With this recipe, a creamy, gorgeous, crack-free New York-style cheesecake is totally doable, even for beginners. It’s one of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever had – it tastes amazing! To learn how to make it perfect, read all my tips in the post below.
INGREDIENTS :
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (one pint) sour cream, room temperature
- 4 8–ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
INSTRUCTIONS :
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Next wrap the springform pan with one large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, covering the underside of the pan and extending all the way to the top. Repeat with another sheet of foil for insurance. Spray the inside of the pan with nonstick cooking spray. This will help to prevent water seeping into the pan when you put it into the bain-marie.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sour cream until well blended.
- In a meduim sized bowl combine the cream cheese, butter. Add this to the egg-sour cream mixture and beat until smooth.
- Add the sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cornstarch; beat on low speed until just combined.
- Set the unbaked cheesecake in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about one inch up the side of the cake pan. The water bath regulates the temperature and keeps the cheesecake baking at an even, low heat.
- Bake until the cake is just set, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes (the cake should not look liquidy at all but will wobble just a bit when the pan is nudged. Cool the cheesecake in the water bath until the water is just warm, about 45 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath, discard the foil. Remove the sides of the springform pan. You can serve the cheesecake right from the base of the springform pan.
TIPS AND TRICKS :
- Flour might seem like an odd addition, but a little starch prevents the cheesecake from cracking as it cools.
- to transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish use thin spatula between the crust and the pan bottom, and then use two large spatulas.
- Feel creative when it comes to topping your cheesecake, me i like mine with berry sauce.