New York Style Cheesecake

Soft and rich cheesecake batter with a slightly lemon flavor on a thick and crunchy graham cracker crust!

This cheesecake is almost as famous as the city it is named after. A crisp and thick graham cracker layer and the creamiest and richest cheesecake filling you can imagine.

Strawberry sauce and fresh fruits give this cake its delicious fresh taste and look!

Secret Ingredient for the best Cheesecake: Fresh Lemon!

A lovely taste of vanilla and a good amount of fresh pressed lemon juice give this cake its unique and flavorful taste. The secret ingredient for an even richer lemon taste: fresh lemon zest! Trust me this cake is worth the effort! Sweeten the waiting time with mouth-sized mini cheesecakes that you whip up from leftover crumbs and filling! This is my favorite New York Style Cheesecake recipe. It is so versatile, you can add any kinds of fruits and change the cookie crust to an OREO cookie crust or your favorite cookie!

Read here how to get a perfectly smooth cheesecake!

How to make the a thick and creamy strawberry sauce!

If you want to have pieces of strawberries in your sauce cook it only 3 minutes. If you want a thick and creamy consistency cook it for 10 minutes and make pulse it in a food processor or mixer until smooth

To ensure a crack free cheesecake I recommend to read this cheesecake recipe

New York Style Cheesecake

Ingredients:

40 oz (1,125 g) cream cheese, softened at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar

3 tbsp flour

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 – 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (245 g) sour cream, at room temperature

1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream

For the Graham cracker crust:

2 cups (240 g) graham cracker crumbs (18 crackers)

6 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp sugar

For the strawberry sauce:

1 tbsp cornstarch

3 tbsp warm water

1 lb (450 g) strawberries, cut (if frozen, do not thaw before)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

3 tbsp sugar

For the whipped cream:

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tbsp powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 375 °F. To make the Graham cracker crust you need to make cookie crumbs. You can either blend the cookies in a food processor or use a zip lock bag and a rolling pin to make cookie crumbs. Mix the fine crumbs with melted butter and sugar. Press the mixture in a spring form pan and bake it for about 10 minutes. Let it come to room temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 °F.

Step 2:

To make the cheesecake filling, start off with a large bowl or use a food processor. Add the cream cheese in a big mixing bowl and mix it until smooth for about 4 minutes. Add sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix until well combined. Mix in flour and eggs. When it is smooth add sour cream and heavy cream. Mix until smooth for about 2 minutes.

Step 3:

Fill the cheesecake batter on top of the cookie crust. To bake the cake cover the spring form pan in aluminum foil or a silicon baking pan to make sure no water can enter. Place it in a slightly bigger baking pan and fill it 1 inch high with water. Bake the cake in this water bath at 325 °F for about 80 minutes until the top turns golden brown. Turn off the oven and let it cool in the oven for about 30 minutes. Take it out of the oven and water bath and let it come to room temperature for another 30 minutes. Then let it cool over night or for at least 4 hours in the fridge.

Step 4:

To decorate the cake make a strawberry sauce. Into a medium sized pot add water, lemon juice and cornstarch, mix it until dissolved. Add the strawberries and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for about 3 minutes. Keep stirring to avoid burning. Remove from heat and let it cool before using. The strawberry sauce is going to thicken as it cools. If you want a thicker and smoother sauce I recommend cooking it for 5 more minutes and puree it in a food processor. Step 5:

Decorate the cake immediately before serving with strawberry sauce, fresh strawberries and raspberries! Serve directly from the fridge! The longer the cheesecake stays at room temperature the softer it gets!

Enjoy!

**PRO-TIPS**

• Don’t overbake the cheesecake as it will continue baking while cooling down. When the cake has a slightly jiggly texture in the center it is done baking.

• When you have left over filling use it for mouth-sized mini cheesecakes! Line up a cupcake baking sheet and fill it with crust and the left over filling. Bake the mini cheesecakes with the regular cheesecake but only for 20 minutes. They are even easier to bake since they don’t need a water bath. Let them cool down at room temperature and let them rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours before eating.

• To ensure a crack free cheesecake I recommend to read this cheesecake recipe.

• Use less cream cheese for a better cake to cookie crust ratio ;)

• I love to add more lemon juice for a stronger flavor.

• Add more flavor with a whipped cream topping: To make the whipped cream use a tall measuring cup. Add heavy cream and powdered sugar. Whip it on low for about 30 seconds with a hand mixer using the whisk attachment. When it begins to thicken increase speed and whip until fluffy. Fill it in a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe some swirls of whipped cream and garnish with strawberry sauce immediately before serving.