Skip to content
904 Shares

New York Cheesecake recipe

One thing that surprises people is how much French people, even with a tempting barrage of éclairs, macarons, and pain au chocolat on every street, love gâteau au fromage, or as it’s commonly called: le cheesecake. (Not to be confused with le cheese, which is a cheeseburger.) But it’s a no brainer since French people like cheese and they like cake. So why not combine the two into one dessert?

New York Cheesecake recipe

The French version is usually lighter, relying more on fromage blanc, a soft, fresh cheese not easily available in the U.S., in contrast to our cream cheese-laden version. (I have a version of that kind of French cheesecake, along with a swap-out for the fromage blanc, in The Sweet Life in Paris.) In fact, I have a few cheesecake recipes out there, including in my last book. But was tempted by this one from Ruth Reichl, while reading her terrific book, My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life.

I’d met Ruth Reichl back in the 1990’s, in the Napa Valley while cooking a large birthday dinner for Marion Cunningham, who had so many friends that the party had to be held in a big winery. Marion loved American cooking and ingredients, so I made a wild hickory nut ice cream, and spent the day in the kitchen with the other cooks, pitching in, as did the guests. One woman with long, wavy black hair spent an hour or so with us, shucking peas and chopping nuts (and drinking wine), whatever needed to be done. Like the other people who wandered in the kitchen, she didn’t ask: she just picked up a knife and started chopping.

Being cooks, of course, we did a lot of chatting as we went about our work, some of the talk probably veering into the gossip category. I had no idea who was standing next to me as our kitchen conversations went off in many different directions, and different people were discussed, while we laughed and worked. A while later, someone came in and said, “Hi Ruth!” to the woman next to me. It was then I realized it was Ruth Reichl, and was lucky I hadn’t said anything incriminating as I suffer from foot-in-mouth syndrome. (And boy, do I have a few stories regarding that, which didn’t end as well…)

New York Cheesecake recipe

Ruth herself is a pretty straight talker and had a tough year after Gourmet abruptly closed, recounting the aftermath in the beginning of the book. Right after she got the news, she went on a book tour that she had committed to, having to talk to people about what happened at the magazine while coming to grips with losing her job and her staff, all of which happened in the blink of an eye.

I enjoyed baking from her book not just because it’s a good read and chronicles how she rebounded from the events by cooking and baking her way back, but the recipes are written in a clever, more conversational style, rather in the standard format, making you feel like you are part of her story as you mix and stir. If you like personality in your recipes, this is the book for you. That philosophy also continues through the photos, which weren’t heavily styled but were taken at her home, and in her kitchen, made by Ruth herself. So the look and feel of the book has the personal stamp of someone who isn’t a professional chef, but someone who gets joy and pleasure out of cooking and baking.

New York Cheesecake recipe

Just about every recipe in the book reads like something you want to make. Yeasted waffles, Thai-style noodles, Spaghetti Carbonara, Matzo Brei, and Sour Cherry Tart – don’t those sound good?  She makes a convincing argument for Bacon and Marmalade Sandwich, a combination that I never considered, but now do. And Lemon Panna Cotta, a custard that miraculously comes together without eggs or gelatin, that I just have to try.

But my favorite part of the book is her description of how to grate the frozen butter in Nancy Silverton’s “Buttery Fantastic Flaky Biscuits” that calls for an astonishing half-stick of butter (50g) in every biscuit. She says about the grating process, “This will take you longer than you think, and you will have to stop from time to time to let your fingers thaw.” Now that’s the kind of information I like before plunging into a recipe, and makes me realize that the biscuits must be worth the frozen fingers and time involved, if that’s how she’s leading off the recipe.

Being at the helm of Gourmet for a decade, she noted that the most requested recipe from readers were for cheesecakes. Like bagels, cheesecake didn’t originate in New York, but came from Greece. But like the French, Americans – and New Yorkers – have adapted it to our tastes, using our beloved cream cheese, which can now be bought easily in French supermarkets under the name pâte à tartiner or fromage à tartiner – “spreading paste” or “spreading cheese.”

New York Cheesecake recipe

Ruth uses Famous Chocolate Wafers, which I was able to get while I was in the states. I’d never tasted them, and was surprised that they were actually pretty good. You can swap out gingersnaps, speculoos cookies, graham crackers, or make your own chocolate wafers. (There’s a recipe in my book, Ready for Dessert.) A little shortcut is that if you’re using the Famous Chocolate Wafers, you can crumble and pulse 27 of the cookies in the food processor, then add the melted butter, sugar and salt, and pulse them together for the crust.

