Creamy Cheesecake Recipe | New York Cheesecake Recipe
This creamy, soft and egg-free New York Style Cheesecake recipe is a favorite among my friends and family. When served with my simple chocolate sauce, this elegant dessert is both beautiful and delicious!
About Cheesecake Recipe
New York Style Cheesecake is the quintessential dinner party dessert. Made with both cream cheese and heavy cream, the filling is extra creamy, dense and soft. I have also engineered this recipe to be completely egg free!
Digestive biscuits make for a buttery, crisp crust that pairs beautifully with the tangy cheese cake filling. That said, this recipe is entirely adaptable to your preferences. Feel free to swap in graham crackers, gingersnaps, Biscoff or even chocolate sandwich cookies instead.
This simple eggless cheese cake recipe gives you a medium sized cheesecake, which is perfect for a small party. You can also easily halve the recipe if you prefer, just be sure to use a smaller springform pan.
This recipe also includes a simple chocolate sauce to serve with the cheesecake. You can skip this if you want, but the sweet chocolate sauce complements the slightly sour taste of the cheesecake very well.
Feel free to substitute your own favorite cheesecake garnish instead, like caramel sauce, fresh berries or lemon curd.
Finally, while cheesecakes are often considered more difficult desserts to make, my recipe takes just 20 minutes of active time to prepare. Make this easy recipe for your next special occasion and bask in the admiration and appreciation of your loved ones!
Note: This recipe is a baked version and does need an oven.
How to Make Cheesecake Recipe
Prepare Cracker Crust
1. Take 10 to 12 digestive biscuits or crackers or marie biscuits. Break them and add in a blender or grinder jar.
2. Grind to a fine powder.
3. Take this powder in a mixing bowl.
4. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter in it.
5. Mix very well with a spoon.
6. Now place this mixture in greased spring pan (a.k.a. springform). Grease the bottom as well as the sides very well with butter.
I used two pans of 5.5 inches (diameter) and 2.75 inches (height).
Tip: You can also use a 5 or 6 inches round pan. Alternatively, you can even use small to medium baking bowls or ramekins for individual servings. In this case you do not need to remove the cheesecake, so you do not need to worry about using springforms.
7. Using your fingertips or the back of a small glass or bowl, press the cracker and butter mixture into the pan, making a neat, even layer. Refrigerate the pan for 20 to 30 minutes, so that the cracker layer sets.
Make Cheese Cake Filling
8. In another bowl, take 3 cups cream cheese (600 grams) and ¾ cup sugar (150 grams).
Note: All the ingredients should be at room temperature.
I have used Philadelphia brand of cheesecake. Feel free to use a good brand that is available to you.
9. Next add 1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour), 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or powder.
10. Using an electric beater, start to whip this mixture.
11. Use a medium-high speed and whip till smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides with a spatula and continue to beat. You can also use a stand mixer to beat the mixture.
Tip: Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl very well to prevent any lumps. The cream cheese tends to hang on the sides of the bowl, so I recommend scraping a few times while making the cheesecake filling.
12. There should be no lumps of cream cheese in the mixture.
13. It should be smooth, thick and creamy without any lumps. Beat the mixture *just* until smooth. Do not over beat, as this can cause your cheesecake to crack.
14. Now add ½ cup cream.
15. Beat the mixture again.
16. Whip till the cream is blended very well and you see a even, smooth, creamy and thick mixture.
Bake Cheesecake
17. Remove the pan from the fridge. Here is the set cracker crust layer.
18. Now pour the whipped cream cheese layer in the pan.
19. Even the top by using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
20. Keep the pan in a preheated oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 180° C/356° F. Remember to preheat your oven at 180° C/356° F for 15 minutes and keep both the top and bottom heating elements on. Keep the pans in the middle rack.
(As mentioned before, I used two pans. If you opt to use a different sized pan, please adjust your cook times accordingly!)
Tip: If you use two pans, I recommend using a baking sheet or tray to help you check for doneness and to remove the cheese cakes from the oven.
21. After baking, check for doneness. A perfectly baked cheesecake will have sides that look risen, firm and set.
The centre of the cheesecake should be wobbly, but not runny, when you shake the pan gently. The sides will also look separated from the pan.
Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature. On cooling, the centre will become firm. Do not over bake. Since temperatures vary with the size, make and litres of the oven, do keep a check while the cheesecakes are getting baked. Cracks should not form on the cheesecake.
Tip: To prevent the top of your cheesecake from cracking, keep your oven door slightly open after baking and allow the cheesecake to cool inside it. This will keep the temperature from shifting too abruptly and rupturing the top.
22. Once the eggless cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, cover it with foil or an air tight lid. Place the pans in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Make Chocolate Sauce
1. Take ½ cup hot milk in a bowl. You can heat milk in a pan or a microwave. Do not boil the milk, which can scald it and negatively impact the flavor and texture. Simply bring it to steaming.
