New York Cheesecake with Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Rich, creamy, and lighter than air, this easy New York Cheesecake with Philadelphia Cream Cheese is luscious and sweet with a slightly tangy flavor. From preparing the graham cracker crust to perfectly blending the cream cheese filling, we'll show you all the tips and tricks you need to know to make this iconic cheesecake!

What is New York Style Cheesecake?

There are two types of cheesecake that reign supreme in New York City.

The first is Junior's Cheesecake which is a rich, mass-produced, dense cheesecake that originated in Brooklyn and can be purchased nationwide at various grocery store chains.

The second type is multiple-award-winning Eileen's Cheesecake that sells a handmade cheesecake which is light and airy like mousse with a lusciously tangy-sweet interior.

As a native New Yorker, Eileen's is where I go for my cheesecake and I love getting the mini cheesecakes so I can try as many flavors as possible. This classic New York Cheesecake Recipe is a copycat recipe for Eileen's cheesecake.

Ingredients

For the homemade crust

• To make the crunchy graham cracker crust for this New York Style Cheesecake Recipe, you will need about 8-10 graham crackers. Other biscuits work as well - in fact, Eileen's offers a cheesecake variation with chocolate cookies. Other substitutions include Oreo cookies (remove the cream filling first), ginger snaps, Nila wafers, Marie crackers, digestive biscuits, and shortbread.
• Melted, unsalted butter is used as a binder to hold the buttery graham cracker crust together and gives it a delicious buttery flavor.
• Ground cinnamon (optional) is used in this recipe for additional flavor. Other spices that would also work include ground cardamom, nutmeg, and allspice.

For the filling

• This classic Philadelphia cheesecake recipe uses full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese. Always use full-fat cream cheese because fat is essential for the lusciously smooth texture of a very creamy New York cheesecake. Use the cream cheese that comes in blocks, not the whipped kind. The cream cheese also needs to be at room temperature - keep the cheesecake outside for several hours before baking.
• Granulated white sugar is used for this recipe. Brown sugar can also be used - it gives the cheesecake a caramel-like flavor. For a low carb version, you can substitute powdered erythritol or powdered monk fruit sweetener. Liquid or super-concentrated sweeteners don't work because the additional liquid changes the texture of the cheesecake.
• The sour cream together with the lemon zest and lemon juice adds a deliciously rich tanginess to the cheesecake.
• Heavy cream is essential to give the cheesecake its trademark smoothness. You can also substitute with cool whip.
• The egg yolks help bind, flavor, and give the cheesecake a light buttery color. The egg whites are whipped then folded into the batter right before baking. The whipped egg whites give the cheesecake an airy mousse-like texture. Only two egg whites are used because you don't want the cheesecake to have a soufflé-like texture and collapse after it is taken out of the oven. The yolks and whites are best separated when cold and mixed/whipped at room temperature.
• Corn starch thickens the cheesecake batter and adds a glossy silkiness to the texture of the cheesecake. While flour can be used as a substitute, it will merely thicken the batter - it will not enhance the texture of the cheesecake.
• Vanilla extract is used to enhance the other flavors in this recipe.

Topping

• To take this New York Style Cheesecake Recipe over the top - decorate it with sliced fresh strawberries and drizzle each slice with Homemade Strawberry Sauce.

How do you make this New York Style Cheesecake Recipe?

Make the crust: To make the crumbs, you can use a food processor or a measuring cup, or a small bowl and pound the crackers into crumbs.  Alternatively, you can also put the graham crackers into a zip lock bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and cinnamon until thoroughly mixed. The mixture has enough melted butter and is done when a clump of the crumb mix retains its shape without falling apart. Pack the buttery graham crust firmly into the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan.

Prepare the pan: Use a little butter to grease the sides of the springform pan. Press cut-to-fit parchment paper to the bottom and sides of the pan. Wrap the springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil so that the underside is fully covered and there are no seams on either the bottom or sides of the springform pan. The purpose of this step is to create a watertight seal so that no water from the water bath seeps into the cheesecake.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Set a kettle of water to boil. Set aside once done.

Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and sugar and whisk thoroughly until fully combined. An electric or stand mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment) can also be used. Be careful not to overmix.