New York Cheesecake recipe

Speaking of cream cheese, I did a taste test for a variety of cheesecakes a while back to see how regular cream cheese fared versus the “natural” versions (this was before we used the word “artisanal” came into play) that can sometimes found in cheese shops in America. The conclusion was that the flavor of the natural cream cheese was better, but the texture was creamier and smoother when store-bought cream cheese was used. So it’s up to you. Either way, with the crown of sour cream topping, I think you’ll find that it’s hard to keep your fork out of this cheesecake, as I couldn’t resist doing.

New York Cheesecake recipe

Cheesecake

Adapted from My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life by Ruth Reichl The base of this cheesecake is a New York-style cheesecake, which means it’s dense and rich, but has the addition of a sour cream topping. Other types of cheesecakes include those made with ricotta cheese, which often called Italian-style cheesecake. I’ve linked to a recipe for one like that below. But for most of us, this is what we think of when the word “cheesecake” comes up. You’ll notice that this cheesecake bakes at a low temperature and isn’t cooked in a water bath, as other cheesecakes sometimes are. My springform pan didn’t leak but if you’re concerned, you can bake the cheesecake by setting the cake pan on a foil-line baking sheet in case you think your pan might leak. Make sure the cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature, which will help them combine easily. If you live outside the U.S., you can check my post, American Baking Ingredients in Paris for substitutions for certain ingredients, which may be helpful even if you live outside of France. As mentioned in the post, you can swap out other cookies for the chocolate wafers, such as store-bought or homemade gingersnaps.

Cookie Crust

  • 6 ounces (170g) chocolate wafer cookies
  • 8 tablespoons (4 ounces, 115g) melted unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup (50g) sugar
  • pinch of salt

Cheesecake Filling

  • 1 1/2 pounds (680g) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) sugar
  • Finely grated zest of one lemon
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sour Cream Topping

  • 2 cups (1 pint, 450g) sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Lightly butter the bottom and partially up the sides of a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan.
  • Crumble and crush the chocolate wafers in a food processor or in a sturdy freezer bag with a rolling pin. You should have 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. Mix in the melted butter, 1/4 cup of sugar and pinch of salt. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and partially up the sides of the springform pan with your hands as evenly as possible. I start with my hands then use a straight-sided glass to press the corners in so they’re not too thick, and help the edges climb up the sides of the pan. It may not look perfect, but don’t worry. Put the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
  • Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and place on a wire rack. Reduce the oven heat to 300ºF (150ºC).
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or by hand in a bowl, beat the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and lemon zest for about thirty seconds, until combined. With the mixer on medium-high speed, add the eggs one at a time stopping the mixer and scraping the beater and sides of the bowl to incorporate the eggs, mixing until smooth and free of lumps. Add the vanilla. If necessary, grab a sturdy whisk and give the batter a few beats to smooth any stubborn lumps out by hand.
  • Scrape the cheesecake filling into the baked crust and bake until a few inches from the edges are cooked but about 4-inches (10cm) in the center is still jiggly, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • While the cheesecake is cooling, mix together the sour cream, 1 tablespoon of sugar and vanilla until smooth. Working with a little bit of delicacy, spoon the sour cream in a few mounds over the top of the cheesecake, being careful because that the filling underneath is still not fully set and you don’t want to disturb it. Use a spatula to very gently spread the sour cream mixture over the top of the cheesecake, making every attempt not to disturb the cheesecake underneath. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the sour cream glaze is just set.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, run a knife around the outside of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cool completely in the pan, then chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight before serving.

Notes

Serving and storage: I like cheesecake plain, served cold or close to room temperature but still cool. Cheesecake can be kept 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to two months.

Related Recipes

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Cheesecake Brownie Recipe

Italian Cheesecake (Amateur Gourmet)

Ricotta Ice Cream

904 Shares

73 comments

    • Alessandra

    The best cheesecake recipe for me, also found in Gourmet magazine, is the ‘Three Cities in Spain‘ one

      • Elizabeth Lincoln

      Wow! That’s the same recipe I’ve used for years- I have the original recipe clipped out of the original Gourmet magazine. Boy, do I miss that magazine!

