New York Baked Cheesecake
The definitive New York cheesecake: a crumbly graham cracker base beneath a dense, tangy cream cheese filling, baked in a water bath until perfectly set.
🛒 Ingredients
- 250g graham crackers, crushed
- 80g unsalted butter, melted
- 900g full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 250g caster sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks
- 200ml sour cream
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- zest of 1 lemon
👨🍳 Method
- 1
Combine cracker crumbs with butter. Press firmly into a 23cm springform pan. Bake 10 minutes at 160°C.
- 2
Beat cream cheese until completely smooth. Add sugar; beat 2 minutes.
- 3
Add eggs and yolks one at a time on low speed. Do not over-mix.
- 4
Fold in sour cream, flour, vanilla, and lemon zest.
- 5
Wrap pan base in foil. Set in a roasting tin filled with 3cm of boiling water.
- 6
Bake at 150°C for 75-80 minutes until edges are set and center has a gentle wobble.
- 7
Turn oven off. Leave inside with door ajar for 1 hour.
- 8
Refrigerate overnight before slicing.
💡 Chef's Tips
- →Every ingredient must be at room temperature — cold cream cheese causes a lumpy, uneven bake.
- →Do not over-mix after adding eggs — it incorporates air that causes cracking.
- →Cooling slowly in the oven prevents the top from cracking.
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