2. Add 1 cup roughly chopped sweet chocolate (75 grams). If using semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, feel free to add sugar to taste.
3. Mix very well with a spoon or spatula, till all the chocolate dissolves.
4. Let the chocolate sauce cool to room temperature.
Serve New York Style Cheesecake
5. Dip a butter knife in a bowl or cup containing warm water.
6. Now take the butter knife and gently slide it around the pan edge, separating the cheesecake from the pan.
7. Push the detachable lid from the bottom and gently remove the cheesecake. Then gently remove the lid from the base.
8. Place the cheesecake on a serving plate or tray.
9. Drizzle the chocolate sauce and serve the cheesecake. Enjoy!
Tip: If you prefer, you can also allow your guests to dress up their own cheese cake slices. If you are having a large party, you could even create a cheesecake bar replete with many toppings like chocolate and caramel sauce, whipped cream or buttercream, crushed cookies, candies, fresh berries and citrus curd. So fun!
FAQs for Best Cheesecake
Why did the top of my cheesecake crack?
Uh-oh. Sounds like one of two things happened:
1. You over beat the filling, or
2. You tried to cool the cheesecake too quickly.
For the best results, only mix the filling until it is *just* uniform, and allow the baked cheesecake to cool in the turned-off oven with a slightly opened door until cool enough to handle. Then you can remove it and allow it to cool the rest of the way to room temperature.
What can I substitute for digestive biscuits?
A very easy way to change the flavor profile of your cheese cake is to change out the crust. Feel free to swap in graham crackers, gingersnaps, Biscoff cookies, or even chocolate sandwich cookies instead!
I don’t like chocolate – what else can I serve with my New York style cheesecake instead?
No problem at all! This cheesecake makes a lovely blank canvas for your to paint your own favorite flavors on. Try subbing in some salted caramel sauce, lemon curd, fresh berries or a berry-based coulis instead!
What makes this a New York style cheesecake?
A New York style cheesecake has a filling that has been augmented with either heavy cream or sour cream, which results in a creamier, denser filling. The addition of lemon zest is also a typical feature of New York style cheesecakes.
Since my filling has both heavy cream and lemon zest, it can therefore be classified as “New York style.”
Can I freeze cheesecake?
Absolutely! Once the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, you can cover it and pop it in the freezer instead of the refrigerator. It should keep well for about 2 to 3 weeks. Any leftovers can also be frozen.
Also, freezing the cheesecake for even just one night can result in cleaner edges for your slices! Remove from the freezer, run a warmed knife around the edge to help it release from the pan.
Then, using a long chef’s knife that you have warmed with water, cut into the appropriate number of pieces. Allow it to come to refrigerator temperatures before serving.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Creamy Cheesecake Recipe | New York Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For cheesecake
- 10 to 12 digestive biscuits or graham crackers or Marie biscuits
- 2 tablespoons melted butter – salted or unsalted
- 3 cups cream cheese – 600 grams
- ¾ cup sugar – 150 grams
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder
- ½ cup cream – 30% to 50% fat, heavy or whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For chocolate sauce
- ½ cup milk – whole milk
- 75 grams sweet chocolate or 1 cup chopped sweet chocolate
Instructions
Preparing Cracker Crust
- Grease or spread some softened butter very well in two springform pans of 5.5 inches (diameter) and 2.75 inches (height). You can also use a 5 or 6 inches round pan. Alternatively, you can even use small to medium baking bowls or ramekins for individual servings. In this case you do not need to remove the cheesecake, so you do not need to worry about using springforms.
- Take 10 to 12 digestive biscuits or crackers or marie biscuits. Break them and add in a blender or grinder jar.
- Grind to a fine powder like texture. Take this powder in a mixing bowl.
- Add 2 tablespoons melted butter in it. Mix very well with a spoon.
- Now place this mixture in greased springform pans.
- With your fingertips or the back of a small glass or bowl, press the cracker and butter mixture and make a neat and even layer. Keep this pan in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes, so that the cracker layer sets.
Making New York Style Cheesecake
- In another bowl, take the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Now with an electric beater, start to beat this mixture.
- Use a medium to medium-high speed and whip till smooth. Do not over beat.
- Next add the whipping cream or heavy cream.
- Again beat the mixture till the cream is blended very well and you see a even, creamy, thick smooth mixture. Do not over beat.
- Now pour the whipped cream cheese layer in the pan. With an offset spatula or back of small spoon even the top.
- Keep the pans in a preheated oven and bake 180° C/356° F for 30 to 40 minutes. Remember to preheat oven at 180° C/356° F for 15 minutes and keep both the top and bottom heating elements on. Keep the pans in the middle rack.
