New York Style Cheesecake on Shortbread Crust

"This is the consummate cheesecake. You won't want any other's after you've had this one. I like to take my ingredients out on Friday morning before work and bake it Friday night when it's cool and quiet. That way it's ready to serve early Saturday."
 
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photo by alenafoodphoto photo by alenafoodphoto
photo by alenafoodphoto
photo by Ellehcin L. photo by Ellehcin L.
photo by Kitty Kat Cook photo by Kitty Kat Cook
photo by alenafoodphoto photo by alenafoodphoto
photo by gegedodotutu photo by gegedodotutu
Ready In:
3hrs 30mins
Ingredients:
12
Yields:
1 ten inch cake
Serves:
16
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ingredients

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directions

  • PREP------.
  • As with all baking, have all your ingredients at a cool room temperature (65°F).
  • Get a couple quarts of water boiling on the stove.
  • Arrange racks in your oven so there's one on the lowest and one in the middle. If you do not have a center position then go mid-lower.
  • Have a clean 10x14x2-inch (give or take) roasting pan ready.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Grease 10 inch springform pan.
  • CRUST-------.
  • Gently combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1/2 cup butter in a medium bowl.
  • Spread to the edges of the pan.
  • Prick all over with a fork, then bake 10-15 minutes at 400°F until lightly browned. Allow to cool on a rack.
  • FILLING------.
  • Increase oven temperature to 475°F.
  • Turn oven light off (trust me on this one), place roasting pan on bottom rack and fill with boiling water.
  • In a large bowl (I use my stand mixer), very gently beat cream cheese until smooth. I use the slowest setting for 5 minutes.
  • Scrape down sides of bowl.
  • Gradually add the salt, 1 3/4 cups sugar and 3 tablespoons flour -- continue to beat SLOWLY until well combined, scrape down sides of bowl.
  • In a small bowl gently beat the vanilla, 5 eggs and the 2 yolks, gradually add eggs to the cream cheese mixture.
  • Continue to stir until combined and smooth, stop mixer occasionally and scrape down sides.
  • VERY IMPORTANT! Stop mixer, remove bowl and give it a good scraping (some of the cream cheese will stick to the sides and bottom of the bowl), replace bowl on mixer and stir until all lumps are gone.
  • Add cream and mix only enough to blend.
  • Gently pour filling over crust, run a thin knife around the filling in a S pattern to remove any trapped air bubbles. Let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes then do it again.
  • Bake for 10 minutes at 475°F.
  • Reduce temperature to 200°F and continue to bake for one hour.
  • Turn oven off, but leave cake in for another hour.
  • DON'T TOUCH THAT OVEN DOOR! You've created a nice, humid environment that will help prevent cracks and produce a perfect, professional, NY style cheese cake assuming you didn't mess with it by changing the atmospheric conditions.
  • It may appear a little jiggly in the center and will have a golden appearance around the edges.
  • Allow to cool on a rack for several hours, release the latch slightly on the side of the pan after 20 minutes, rotate sides to be sure the cake is free (but don't take it off yet), you can remove the sides after an hour (or so) if you want to admire your work, but replace it quickly or the cake may fall.
  • After it's cool, wrap completely with plastic wrap, there should be a layer stuck to the top of the cake.
  • Chill overnight in the refrigerator (Yes, this is required).
  • The cake will stay at peak flavor for several days so long as you keep it wrapped and cold.
  • What can go wrong?.
  • If the cake cracks you either had your ingredients too cold, mixed the filling too vigorously, opened the oven door while the cake was cooking or didn't have a pan of water in the oven.
  • If it does crack, don't despair -- just cover with a dark fruit or a layer of cookie crumbs.
  • Toppings------.
  • Nothing (my favorite).
  • OR, boil a bag of frozen berries with a 1/4 cup of sugar until the liquid coats the back of a spoon, thicken with a table spoon of cornstarch mixed into a 1/4 cup of cold water -- Pour in slowly while maintaining the boil and stirring constantly.
  • Adjust thickness by adding liquid or more cornstarch.
  • Flavor with liqueur, fruit juice or extract.
  • Blueberries or raspberries with Chambord is awesome, cherries work well with Frangelico or Amaretto. If you do use an alcoholic beverage, be sure to boil off alcohol. Cool fruit sauce in a mason jar and refrigerate. Keeps longer than the cheese cake!
  • I've served it with caramel sauce and, buttered/sliced/baked apples .
  • A light milk chocolate sauce, a sprinkle of chopped pecans and dollop of whipped cream will produce a nice turtle cake.

