Get ready for your mind to be blown! This is a classic, creamy, rich, tangy New York-style baked cheesecake. The kind that Rachel and Chandler ate off the floor. I use a digestive biscuit crust instead of graham crackers because that’s what’s easily available in India but it tastes absolutely like the real thing. So good!
A few years ago, I’d made this cheesecake and topped it off with fresh strawberry puree but when I made it again, I found myself going back to the original recipe and making some small changes. I use yoghurt instead of sour cream all the time and this time, I also used lesser butter. I found it leaking out a bit the last time and the crust is perfectly buttery even after cutting it down. Lemon zest and a little extra vanilla keep it beautifully flavoured without any eggy aftertaste. Basically this is perfection.
I baked this as a 9 inch cheesecake and it was actually done in about 30 minutes but I didn’t think to check it till about ten minutes later. Luckily it didn’t have any major cracks or issues. The trick with a cheesecake is to make sure you turn off the oven while it’s still wobbly on the top, with the edges puffed up and browned just a bit. Then you let it cool in the oven itself so that the cold air doesn’t cause it to sink and crack.
After a nice long chill in the fridge, you’ll slice into the most perfect cheesecake! You can also freeze it to last longer, what a great feeling it is to have cheesecake any time you want it! The tanginess of the lemon balances perfectly with the sweetness and it’s hard to stop eating it.
It’s a straightforward, easy recipe. Just keep a couple of things in mind and you’re good to go!
Please read the recipe notes before beginning.
New York Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 250 gms digestive biscuits
- 80 gms butter, melted, salted or unsalted
- 500 gms cream cheese, at room temp
- 3/4 cup thick yoghurt or sour cream, at room temp (170 gms)
- 3/4 cup caster sugar (140 gms)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (I used two small Indian lemons)
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, at room temp (see notes)
Instructions
- In a food processor fitted with a sharp blade, blitz the biscuits until finely crumbed and sandy in appearance. Pour in the melted butter and let the processor run on low speed until the mixture clumps together.
- Tip into the base of a 9" springform pan and press down evenly and firmly, taking the mixture up to the sides of the pan as well. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 160 C.
- Make the filling about 10 minutes before the crust is done chilling. Wipe out the bowl of the food processor and add the cream cheese and yoghurt. Blitz till smooth, about 5 seconds.
- Now add the sugar, lemon zest and vanilla and blitz to combine.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, letting the processor run after each one for a few seconds. Once the third egg is added, let it run on low speed for another 5 to 10 seconds, until the eggs are completely incorporated. Remember not to over-beat the batter. Too much air in it will cause the cheesecake to crack. A hand mixer also works here and in fact, reduces the chance of over beating the filling.
- Pour the filling over the chilled crust and tap the pan gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until you see the edges are puffing up and lightly browned and the center is still wobbly. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven itself for 20 minutes, with the oven door slightly open.
- Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature for another hour and you will see the center has firmed up. Place in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Slice and serve!
- Cheesecake must be stored in the fridge at all times in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for about a month. Happy baking!
Notes
Shop this recipe!
Check out a full list of my baking essentials here!
This post contains affiliate links.
Pingback: Baked Strawberry Cheesecake
Pingback: Baked Mango Cheesecake
Pingback: Blueberry Cheesecake
Hi there. Have been looking for a good cheesecake recipe. Does this not need cornflour/cornstarch? And doesn’t it need to be baked in a water bath?
Hi, if any of those were necessary I would have mentioned it, but you can use a water bath if you really want to. The eggs help the filling set so cornflour isn’t needed, unless you’re making the eggless variation in the recipe notes.
Thanks for taking the time to reply! Will try this and see how it turns out. I have tried your cream cheese pound cake recipe and it always comes out great! Served it yesterday with strawberry compote and it was sooo good!
Pingback: Coffee Cheesecake with Tiramisu Bon Bons
Pingback: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Caramel Topping
Absolutely loved the cake that came out of this recipe. Will try it again.
That’s great !
Pingback: Eggless Baked Cheesecake
Pingback: Mini Basque Cheesecake
Hey!
I am from Peshawar, Pakistan and I love following your recipes because you use ingredients that are readily available here! Just a quick question – how can you make cream cheese at home. Unfortunately it’s not readily available here.
Thank you
Hi Radia! Thank you for following 🙂 I’ve sometimes used hung curd as a cream cheese substitute but there are some homemade versions like this https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/how-to-make-cream-cheese/ which involve souring milk like we make paneer. I haven’t tried this method but I’ve had some readers say it worked!
Pingback: Baked Nutella Cheesecake For Two
Looks like the perfect decadent cheesecake!!! So so good.
Thank you !