    • Madeline

    wow love this!! I recently made mini ricotta cheesecakes with an oreo as the crust, so I am all about your crust here. Thanks for sharing!

    • Jessica @ Pret à Pousser

    Adding that cookbook to my Christmas list…the biscuit anecdote sold me!

    • Mel

    Please give an approximate cooking time. I’m not very good judge of when cakes are ready and really want to make this. Thank you

    • David
    David Lebovitz

    Alessandra: That recipe is nearly identical. (Except this one doesn’t use a water bath.) I wouldn’t be surprised if she had a hand in developing it for the magazine.

    Mel: Whoops. I’ve been moving to give more visual clues to doneness and neglected the baking time. (Because everyone’s oven is different.) It’s in there now. Enjoy the cake!

    Jessica: It’s a nice book. It’s one you can read and cook from. Visually, it’s lovely as well.

      • Alessandra

      Hi David,
      thanks for reply. I had noticed that too; since that recipe comes, as Gourmet says, from a restaurant called ‘Three Cities in Spain’ I do hope it is referred to in the book then!

    • Suzie

    David – I usually see recipes for cheesecake baked in a water bath. You didn’t do that. Is there a difference in texture with or w/o the water bath and if so what? Thanks!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I didn’t do a side-by-side comparison with or without a water bath but because of the low temperature this cheesecake baked up very nicely.

        • Suzie

        Thank you.

        • Brisa1355

        David, if I prefer to leave the topping off, how long should I cook it?

    • Christina

    I miss Gourmet. None of the current food magazines are as much fun and as informative to read. Gourmet and Julia Child taught me how to cook well. One of the best chocolate cheesecake recipes was printed in a Gourmet many years ago and sent in by a reader….

    • Fran

    I love biscoff cookies for crumb crust. Adds a nice spice note to float the cakes on.

    • Cindy

    I’ve loved Ruth Reichl for many years and own all her other books, which are absolutely fabulous. Why I don’t have this one is beyond me. I’m going to remedy that and I’m going to try this cheesecake for our Christmas dessert this year. Thanks!

    • Jennifer K

    I love Ruth. I saw her read from one of her books at Black Oak Books in Berkeley years ago, and she came across as totally charming and down-to-earth.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I heard that she once started a talk requesting people not to tweet during it, but to be focused and present on the discussion. I thought that was a lovely idea.

      • Saucy 7

      This recipe is remarkably similar to that 70’s classic from Moosewood: Montana Mom’s Dynamite Cheesecake. It’s universally loved and in demand for birthdays and other events!

    • Claudine

    My French mother and her French girlfriends (La Mafia) had a cheese cake recipe but they separated the egg whites and folded them in. An extra step but made the cake much lighter (vs. NY-style.)

    • Elena

    We love cheesecake as a family. I love Ruth Reichl’s books and recipies. I liked the information that cheesecake and bagels(?) have Greek origin! So cheesecake for the weekend!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Bagels didn’t originate in New York, but in Poland. Cheesecake is said to have originated in Greece. Both are closely attached to New York culture and cuisine, but have different origins.

    • shannon

    Hi David
    I have an 8 and a 10 inch springform pan. Could I use either of these?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Most springform pans are approximately 9-inches with some variations (many are made in metric sizes and use inches for approximation) – I would use the 10-inch size. The baking time should be similar, but always best to check a bit before recommended baking times as all ovens and pans are different.

    • Christine

    Might the large winery be Robert Mondavi? I worked there from 1984 through 1996. Great times. I still have a number of “Great Chefs” items from the program that Axel Fabre ran.

    • jomarch

    Hi David I make a cheesecake that I believe I got off of the back of a box of cornstarch 40 yrs ago. It has cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese. There is an awful lot of mixing to get it smooth. I have made it with a chocolate wafers crust but my favorite thing to do with those Nabisco chocolate wafers is make a crust ,then fill it with ricotta mixed with powdered sugar and pistachios or candied orange.
    Sort of a cannoli pie. I always love your recipes

    • Kari

    Cheesecake is one of those desserts that is always good no matter what mood you are in!
    Kari

    • Annabel

    Hello David,
    I’m a great fan of your blog and I’ve tried quite a few of your recipes. This one is next!
    I also live in France and I’d like to know what you use in lieu of sour cream, which isn’t available where I live.
    Thanx
    Annabel

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I linked to a post I did in the headnote of the recipe about the equivalent of American baking ingredients in France. For sour cream, good choices are Bridelice Epaisse (15%), Jockey or full-fat fromage blanc. You may be able to use crème fraîche here, although that’s richer.

