A simple quest for a New York Cheesecake was on my agenda. I’ve made a few before, but wasn’t completely satisfied with the results. So, when one is retired, you spend your time wisely in learning to improve on past experiences. Careful thought examined the process to look for possible areas which needed more attention to detail to yield a better end result. Observations are included in this post to hopefuly help those who wish to savor each bite of this heavenly dessert and share it with anticipation of the next bite.
The Crust:
A little bit of lemon zest rubbed into the sugar before combining the rest of the crust ingredients adds a little zing of delight. Twelve(12) crackers were crushed in a plastic bag with the assistance of a rolling pin. You could also use food processor, if you prefer. Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and toss with the lemon sugar until well combined.
Press the mixture evenly in the bottom of a sprayed or parchment paper-lined springform pan(9″) with a flat-bottomed cup. Ensure that a small rim of crumbs has been pressed along the crust’s edge along the sides of the pan, about 1/2″- 3/4″ or so. (Look below for the picture once released from the pan after chilling.) Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on a rack while you make the filling.
The Filling:
Usually, cheesecake recipes call for full-fat cream cheese. I opted for the 1/3 less fat Neufchatel as well as light sour cream in the recipe. In spite of using lower fat ingredients, I didn’t notice a significant difference in taste or texture. The room-temperature cream cheese was mixed with the granulated sugar and flour on MEDIUM speed using the paddle attachment for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as well as the beaters; cream cheese likes to adhere to those surfaces and often need a reintroduction to the mixture. I used Domino Golden Sugar. Even though it seemed like a lot of sugar, I felt better using it because it was less-processed and slightly golden in color. Once that is blended, add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and vanilla and continue to blend on MEDIUM speed for 1 minute. One important thing mentioned over and over again is DO NOT OVERMIX! It may cause more air inside mixture causing cracks. Making sure ingredients are at room-temperature will reduce mixing time when incorporating them into the mix.
If overmixing is an issue in creating perfection, then why would you add 6 eggs, beating after each addition? My fix on this was to blend together the eggs and sour cream in a separate bowl BEFORE adding it into the mixture. This was a genius move to avoid overmixing the batter! I’m positive this reduced the mixing time overall. .
The Bake:
- REDUCE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 325 F.
- BOIL A POT OF WATER.
Overlap 2 layers of heavy duty foil and place the springform pan with the cooled crust on top. Fold foil up the sides to the rim, but not allowing it to touch the rim. to avoid any leakage of the water bath into the springform pan, this step is a must! Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan; it will fill it completely. Shake pan gently from side to side to level out the batter and place it carefully into a large roasting pan.
Water Bath:
Do not skip this step! A water bath allows the cheesecake to bake gently at a steady temperature. Because it’s heavy on the eggs(6), a humid bake keeps the egg proteins from overcooking and helps to create a texture that could be described as luxurious! Once the cheesecake is placed in the roasting pan, slowly pour the boilng water along the corners being careful not allow any to enter the springform pan. Fill up to about 1-1-1/2″ along its sides. Carefully set roasting pan on middle rack of the oven and set the timer for 1-1/2 hours.
Is it done?
According to Cook’s Illustrated, a cheesecake is done when the center barely jiggles. At the 1-1/2 hour mark, I checked to see how jiggly it was in the middle. Since it was still a little more jiggly outside of the center, I allowed it to cook an additional 10 minutes. At this point, the center was less jiggly and seemed more set in the middle so I was satisfied. Another method used is checking its internal temperature to see if it has reached 150F. Allowing it to get higher can change its texture. *Note: I did not check the temperature in this cheesecake.
Cooling Off:
- TURN THE OVEN OFF.
- DO NOT REMOVE PAN FROM THE OVEN!
Prop the oven door open (I used a wooden spoon) leaving the pan inside to slowly cool off for 1 hour. A sudden change in temperature can also cause the top to crack so avoid the temptation to take it out of the oven. After an hour in the oven, remove to the cooling rack for an hour. If your kitchen is on the cool side, you may want to keep the springform pan in the water bath on the cooling rack for another hour before removing it to sit at room temperature alone. You will notice that it appears more settled and not puffy as it was as it was cooking. This would be a good time to run an offset spatula carefully around the sides to release any part of the cheesecake which may be stuck to the sides. Using Baker’s Joy really relieved any of my anxiety around this being an issue. Look at that release!
Chill Time:
When the bottom is barely warm to the touch, wrap in plastic or place in a covered container and place in the refrigerator overnight or at least 8 hours before attempting to slice. Do not remove the sides of the springform pan until AFTER proper chilling time. Undo the clasp and gently lift up. Whew!
It fit perfectly in my pie container!
Perfection!
Slicing:
Run both sides of a knife under HOT water. Dry off, then slice through. Slide the knife out. Clean off by rinsing again in hot water and drying it off before any subsequent slices. Doesn’t this look luscious? I assure you it was!
Toppings:
The wonderful thing about a plain New York Cheesecake is that the toppings can match your mood! Be creative! Here are two of my favorites; Turtle and Raspberry!
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New York Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1-1/2 c Graham Cracker crumbs (about 12 crackers)
- 5 T butter, melted
- 2 T granulated sugar
- 1/2 t lemon zest
Filling:
- 4- 8 oz pkg 1/3 fat cream cheese (Neufchatel)-room temperature
- 2 c granulated sugar
- 3 T all-purpose flour
- 1 T vanilla extract
- 1 t lemon zest
- 1 T lemon juice
- 1/4 t salt
- 6 large eggs-room temperature
- 1/2 c light sour cream
Instructions
Crust:
- Rub zest and sugar together with your fingers to infuse oils.
- Crush about 12 graham crackers to yield about 1-1/2 cups of crumbs.
- Combine all of the ingredients until well blended.
- Coat inside of springform pan with Baker's Joy spray or line with parchment paper (bottom and sides).
- Press crumb mixture into the bottom of the springform pan and slightly up the sides using a flat-bottomed surface.
- Bake in a 375°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool while preparing the filling.
Filling:
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Boil a pot of water on the stove to have ready for the water bath once the filling is complete.
- With the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour at MEDIUM speed for about 3 minutes. Scrape sides, bottom and paddle at least a couple of times to remove any clumped cream cheese.
- Add in the vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt for an additional minute, scraping sides, bottom and paddle halfway through and at the end.
- Whisk eggs and sour cream in a separate bowl until well incorporated. Then, add to mixture on LOW speed. Scrape bowl, bottom and paddle. Mix BRIEFLY to combine: DO NOT OVERMIX!
- Overlap a vertical and horizontal layer of foil and fold them up to the rim, but not touching it.
- Pour cheesecake mixture in springform pan over the cooled crust and slightly jiggle it to level out the top. Place it in a large roasting pan and pour the boiling water AROUND the springform pan to about a 1-1/2" in depth.
- Place on middle rack in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. Center should be slightly jiggly. DO NOT REMOVE FROM OVEN! Check temperature, if you can with an instant read thermometer. Temperatures above 150°F may affect texture.
- TURN OVEN OFF and prop its door open, leaving the cheesecake on the oven rack allowing it to cool off gradually for 1 hour.
- Remove to a cooling rack for another hour in the roasting pan. Remove from water bath and allow to continue to cool off until bottom of pan is barely warm.
- Refrigerate covered with plastic or in a container overnight or at least 8 hours, before cutting.
Slicing:
- Rinse knife in hot water; wipe off dry and cut. Repeat with each new slice.
