I love New York Cheesecake, because the addition of sour cream (or heavy cream) makes this dessert rich and velvety. The cheesecake bakes to a burnished golden brown. This is glorious, eaten plain. But,the sky is the limit with what toppings you’d like to add. I made a strawberry topping that balanced beautifully with the vanilla and slight tang of the sour cream. Best cheesecake I’ve ever baked!
I’ve been rather scarce, this month. Part of my absence was adjusting to being an empty nester. I fell into a temporary sense of grieving. On March 1st, my son packed up his car with his few personal belongings, and drove away,headed from California to Texas. (He was given an offer he couldn’t refuse– to apprentice as an electrician.) He’s my one and only child (er, grown son) and it has taken me a few weeks to wrap my head around his being so far away, and that he really is on his own. It’s bittersweet, but I’m truly happy for him.
He was also one of my best (and most honest) food critics, who would often bring along his best friend to join us at the dinner table. The night before my son drove off to his new chapter in his life, I asked him what he would like for his last supper. For dinner, he requested “Osso Bucco“, which I made for him. For dessert, he asked for his #1 favorite dessert– cheesecake.
I’ve posted a German Cheesecake made with Quark (and it’s still one of my faves) in 2011. The most recent time I made cheesecake, it was in my pressure cooker. It only took 15 minutes, and turned out to be creamy and delicious. But, because this would be my son’s last supper in his childhood home, I decided to bake a cheesecake in a more traditional way.
Let’s bake!
The crust is a traditional graham cracker crust, which is has three basic ingredients–
The crust is pre-baked for about 13 minutes, and set on a wire rack to cool. The oven is now preheating to 500 degrees. Yes, that’s right! 500 degrees.
Hold your gasp– this recipe uses 2-1/2 pounds of cream cheese. That would be FIVE 8-ounce packages of cream cheese. Let’s up the ante by adding six whole eggs, plus 2 egg yolks, shall we? This is dessert, after all.
Once the cream cheese is blended with sugar, we add sour cream, fresh lemon juice and some pure vanilla.
Notes from America’s Test Kitchen:
The flavor and texture of the cheesecake is best if the cake is allowed
to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. When
cutting the cake, have a pitcher of hot tap water nearby; dipping the
blade of the knife into the water and wiping it clean with a kitchen
towel after each cut helps make neat slices.
TASTING NOTES: I placed the first slice in front of my son. As I gazed at my son’s facial expression, he closed his eyes and he smiled. Yes, “this was the best cheesecake he’s ever eaten”, he declared. Of course, he might be just a tad bit biased, but I’ll take that as a sincere compliment. I have to agree.
The flavor of the cheesecake was creamy and had the perfect balance of tang (from the lemon juice and sour cream) and just the right notes of vanilla. My husband, who thinks that cheesecake is “just okay” went back for more. I sent half of the cheesecake home with my son’s best friend. In the morning, I knew my son would be driving off– into the sunrise. The last thing I need is to be left alone with that much cheesecake.
Honestly, I didn’t think this was a complicated recipe to make, but it’s got a hefty price tag when you have to buy five packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (my favorite brand). But, when this is for the son you love and adore, it’s totally worth it.
New York-Style Cheesecake with a Fresh Strawberry Topping
Equipment
- 9-inch springform pan
Ingredients
Crust:
- 8 graham crackers
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, plus additional 1 tablespoon melted butter for greasing pan
Filling:
- 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
- 6 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/8 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Topping:
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries cleaned, hulled, and cut lengthwise into thin slices
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- pinch table salt
- 1 cup strawberry jam
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Crust:
- Break graham crackers into small pieces and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until you have fine, uniform graham cracker crumbs. You should have 1 cup of crumbs.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325°F.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar in medium bowl; add 5 tablespoons melted butter and toss with fork until evenly moistened.
- Brush bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan with most of remaining melted butter, reserving a bit to brush the pan again before putting in the filling.
- Empty crumbs into springform pan and press evenly into pan bottom.
- Bake until fragrant and beginning to brown around edges, about 13 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling.
- Filling:
- Increase oven temperature to 500°F.
- Cut room temperature cream cheese into small chunks. For easier cutting, you may also cut into chunks before allowing to come to room temperature.