- To check the doneness, the sides will look firm, risen and the center of the cheesecake will be wobbly. The sides will also look separated from the pan. Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature.
- Then cover with a foil or an air-tight lid and place the pans in the fridge for 4 hours or more. You can also keep overnight.
For Chocolate Sauce
- Take ½ cup hot milk in a bowl. You can heat milk in a pan or a microwave. No need to boil the milk. Just let it get hot.
- Add roughly chopped sweet chocolate (75 grams). If using semi-sweet or bitter chocolate, then do add sugar as per taste.
- Mix very well with a spoon or spatula till all the chocolate dissolves.
- Let the chocolate sauce cool at room temperature.
Removing and Serving Cheesecake
- Dip a butter knife in a bowl or cup containing warm water.
- Now take the butter knife and gently slid through the sides of the pan, separating the cheesecake from the pan.
- Push the detachable lid from the bottom and gently remove the cheesecake. Then remove the lid from the base.
- Place the cheesecake on a serving plate or tray.
- Drizzle the chocolate sauce and serve. Or your family or guests can serve the chocolate sauce themselves on the sliced cheesecakes.
- If you want you can even add some berries like blueberries, blackberries or strawberries while serving. Dry fruits or slivered nuts can also be sprinkled on the cheesecake.
- Feel free to top the cheesecake with your choice of sauce like a berry sauce or caramel sauce or lemon curd sauce.
Video
Notes
- Keep all the ingredients at room temperature, including cream cheese, vanilla extract or powder and cream.
- Do not over beat the cream cheese. Doing so may result in cracked tops once the cheese cake gets baked.
- Do keep a check while baking as oven temperatures vary. So it can take less or more time than what is mentioned in the recipe. Do not over bake. If you see cracks on top, then remove it from the oven.
- You can skip making the chocolate sauce but I would suggest to make it. Or else top the cheesecake with your favorite sauce like a berry sauce or lemon curd sauce.
- I used two pans. If you opt to use a different sized pan, please adjust your cook times accordingly.
- If you use two pans like me, I recommend using a baking sheet or tray to help you check for doneness and to remove the cheese cakes from the oven.
Nutrition
This Cheesecake Recipe from the archives, originally published in November 2016 has been updated and republished on February 2023.
One of my most favourite recipes from your blog Dassana. God bless!
Thank you so much for your kind words and blessings. So glad to know this cheesecake recipe is one of your favorites.
i’ve made this recipe twice and it came out amazing both times. thank you for making your content so accesible and easy to follow!!
Great and thanks for letting me know. Most welcome.
Made this recipe yesterday. This is the best cheesecake we have ever eaten. Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe. Didn’t even need waterbath and other hassles! Too good.
Glad to hear! Great and thanks for the super feedback.
Hey I don’t have a mixer can I use a whisk
Yes, you can do that, but a lot of arm work will be required.
Hi
I just love your recipes . Can we use whipping cream instead of normal cream for the cheesecake preparation?
Yes, you can use whipping cream. Thanks.
I tried this cake for my husband’s birthday today and the results were amazing. Everyone loved it, now no one would even want to eat the one from the market. Thanks a lot, Dassana, your recipes never fail us.
So glad to know Neera and thanks for sharing the feedback. Homemade desserts are so good and once you make them, you don’t want to buy them from the market.
Hi Dassana,
I tried out this recipe and it turned out to be PERFECT!! Thanks for such an easy do!!
One suggestion please. I had to struggle to find out how to make cream cheese. Looked up various other sites and then just did a hit n trial of all put together (basically, hung curd + cottage cheese, but I was skeptical about the quantities); fortunately it turned out fine. It would make it even smoother if you could include a link in the recipe on how to make cream cheese as well, now that I know it is super easy 🙂
Hi Nidhi, thanks for this wonderful feedback and rating. Glad to know. Generally cream cheese is easily available online and in super markets. But I will try to add a recipe of cream cheese and link it with this post.
Yes, it would indeed be very good to have cream cheese recipe from you. Additionally, how about a blue berry topping – can you also guide us how to prepare it? My daughter wants a blue berry cheese cake for her birthday in Nov.
Fine and I have also noted down the blueberry topping recipe request. Thanks.
Love your recipes
thank you very much ????
Hi Dasanna, can the Amul cream be used for the cream you mentioned, not instead of cream cheese.
hi elza, you can use amul cream.
Can this be made in convection microwave? If yes, at what temperature and how much time?
Nimisha, yes you can. you can bake at 165 to 170 degree celsius. the baking time varies from oven to oven so difficult to say.
Another query… If the cream the wipping cream or the regular tetra pack cream
in india i get cream in tetra packs which i then whip in a stand mixer or with an electric whipper.
What size of tin do you use?
desiree, the size of tin is 5.5 inch (diameter) and 2.75 inch (height). i made the cheese cake in two such pans.
