My all-time favourite dessert is cheesecake, just plain and simple cheesecake! I won’t turn down a multi-flavoured, multi-loaded up cheesecake, but I think a plain, tall and creamy cheesecake is the best. This recipe for Tall and Creamy New York Cheesecake is by far my favourite!
I am celebrating my new and updated blog and the best way to celebrate is with my favourite dessert Tall and Creamy New York Cheesecake! After being on blogger since the start of my blogging days I decided to make the bold move over to wordpress. To say this caused me some anxiety is an understatement. I am not the most tech savvy person, something my family tells me all the time, and their only help is to say “just google it”. So stick with me through this huge learning curve, many wonky mistakes and don’t be afraid to drop me a note if things don’t quite look right.
This is an incredible cheesecake recipe, tall, creamy and smooth. I made this recipe without a crust, but if you prefer a simple graham crust will work great. I love my cheesecake plain but if you like serve it with berries and whipped cream, caramel or even chocolate sauce. One very important thing when making cheesecake is to have all the ingredients at room temperature or you will have lumps in your cheesecake!! Also be sure to use a 10 inch springform pan. This cake rising quite a bit while baking and will spill over in a small cake pan.
Tall and Creamy New York Cheesecake
My favourite dessert is cheesecake and this recipe makes an amazing tall and creamy cheesecake with no crust.
Ingredients
- 4 packages (8 oz) cream cheese room temperature
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups sour cream room temperature
- 8 tbsp butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 vanilla beans can substitute 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
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Tightly wrap 2 layers of aluminum foil around the outside of a 10 inch springform pan covering bottom and sides.
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Generously coat inside of pan with butter.
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Preheat oven to 300º F.
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Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
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Add eggs one at a time until blended.
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Add sour cream and mix until smooth.
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Add sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice, beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
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Pour into springform pan and place in a roasting pan large enough to prevent sides from touching.
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Place into oven and carefully pour boiling water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of springform pan. (be careful not to splash any water onto cake)
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Bake for 2 hours, or until cake is lightly browned on top. My oven is a convection oven, so bake time in regular oven may be longer.
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Remove from water bath (bain-marie), remove foil and cool completely at room temperature before unlatching and removing rim.
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Cover and refrigerate until well chilled (best to leave chill overnight). Cake must be well chilled to set properly.
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Serve plain or with berries and whipped cream or even caramel sauce.
Recipe Notes
* because this cheesecake is crustless, I don't remove it from the lower part of the cake pan.
* be sure to use 10 inch springform pan. Cake will raise while baking and will spill over in smaller cake pan.
Click here for a good video to demonstrate doneness of Cheesecake.
Recipe was adapted from Jim Fobel's Old-Fashioned Baking Book
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Enjoy another cheesecake recipe of my with a brownie crust Brownie Cheesecake Bites!
Another of my favourite desserts, Moist Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
That is one perfect looking cheesecake!!
Awe you’re so sweet Tara 🙂 My first comment on my first post on new blog design!
So happy it was me!! Congrats on the new site, looking good!!
It does not tell how much cream cheese
Hi Lucille, the recipe does indicate 4 – 8oz blocks of cream cheese. Its the very 1st line of the recipe ingredients. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
4 packages 8 0unces
Have a wonderful thanksgiving Nancy, enjoy the recipe and this time with your family.
Have you we’ve made this cheesecake with a crust?
Hi Lena, I personally have not made this cheesecake with a crust, but many people that have left comments have with great success.
I have made this twice in the last month and with a crust. 1 c. graham cracker crumbs, 3 T. melted butter, 1 T. Sugar and 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans. DO NOT butter bottom of pan if using a crust. I had used the same recipe for cheesecake since we got married. (52 yrs.) I decided to give this one a try since it looked so good!! This is the BEST. Follow directions to the letter! Does not crack, rich and creamy. An absolutely beautiful presentation. Of course I always top mine with diced, fresh strawberries. YUM. You will love it!
Thank you Lorraine, so glad you like this recipe, and taking the time to drop me a comment 🙂
I often make a crust of crushed cookies and a little butter, pre bake it a few minutes let it cool then pour cream cheese mix in it and bake as directed.
Yes the cheesecake works well with or without a crust. Which ever way you like it.
I have made it many times-in fact today again and use a pistachio nut crust and it is awesome. I also add about 2 teaspons of cardamon to the cheesecake filling when using the pistachio crust-Awesome tasting this way!
