Classic Cheesecake

By Alison Roman, THE NEW YORK TIMES

• YIELD 8 to 10 servings
• TIME About 2 hours

Craig Lee for The New York Times

If there’s one dessert that would least benefit from innovation, it would have to be New York-style cheesecake. No tricks, no twists; Just a crumbly graham cracker crust and lots of lightly sweetened cream cheese. Baking a cheesecake without a water bath might seem like you're tempting fate, but if you do so at a low enough temperature, it will cook the filling gently and evenly without the risk of curdling or scorching. While cracks on the cheesecake's surface won’t affect the taste, they can be unsightly and are most likely to occur when there’s a sudden temperature change (say, from the oven to the fridge). To reduce the chances of cracking, let the cheesecake rest in the oven a few minutes before transferring to the counter to cool completely.

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INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST:

• 18 whole graham crackers (about 10 ounces/284 grams)
• ¼ cup/55 grams light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• ¾ cup/170 grams (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING:

• 2 pounds/904 grams cream cheese (four 8-ounce/226-gram packages), room temperature
•  ½ cup/113 grams sour cream
• 1 cup/201 grams granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
•  ¼ cup/32 grams all-purpose flour

Ingredient Substitution Guide

•  Nutritional Information

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine graham crackers, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon (if using) and process until you’ve got fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and add melted butter. Using your hands, mix well until no dry spots remain (crumb mixture should not be sandy or dry, but hold small clumps when pressed together).
3. Press crust evenly into the bottom and at least 1 1/2-inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure the bottom is as even as possible. Bake on the middle rack until crust is set and just starting to brown around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Remove pan from the oven and set aside while you prepare the filling. Reduce heat to 300 degrees.
5. Prepare the filling: Combine cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat on high until mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary, about 4 minutes.
6. Reduce speed to medium and 1 at a time, add eggs and yolk, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl after each egg is added. With the mixer on low, add flour and beat just to blend, until no lumps remain.
7. Pour filling into prepared crust (if filling goes above the crust, that is O.K.). Bake until the edges of the cheesecake are completely set and the 2-inch inner circle of the cheesecake wobbles just slightly, 60 to 70 minutes.
8. Turn heat off and let cheesecake remain in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and let sit on a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature. When cool, transfer to refrigerator until totally set, at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.