Questions & Replies

  1. Can you please explain what is meant by “running a knife…around the filling”? Around the edge? Swirl throughout the pan? Thank you.
     
  2. I noticed the color of this cheesecake was quite different. I followed the recipe exactly and mine was on the darker side, some were very pale. The recipe said to cover it before refrigeration, with the wrap touching the top. Does it remove the top brown cheesecake layer?
     
  3. Do you leave the roasting pan with boiling water during the baking time?
     
  4. I love this cheesecake recipe but I want to make a smaller one. Can I just cut the recipe in half? Also how would I bake this if I spread the half-recipe's worth of batter out into 2 or 3 4-in springform pans instead?
     
  5. Salted or unsalted butter?
     
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Reviews

  1. Heaven-on-a-fork is the best way to describe this recipe! This cheesecake was very dense and creamy. I didn't make the shortbread crust for the bottom of the cheesecake, rather, I made a traditional graham cracker crust. I have never made a cheesecake that hasn't cracked, and was so excited to make a perfect cheesecake for the very first time. I could not find a pan to put my 10-inch springform pan into so, I used two pans on a rack below my springform pan and poured boiling water into both of them to create a steamy/humid environment for the cheesecake (worked great). The cake will appear jiggly as Steve mentioned, but upon cooling you've got the perfect cheesecake. Thanks so much for posting this wonderful recipe!!!!!!
     
  2. One word-Heaven-this was excellent. The only thing I will do next time is run a knife around the pan before I loosen the springform ring. I will definitely be making this again.
     
  3. WOW! I received showers of praise from everyone who tried this. It was AWESOME! The cake's presentation, texture, and taste was extrordinary. And Steve is right, serving this cake plain is the best!
     
  4. I followed this recipe to the letter and it turned out beautifully. I only added 3 minutes to the 475 baking time because my stove in my new apartment is electric, so it runs a bit cooler. But it is ultimate perfection every single time. I made a peach cobbler fruit topping and made a cinnamon crumble for some added crunch. And now my friends and family won't stop raving about it! Thank you so much for a beautiful recipe that yields such gorgeous results!
     
    • Review photo by Ellehcin L.
  5. One great tip to pass on. Cut vertical parchment paper liners for sides, fringe the bottom edge to allow flat lining which conforms to the round pan sides and creates the flanges on which the bottom liner rests. Cut a circular piece after tracing the pan's bottom section precisely. Then press parchment as smoothly as possible to contain the entire sides and bottom, eliminating the need to grease the pans. After baking and initial cooling, and ready for refrigerator, don't forget to chill the serving plate you plan to use for presenting your beautiful cake. Also, the next morning, pull out the serving plate and dry the receiving surface should it condense. Prepare serving plate for presentation to the point where you can place the cake onto it in its final position before decorating. After thorough chilling, your cake should be firm enough that you should be able to release the side clamp just enough to remove the bottom of pan. Close the clamp again. Tilt up the bottom to face you holding cake and sides at angle. Raise the parchment "fringe" tabs around the perimeter, and GENTLY peel off the circular bottom liner. Ease the cake, still clamped, down onto your serving plate. Now release the clamp fully expanding the ring and gently slide off the springform pan sides. Carefully peel off the remaining parchment. Voila!! Perfect!
     
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