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Authentic New York cheesecake and I should know…I hail from Brooklyn, NY (where Junior’s is located and went to college right by there–shameless plug for Brooklyn Poly, now Polytechnic Institute of NYU).
New York Cheesecake
Can be topped with anything you like. Here I used some strawberry pie filling. This cheesecake is creamy from stem to stern. The reason is it is baked in a waterbath. Why a waterbath? Cheesecake is not a cake at all but a custard! The waterbath produces the desired texture. Original recipe is from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s “The Cake Bible.”
Here’s the ingredients we used (some aren’t shown in photo for space sake), and you will need an 8-inch springform pan, bottom lined with baker’s parchment, and a large roasting pan for waterbath baking~
Rub a little butter on the base of the springform pan so the circle of parchment you cut to fit it will adhere~
The Recipe
New York Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 2-8 oz packages cream cheese do not use non-fat*
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch optional
- 3 large eggs or 6 egg yolks**
- 3 tbs. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups sour cream do not use non-fat*
Instructions
- Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8-inch springform pan as follows: line the base with parchment to fit. Wrap the entire pan in a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spray entire inside of pan with non-stick spray.
- Beat cream cheese, sugar & cornstarch (if using) using wire whisk attachment of mixer. Blend well, scrape down sides and beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon juice and vanilla; blend well. Add sour cream and stir to blend. Scrape down sides and beat well.
- Set prepared springform pan in a large roasting pan. Pour batter into pan. Set pan in oven and fill roasting pan with 1-inch of very hot water. Bake for 45 min. Do not remove cake from the oven. Turn off oven and let cheesecake sit in the oven for one hour. Remove cake from oven and cool to room temperature. Unmold on serving plate. Top with desired topping.
- *Non-fat products will not result in anything that remotely resembles a cheesecake. It will turn out as a clotted MESS. I know; I tried it. You can probably use reduced fat products, but it probably won't taste the same. My credo is "always eat the real thing, just eat less."
- **Using egg yolks will result in a richer, firmer cheesecake. If you use yolks, do not use the cornstarch as cake will not seep.
Nutrition