Add the sour cream, heavy whipping cream, egg yolks, corn starch, vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice one at a time and mix until fully combined. If using a stand mixer, begin at low-speed each time before moving to high speed. Starting at a low speed is important because the cream cheese mixture is much heavier than the other ingredients causing the new ingredient to splatter when mixed at high speed.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl until they forms stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula, making sure to mix from the bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix - a few ribbons of egg white should still be visible when done. Pour the batter into the springform pan. Shake the pan slightly to evenly distribute the batter. Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula.

Bake the cheesecake: Place the cheesecake on large roasting pan and fill it with about an inch of boiling water (water bath). Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and bake for a further 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour.

Cool the cheesecake on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Serving: Remove the foil, then release and remove the sides of the springform from the cheesecake. Carefully remove the parchment strip. Use two large spatulas to transfer the creamy cheesecake to a serving dish.

Decorate with strawberries if desired. Slice the cheesecake with a warm, sharp knife, wiping the knife clean with a paper towel between each slice. Pour on the strawberry topping on each slice of cheese cake just before serving. Cheesecake is best served chilled.

Tips on making the Best Cheesecake

• Invert the cake pan in the spring form. This ensures that there is no overhang of lip when sliding out the cheesecake - much of this problem is eliminated by using parchment paper on the bottom.
• Butter the springform pan so that the parchment sticks easily to the pan.
• Wrap the springform pan with aluminum foil. Springform pans are not waterproof - the foil makes sure that no water leaks into the cheesecake causing it to become soggy.
• Egg temperature matters. The yolks and whites are best separated when cold and mixed/whipped at room temperature.
• Do not overbeat the batter. Overbeating introduces air into the batter causing the cheesecake to puff up like a souffle in the oven then collapse once the cheesecake cools.
• Do not skip the water bath. Why? Because it helps the cheesecake stay moist but also ensures that the cheesecake does not crack. The water bath or bain-marie slows down the heating process - the low temperature ensures that you get a perfect cheesecake every time.
• Use a roasting pan for the water bath. A roasting pan or a larger cake pan is ideal for the water bath because you want about 1 inch of water in the pan.
• Add boiling water to the water bath. The cooking times are based on boiling hot water - not hot water from the tap.
• Cool the cheesecake in the oven in the final stage with the door slightly open. This helps prevent cracking.
• Put a pan of hot water in the oven if you don't want to use a water bath. A water bath prevents a lot of mishaps during the cheesecake cooking process but if you don't want to use one, put a pan of hot water in the hot oven. This creates moisture which will help keep the cheesecake moist.
• Don't peek while the cheesecake is baking! Opening the door reduces the temperature to drop suddenly, causing cracks.
• Cool the cheesecake inside the oven. Put a wooden spoon between the oven door and oven to make sure the oven cools slowly - a sudden temperature change can cause cracks.

Storage

Leftover cheesecake should be covered with aluminum foil when storing and should be refrigerated as soon as possible. It should not be kept outside at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or less if it is very hot (e.g., over 90°F).

This New York Style Cheesecake Recipe lasts about 4 days in the fridge after which the texture begins to change as the cake dehydrates.

To store in a freezer, wrap the cooled cheesecake first in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil to ensure that it does not absorb any other flavors. Freeze for up to 1 month for optimal taste and texture. To thaw cheesecake, leave it in the fridge overnight. For immediate use, you can thaw cheesecake on your kitchen counter at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Each serving of this easy cheesecake recipe has about 294 calories, 20.7g of fat, 4.2g of protein, and 20.5g of carbohydrates (20.3g of net carbs).

This recipe yields approximately 10 servings. The nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only and should be used as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool.

Variations

Here are some popular variations to this delicious creamy dessert:

• Mix in chocolate chips with the creamy cheesecake filling.
• Drizzle with caramel sauce or a fruit compote like hot blueberry pie filling or our Strawberry Topping.
• Swirl in some peanut butter.
• Vary the classic graham cracker crust.
  • Set the crust on both the bottom or all the way up the sides.
  • Substitute the graham crackers with other cookies like Nila wafer, Marie cookies, ginger snaps, and Oreos (without the cream).
  • Mix the crushed cookie crumbs with crushed nuts like pistachios, pecans, or almonds for a delicious crunch.

Serving Suggestions

Baked cheesecake slices should always be served chilled. While I love the plain classic cheesecake my favorite is with Strawberry Topping - I just love how the sauce drips down after every bite. Cheesecake is also fantastic with fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar, fresh fruit slices, cherry pie filling, and melted chocolate.

Cheesecake FAQs

Looking for more recipes?

Search

Other Dessert Recipes