        • Annabel

        Thank you.

          • val

          i’m also in Paris and i’ve used greek yogurt instead of sour cream before. the taste is closer than with the creme fraiche and it works just fine.

            • Annabel

            Sounds like a good idea, especially for savoury dishes, thanx.

            • David
            David Lebovitz

            Thanks. I’ve not used Greek yogurt in France since I generally buy regular yogurt for eating. Appreciate you letting us know that’ll work!

    • Brisa1355

    Thank you for listing weights/grams in your recipes. American recipes are difficult to follow with measurements of dry ingredients in cups. It’s quite inexact, especially for ingredients like flour.

    • P Adams

    Now this is cheesecake! I love cheesecake but often don’t order it because I’m afraid too much will have been done to it and the texture will be off. My ideal cheesecake is dense, almost savory and definitely in the New York style.

    Thank you for the reminder of Ruth Reichl’s book. I’ve enjoyed her other books and haven’t purchased this one yet. I enjoy her recipes as she focuses on the essence of the ingredients without being too fussy.

    • Sarahb1313

    Well, quite timely- seems to be a trend with me and your blog!!
    My son’s preferred birthday cake, made last night, is cheesecake (actually same recipe but with white chocolate…) and this year I decided to try a chocolate cookie crust!!
    I usually make it with a raspberry purée to go along.

    I am just getting ready to enjoy her new book. Already made on if the first recipes I found when I had a moment to open it!
    I used to live in Brooklyn and would pass Junior’s on Flatbush and sneak a small cheesecake on the way hime now and then. But it was different. Really light, almost fluffy. I definitely prefer this denser style to be sure!

    • Julie

    I also like to use Vanilla wafers when making the crust. It’s a nice change from the more traditional graham cracker crust.

    • june2

    Nothing like NY cheesecake! That sour cream topping and the dense creaminess is just soo good. Have you tried the other end of the spectrum: Japanese cheesecake? Also: Amazing.

    And I love love love Ruth Reichl’s autobiographical stories, so down to earth and interesting.

    • Julie

    Hi David, I love the read your posts and wondered if you might have a tried recipe for a Japanese cheesecake. I think it’s a light cheesecake which I’d like to try for Christmas as I think the New York style may be a bit heavy. Thanks!

    • Roxana

    I love Ruth, I can’t wait to dive into her new book, especially after seeing this beautiful cheesecake! Thanks for sharing David, I’m so looking forward to making this! Also, that birthday party sounds like a blast – that’s a fun story!

    • Judy Goldin

    Can I use petit beurre for the crust? Or Marie?

    • Lynn in Tucson

    When I was a kid, my mother kept Famous Chocolate Wafers in the freezer to make Grasshopper pie. I used to steal them.

    • Anne Wright

    I’ll be making this soon! We used to make little layered desserts with the same chocolate wafers and sweetened whipped cream in Cheraw, South Carolina many years ago! Thanks for sharing this great looking recipe and more of your stories!

    • Leslie Donoviel

    David, if I use creme fraiche instead of sour cream will it firm up as the sour cream does? Thank you.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I’ve not used crème fraîche but if you try it, let us know how it turns out.

    • Steven

    The recipe that I have been using for years comes from Jeff Smith (“The Frugal Gourmet”). His recipe called for 1 pound cream cheese, 2 eggs and 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) of sour cream, and a fair bit of melted butter. Because sour cream tends to come in 1 or 2 cup containers in the USA, and sour cream was so hard to measure, I just use 2 full cups, which makes for a tangier cheesecake than Smith may have had in mind. It is great. You have not heard much of Jeff Smith in many years, but he was insanely popular on American television in his time, and his recipe is still easily found on the internet. It is a VERY easy recipe.

    To avoid the crack on the top of the cheesecake which seems to be the bane of every cheesecake baker’s existence, I used to line the sides of the springform pan with crumbs, as well as the bottom. This works far better than buttering the sides. As the cheesecake would cool, the cheesecake would contract, but would pull crumbs off the sides of the pan, rather than trying (and failing) to pull in the inside of the metal springform pan. If there were no crumbs, the cheesecake would shrink anyway, but since it could not contract inward, it would contract outward, resulting in the crack up the middle of the cake. With crumbs on the sides, there would be no crack. Ever.

