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.
Hello , am I reading the cooking temp right 220 fan for 10 mins then down to 90 fan ? I did this for the time stated but it didn’t look anywhere near baked 🤷♀️ please advice
Ovens really can vary in timings so timings are a guide – but it is correct on the recipe as to how I do this. It also takes a long time to set so it may be totally fine x
I’ve followed the recipe exactly and the cheesecake is still cooling in the oven but a large crack has appeared since opening the oven door?
Ah this means it may be cooling too quickly – to prevent this, you can bake the cheesecake in a Bain Marie but it is a bit more faffy but often can help prevent cracking x
Delicious filling. The centre of my base was soggy – not sure why as I followed the recipe exactly. The outer circle of the base was fine.
Oh dear! It may be the tin you used had a deeper base so it needed a bit longer baking time, so maybe try baking the base for 20 minutes before adding the topping if you try again! x
I made this baked cheesecake on Friday for my family but I made a chocolate ganache for the top of it and sprinkled freeze dried strawberries and chocolate curls on top. It was beautiful, my family loved it. Now another Grandson wants me to bake it again but with caramel sauce and fudge pieces. Thankyou Jane for all your wonderful recipes they never fail me.
Hi, just wondering if you can use frozen fruit for the coulis?
Yes, you can!
Would it be possible to make these individual? If so how long would the cooking time be and into how many glasses?
Made this last night, first time I’ve ever tried a baked cheesecake. Was lovely! My biscuit base was a bit rustic as my blitzer broke so did it by hand. I also don’t like a hard base so I just didn’t press it down too much in to the tin, it’s lovely and moist and crumbly.
Would love to know how to do a chocolate version.
I love New York Cheesecake, this recipe is now my go to recipe. Tastes amazing, thank you so much. Easiest baked Cheesecake recipe, 5 stars from me, x
I made this cheesecake for a charity event and it looked so incredible! I was thrilled when it was picked first in an auction and received some great feedback from the recipients. Jane, your recipes are foolproof and never let me down.
I made this recipe for a family meal at Easter and everyone loved it! The only query I had was about the base as it seemed to set very hard – is this the way it’s supposed to be or is there something I should’ve done differently?
Hiya! It does set fairly hard, though you can reduce the butter by a third if you’d like it slightly crumblier. Hope this helps! x
Hi! I made this last night and just didn’t pack the biscuits in too tight, I had a lovely loose crumb this morning just house I like it!
Hi Jane – can you share the gas mark equivalents if possible for the bake?
Hi is this possible to freeze? Driving 2.5 hours Xmas day and worried it won’t last if I don’t freeze it? Thanks!
Yes absolutely, for up to 3 months! Hope this helps! x