Hi, can I use a normal cake pan which is 8 by 6 instead of a springform pan ? I need to change the baking time right ?
you can use 8 by 6 inches pan. baking time will increase. keep an average baking time of 40 minutes. if the cheese cake does not look done, then bake for some more minutes.
Can we use whipped cream ? Also what can we use instead of cream cheese ? Will the substitute affect the recipe in any way ?
Chavi, yes you can sue whipped cream. instead of cream cheese you can use hung curd or greek yogurt. some mashed paneer can also be added to the hung curd. the taste will change as the slight sourness of curd will be felt. the sweet taste can be comparable to that of shrikhand.
Dear Dassana
All your recipes always turn out so good and this one was no exception ! It was so easy to make and turned out delicious exactly like a New York baked cheesecake . I covered the top with some blueberry pie filling and it turned out perfect ! I will email
You a picture … thank you so much for sharing your recipes !
Welcome Rukhsana. Glad to know that you liked this cheesecake recipe. It taste awesome.
Dear Dassana
Thanks for this lovely recipe. It has turned out exactly like the New York Cheese cake.
thats great to know manisha. thanks so much for letting me know. i have never had new york cheese cake. so after reading your comment it makes me feel good. thanks again.
Hii,can we add cocoa powder for chocolate cheese cake
Dimple, yes you can add.
Hi, I have been looking for a baked cheesecake recipe since long and so glad to have finally found it. Have couple of queries, if you could answer:
1. How do I adapt this recipe for making a baked mango cheesecake?
2. Cream mentioned in the reipe is Fresh cream (Malai) or cream from tetra pack?
3. Instead of creamcheese, can I use a blended mixture of Chenna (crumpled paneer) and Malai (Fresh cream)?
thanks khushboo. your queries answered below:
1. use 2 cups cream cheese and 1 cup of mango puree. sugar you can reduce to 1/3rd or 1/2 cup.
2. its cream from the tetra pack.
3. you can definitely use chenna and malai. the method would be whip or blend the chenna till it becomes smooth. mango the mango puree with the sugar. add this mango puree to the chenna. mix well or use the beater to mix well. whip cream separately and then add and again mix. or you can add cream directly and then beat again till everything is mixed.
Hi dear.. Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂 Can we use vanilla essence instead of vanilla extract or powder?
Welcome Priyanka. You can use but add less.
Hi,
I want to half this recipe and try it out. What would be the recommended cake tin size?
5 to 6 inches sized round pan will work.
Hey! Can i use amul cheese spread instead of cream cheese? If yes, is there anything i have to do to get rid of the sour taste and make it a bit sweet?
Amul cheese spread won’t taste good in the recipe. Cream cheese has a different texture and taste as compared with amul cheese.
Hi,
Thank you for the great recipe. Can we use Amul’s fresh cream for this recipe?
vaidehi, amul fresh cream cannot be used instead of cream cheese. but you can use hung curd (chakka which we use for making shrikhand) instead of cream cheese. also you can use half-half of hung curd and grated fresh paneer.
to make hung curd, you can check this link – Hung Curd (Greek Yogurt)
Thank you so much for best cake recipes in the world! seriously we love all of your cakes. one question here – can i use fat sour cream instead of cream? coz i saw some recipes include sour cream? and if yes – what proportion should be ok
thank you!
thanks ksenia. even i have seen some recipes using sour cream. you can use the same proportion of sour cream as mentioned in the recipe which is ½ cup.
Which brand of cream cheese is avaliable in india
there are a few brands available like arla, brittania. if you live in a metro city, you can get even imported cream cheese like philadelphia in super markets. or you can buy online.
May I know The brand name of cream cheese u used? Or which is gud brand for cream cheese? I stay in US
its philadelphia. this is a good brand.
Recipe sounds great.Eager to try it.But I will use 1 pack of Philadelphia cream cheese which is 226 grams.Can you give me the equivalent amount of biscuits,melted butter,sugar,corn starch,vanilla essence, cream and lemon juice required for the same. Thanks
khaitan, for this much quantity of cream cheese, you can add 1/3rd cup sugar, 1 teaspoon corn starch, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons cream. biscuits-crackers and butter you can add more or less as per your choice.
Couldn’t understand how will the base of your cake which made out of crushed biscuits bound by molten butter and then freezed will stay intact after baking the entire stuff for 30 to 40 minutes at 180 C.
Doesn’t seem likely.
it does. you can see in the pics. i have lifted the whole cheesecake in my hand with the base intact. when the base layer is kept in the fridge, the butter condensed and sets the layer. on baking, the layer is also baked. so it does not crumble. in fact i have layered only the base. some cheesecakes, have the biscuit layer on the sides too.
hi can v also cook it in a steamer or cooker without pressure
don’t cook in a steamer. you can though cook without pressure in a cooker.