    I have since come to stop caring about the crack, and, in the ultimate cheat, have taken to baking my cheesecakes in store-bought graham cracker crusts, which are available in just about every supermarket in the United States. The most popular brand is Keebler, and they come in a variety of flavors. Are they as good as homemade crusts? Of course not! Are they easier? You bet!

      • Bebe

      An added bonus from the sour cream topping? Masks any crack.

        • Steven

        Agreed, but I have always thought of “masking the crack” was the original point of all of the toppings, whatever they were. (However, you can see that I am in the apparent minority that does not care about this crack.)

    • Coffeegrounded

    This will be a fun twist for me. I’ve yet to bake a cheesecake with the sour cream topping, generally that item gets mixed into the fold.

    I love baking my cheesecakes a few days ahead of serving. Flavor so deepen and the cookie crusts, if used, are easier to cut thru.

    I once baked Emeril’s Chocolate Ceesecake. It was a stunning masterpiece, but HUGE.

    I’m considering this for Christmas Eve. Thanks for the recipe, Honey-Bunches.

    • Maria del mar

    My mouth is wide open! I’m at awe with this beautiful dessert!

    • Rochelle

    Baking cheesecakes at the lower temperature of 300F has solved the problem of cracks in my cheesecakes, without any water baths!
    Another possible sub for sour cream is to take the French fromage a tartiner & dilute it with enough water & whisk it well enough to get the right texture.

    • Steve

    I make tons of cheesecakes, one of the crowd favorites has been the tiramisu cake from the cookbook from juniors restaurant in New York. It is similar to this but flavored with coffee, topped with marscapone whipped cream and surrounded with soft lady fingers. Worth the look if you can find it online. One trick for the water bath, which to me gives a smoother creamier cake, is to put the cake in a slow cooker size oven bag and bake it in that in the bath. You leave the top open and is so much easier than messing with foil. I do this too when blind baking a tarte shell, the rice or beans go into the bag inside the shell and are very easy to lift out when done. Love your blog by the way, I’ve adored Paris forever and have good friends outside Lyon…

    • cybercita

    I just finished reading My Kitchen Year yesterday and was really impressed with how much I wanted to make every single thing in there. I am a huge fan of Ms. Reichl’s and hope she writes a lot more books.

    • Lisa McNamara

    My very fave cheesecake in NY is from the two little red hens bakery, and Deb at smittenkitchen.com published a recipe a few years back that comes very, very close. I have made it many times and altered it by not adding the orange and not using the fruit topping. It is fantastic. Here is Deb’s recipe, for which i am very, very thankful! http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/04/new-york-cheesecake/

    • Dee

    Those famous cookies really are good!! I’ll definitely be trying this recipe, and I really love the way you write, it’s like talking face to face! Thank you!

    • Raising The Capable Student

    My husband loves cheesecake, and I have (finally) mastered his grandmother’s recipe. Now I have a new recipe to dazzle him with!

    • Bella

    I was searching for a new cheesecake recipe and just came across this one. It looks amazing and I will give it a try this weekend! Thanks for sharing!

    • Christine | Mid-Life Croissant

    This is exciting and scary at the same time. Exciting because it looks delicious. Scary because I’m a very insecure baker. But I’m in love with the pure whiteness of the topping! And that crust!

    • DDoug

    I’m from NY myself (Dutchess County, although my entire family is from the city) and have never seen the sour cream on top before. Does anyone know where that derives from?

    • moriya

    That is almost the same recipe that I use , but i also add white chocolate into the Cheesecake Filling :)

    • Bebe

    This is the kind of cheesecake I make. A friend gave me her handwritten recipe for her “Rich, Rich Cheesecake” has been my staple for decades. Never knew it was New York cheesecake (which I always thought was the spongy kind).

    I have always used graham cracker crumbs. The chocolate wafers (which are very dark chocolate) sound interesting. They were traditionally used in a refrigerator dessert (very big in olden times!) where they were stacked, layered with whipped cream, and then the “log” was frosted all over with more whipped cream. It was then refrigerated until firm. To serve, this “log” was cut in slices on the bias.
    The wafers softened and sort of melted into the whipped cream. A very delectable dessert. This cheesecake is, too.

    A really good cheesecake is best standing alone. Sauces and fruits should be saved for something else, IMO.

      • Bebe

      PS. I’ve never used a water bath. And never had a problem. Forming the crust so that it creeps up the side of the springform pan a little bit takes care of any potential for leaking.

