New York Cheesecake!
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more details!*
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
- Whisk the cheesecake mixture on a SLOW setting and being patient when you whisk it – if you don’t feel confident in this, its better to use a hand whisk then push it too far. Over whisking the ingredients can cause the mixture to split.
- 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.
- You can leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door closed if you want a slightly drier texture but I prefer it open!
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.
This is the only baked cheesecake I ever make. It is amazing!
Hi Jane!
Love your recipes so looking to try this, wondering if you think it could take any weight? I need something to feed a large number of people so was thinking 2 of these layers or adding the baked cheesecake as a middle layer between 2 sponges? Just not sure how soft this is, so would it work?
Thank you!
Hi Jane
Massive fan! Made your baked cheesecake bars and they were divine!
Regarding the New York baked cheesecake recipe can I change the sourced cream for double cream like in your baked chocolate cheesecake bars? I’m assuming it will make it more creamy and light?
Would love your opinion thank you 😊
Hiya! In New York Cheesecake, it is classic to use soured cream or a natural yoghurt to achieve the best bake! Hope this helps! x
Thank you for this recipe, can’t wait to make it.
Is it okay to use vanilla extract instead of the paste?
Also, is an extra yolk needed on top of the 3 eggs?
Thanks
Yes absolutely you can, and nope – as per the recipe, just 3 eggs! Hope this helps! x
Hi I’ve got a 9 inch springform tin would this recipe work for it or would I have to increase the amounts like how in your no bake cheesecake you would just increase the amount of cream cheese
Hi Jane, I have made this cheesecake before and it was a huge success. I’m hoping to make it again but half the size. I have an 8″ tin. Could you let me know how long you think I should bake it for?
Thanks!
I’ve made this into a mini cheesecake version. Once cooked rather than chill in the fridge can I just freeze straight away? My plan is to freeze in the end anyway. I’ve made the large version of this before and absolutely love it!!
Is there anyway of making this a baked chocolate cheesecake ?
Hi Jane! Can I use soft cream cheese for this recipe?
The ingredients list says 3 medium eggs but some of these comments talk about adding an extra yolk. Please can you confirm how many eggs/yolks is correct? Thanks
To make this recipe gluten free, would I just swop the digestives for gluten free digestives? x
Yes – but I would reduce the butter content by about 1/3!
Always wanted to do a baked cheesecake and so glad I finally decided to… I can’t describe how good this is! 😍 did everything to the recipe and it turned out perfect! Everyone who’s tried it also commented how good it is! xx
Oh man, this was beautiful! I made your white choc and raspberry no-bake last week, and thought I’d try this one this week. This is my first baked cheesecake ever, and as nice as last weeks was, the baked one is by far my favourite. The recipe was spot on, I changed nothing, easy to follow and great results. I’ll be making another next weekend to take to a party!
Aww thank you so much I am so happy you love the recipe xx
Hi Jane
I would really love to try this cheesecake and I have seen several other recipes for the New York and they all say to turn your oven down to 110, my oven’s lowest setting is 120. Any suggestions on what I can so as the over will be too hot on the lowest for mine?
Thanks
Christine
Hey, If it is a regular oven, not a fan oven it should be fine it might just brown slightly xx