on to a cake board? Thanks
I would say it would be a bit thin in a 9″ but otherwise it could work – and you can certainly use a water bath if you want! And I just use a small knife and a cake lifter x