    • rosedale

    David, I made this NY cheesecake last night, we just tried it and it was perfect! Just like the real McCoy I Ioved when I lived in NYC. Followed your recipe exactly except using graham cracker crust. The instructions were exceptional and easy to follow. Thanks for sharing it, I’m doing it again for Christmas– by request! Probably serve with homegrown preserves–for a little Pacific Northwest flair!

    • Abby

    David, lovely recipe. I made this and the cheesecake itself, along with the sour cream topping, encompassed everything I look for in cheesecake. Unfortunately the crust was a major fail for me and came out extremely greasy (butter did not separate when heating, used same chocolate cookies as you, always use a scale to measure amounts, etc.) and was the only unfortunate part. I’m going to try again with 225-250 g of cookies to see if they absorb the butter better for my taste, but it’s all preference and I loved everything else about this recipe. Thank you!

    • Victoris

    This might be the perfect dessert to take to my party next Friday night as Ruth says in her book that if you “show up anywhere with one of these you’ll be instantly welcome.” Her book, My Kitchen Year, really is a great read. I’ve had it for awhile but started reading it last night and couldn’t put it down.

    • Bricktop

    WADR, Google “Lindy’s cheesecake James Villas”. You’re welcome! ;-)

    • Rosemarie

    I love this cookbook! I think it’s my favorite to come out this year (aside from My Paris Kitchen!), so glad you enjoyed it as well.

    I am completely in awe you managed to purchase & pack away a sleeve of Famous Wafers without having a single one broken. Every time I buy a pack at least half are cracked at the bottom of the box!

    Hope you have a great New Year :-)

    • Shelli

    I loved Ruth’s cookbook and couldn’t put it down when I started reading! I believe the photos were taken by Mikkel Vang who insisted on an unstyled look. Apparently Ruth made the food and he got to eat after the photo shoot — lucky guy.

    • Elaine

    This recipe is very similar to the cheesecake recipe my mother, of blessed memory, followed when I was growing up in the 1960s and 70s. I have a hand-written recipe card, copied from her recipe, that I’ve had since I left home for college in 1977. I have no idea where she got it from, but she grew up in NYC. We moved to Seattle in 1962.

    • Deb

    It sounds like a light, lovely recipe. Someone mentioned Biscoff cookies for a crust; I like to use Pecan Sandies or Belle Vita biscuits with blueberries or cranberries. The tiny hint of cranberry is wonderful for the holidays.

    • hannah M.

    Here’s that Graham crust for cheesecake. I’m not plagiarizing, it’s been in mags and newspapers since like forever:
    mix:
    1 1/2 c. graham crackers, crushed
    1/3 c. very soft or melted butter
    3 T. sugar
    -press firmly in pan, bake 10 min. @ 350f or 180c – cool off a bit before filling. If you’re using a dusting of spice on the cake, nutmeg, cinnamon, or whatever, you can put a bit in the crust too, if you want.

    • Cabetca

    This cheesecake was our Christmas dessert. It was superb and has become my new go-to recipe for cheesecake. I served it with fresh lightly sugared blackberries. C’est magnifique!

    • casey

    Just made this with fingers crossed as all I had was neufchâtel. I’m in love with Ruth’s book too and curious to know if you’ve yet made her panna cotta you referenced– I don’t understand how it comes together without gelatin. I’m afraid to try it!

    • john

    This recipe is similar to many, including one I make from the now-defunct Lazarus department store. I’ve made it with Neufchatel cheese as well, and it comes out fine. I find that beating the batter for a long time in the stand mixer (at least 30 minutes, and up to an hour) gets the lumps out and also aerates the mixture such that the “cake” is a bit lighter (and taller in the pan). My convection oven automatically adjusts 300 F to 275 F when the fan is on, and it comes out great with no cracks every time.

    • Christine

    I find the smoothest cheesecake is put together in a food processor with a metal blade. I have to be careful not to overbeat, otherwise there’s too much air incorporated. I have had a lot of problems mixing cheesecake with a stand mixer. I have the Brooklyn cookbook which has a recipe for Junior’s cheesecake, which I have made so many timesI know the recipe from memory. I’ll have to try this recipe and report back!

A

Get David's newsletter sent right to your Inbox!

15987

Sign up for my newsletter and get my FREE guidebook to the best bakeries and pastry shops in Paris...