- In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese at medium-low speed to break up and soften slightly, about 1 minute. Scrape beater and bottom and sides of bowl well with rubber spatula; add salt and about half of sugar and beat at medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl; beat in remaining sugar until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl; add sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla, and beat at low speed until combined, about 1 minute.
- Scrape bowl; add yolks and beat at medium-low speed until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl; add whole eggs two at a time, beating until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute, and scraping bowl between additions.
- Set springform pan on rimmed baking sheet (to catch any spills if springform pan leaks). Pour filling into cooled crust and bake 10 minutes. Without opening oven door, reduce oven temperature to 200°F and continue to bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of cheesecake registers about 150°F, about 1.5 hours.
- Transfer cake to wire rack and cool 5 minutes; run paring knife between cake and side of springform pan. Cool until barely warm, 2.5 to 3 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours. (Cake can be refrigerated up to 4 days.)
- To un-mold cheesecake, remove sides of pan. Slide thin metal spatula between crust and pan bottom to loosen, then slide cake onto serving plate. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving with strawberry topping.
- Topping:
- Toss berries, sugar, and salt in medium bowl; let stand until berries have released juice and sugar has dissolved, about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally to combine.
- Process jam in food processor until smooth, about 8 seconds; transfer to small saucepan. Bring jam to simmer over medium-high heat; simmer, stirring frequently, until dark and no longer frothy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Stir in lemon juice; pour warm liquid over strawberries and stir to combine.
- Let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours. To serve, spoon a portion of topping over each slice of cheesecake.
Notes
Nutrition
I don't think I've ever seen a finer looking cheesecake, that thing rose so high! As for your son leaving, I feel for you, my daughters left and now one is back in town, so there's hope yet 🙂
Mmm that sounds amazing!! Nothing like classic cheesecake. Love the strawberry topping 🙂
I couldn't resist going back for seconds of this luscious cheesecake either!
Looks like a winning recipe. Glad you are going to visit to your son. After you see how happy he is, how he is living, you can relax more and learn to adjust to him not being in your home anymore.
New York style is my favorite cheesecake! Good for you – make those taste testers happy and they'll keep coming back for more. Lovely!
New York style is my favorite cheesecake! Good for you – make those taste testers happy and they'll keep coming back for more. Lovely!
Oh, Debby! Congrats to your son on his new job! And I sure do know how you will MISS HIM! I think your son and mine are the same age (in their early 20's) and, although we WANT them to make their own way, and we are HAPPY when they do, we are sad to have our best buddies leave… (My son is still living at home, but I know that SOON he is going to venture out!) So kudos to you for raising a great son and one who was a great reviewer of your food! 😉 BUT, trust me, he WILL be back. He will miss his Mama's food! LOL! And, have a great trip with your hubby to see your boy. Just remember: When you get there, you must COOK UP A STORM and freeze all of this fav meals for him to keep in his freezer. 😉 Again, congrats to your boy on his new job.
Best,
Gloria
(www.thelittleredhousewiththewhiteporch.blogspot.com)
I need a party (or my Italian chit-chat group) as an excuse to make that decadently delicious cheesecake. I can tell it would be addictive, but one of the best cheesecakes ever. I hope you find the adjustment to empty nesting easy and best wishes to your son in his new job.
Of COURSE leave it to ATK to give you the best cheesecake ever! I'm sure you made your son's night with this.
My daughter went off to university and she just never came back. I am pretty sure that is when I started blogging Debby to fill my empty nest and rejuvenate my soul.
Debby: Happened to see the previous person's comment… Well, I do NOT think that your son will never come back! From all of your posts that I've seen over time, you were a great Mom and he will NOT just come back for the Food! LOL! Your boy will come back for your love and your food, and I know you've done this blog for LOVE OF FOOD, and NOT just to fill your empty nest. You've given a lot of great stuff here. No disrespect to the previous commenter, but I DO know your son will return, no matter where he is… xxoo
Best,
Gloria
Gloria, I know Val who left that comment and she is a very sweet person. I knew what she was saying, and I didn't take offense at all. Thanks for your support, Gloria. I want my son to live wherever he is happiest. He will always come to visit his mom. I know that. I pray that he will meet a good woman, fall in-love and marry. We bring our kids into this world, but we don't owe them. 🙂
Hmmm, saw your comment, Debby. Shows that I should have kept my mouth shut.
Best,
Gloria
No worries, Gloria. I thought your words were very sweet. It's all good.