Thanks Sandy,the pistachio crust sounds amazing and I love cardamom. I am going to try adding that next time I bake cheesecake.
Can I make it with margarine
Hi Lana, do you mean margarine in the crust? Hard margarine can usually be substituted for butter in most recipes, but I always prefer the taste of butter.
Could substitute ricotta cheese for sour cream. I had combined recipe and made with ricotta and cream cheese years ago aS so good but someone stole my recipe book.
Hi Sondra, I don’t think ricotta would substitute very well. Cheesecakes made with ricotta have a completely different texture
I thnk this is the closest to the original….. I don’t care for those others with modifications, and additions of fruit and graham craker crusts because they take away from the pure bliss of it. Thanks for this recipe.
My favourite as well, just plain and simple cheesecake Emma!
I used a 10 inch spring form pan. The rose over the pan. What can i do next time want to make it.
Hi John, I’ve had my cake rise pretty high, but never over the top. I would try a larger pan next time or line the inside rim (not bottom) of the pan with parchment paper, making sure the paper extends above pan by a couple of inches. Just make sure the paper doesn’t wrinkle.
Looks fantastic! And the cheese cake looks pretty good to! Love the new design.
Thank you so much Redawna!
Your blog looks awesome! **high five**
Thanks for the shout-out Laureen! Really appreciate it. 🙂
Thanks so much Bjork, I don’t think I could have done it without your great videos to learn from, that I will continue to use them until I’ve got this wordpress thing nailed!
This looks AMAZING!!!!! I’ll be trying it here in Cambodia! Your blog looks fantastic- can’t wait to follow along!
Thank you Melissa, I would be thrilled if you signed up to follow my blog, a great way to get my latest posts.
Looks yummy bring one over for afternoon tea
I would love to be that close to you so I could bring some for afternoon tea Uncle Bert.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more perfect cheesecake. This is stunning! And one of my very favorite desserts!
Awe your so kind Lori, thank you!
Just made this cheesecake and it is the first real cheesecake i have ever made. I am so happy with how it turned out even though i think a little water got in. It actually didn’t really effect it. It may have caused the texture to be a little more grainy but i just put my slice in the freezer for a bit before eating it and it tastes smooth and delicous.
That is wonderful Jadyn, I bet you will be making cheesecake more often now.
Did your cheesecake crack? How long did you bake it for in a regular oven
Hi Jadyn, my cheesecake did not crack. In a regular oven should be 15-30 minutes longer.
It really looks tasty and perfect . I’ll try as son as posible.
Do you remove the cheesecake from the pan when you remove the foil?
Hey Susan, I remove the foil, but do not remove the cake from pan until it has cooled.
Absolutely perfect! Delicious flavor and flawless texture. My first cheesecake ever and everyone loved it. Perfect recipe.
I would like to add a crust. Any thoughts on how that will affect baking time?
That is terrific Joony, your 1st time making cheesecake, you should be very proud of yourself. A graham crust would work just fine, the baking time wouldn’t change.
It doesn’t change the time at all. I pre bake my crust and let cool before I add the cream cheese mix. I also place my spring form in a oven baking bag cover with foil it absolutely keeps water out and is reusable.
Colleen I like the idea of the oven baking bag cover, going to try it next time.
Hello. Should i use salted or unsalted butter?
Hey Claudia I usually bake with unsalted butter.
Hello, the cheesecake looks fantastic! Just wondering how you’d go about putting a biscuit base on this? Would you lay the base and just cook the cheesecake per usual? What temperature would you say for an Australian fan forced oven? Are there any variations for the recipe if adding a biscuit base? Cheers!
Hi Tarnya, any cookie/graham crust should work. Press crust into lightly greased springform pan, refrigerate for 5-10 minutes, then make cake as per recipe. Cooking time should be the same.
I have always wanted to make a New York Cheesecake – I found this recipe and it came out wonderful… I do have a questions, I did crack a bit on top… Why was that? Thank you again.
Hi Evelyn, did you bake it in the water bath? Couple of things can cause cracking: opening oven door which causes a temperature drop. Over baking. Do not unlatch or remove rim of springform pan until cooled. Once cooled,be sure to cover with plastic wrap before refrigerating.
I am making one tomorrow… I did bake in water bath … maybe unlatched it too soon..
thank you
Hey Eveyn, not sure what your question is, but yes let cake cool before unlatching from springform pan.
I have been making several cheesecake lately and I can’t wait to try your recipe. It sounds scrumptious.
Hey Linda, isn’t cheesecake just the best, love to hear back after you try this recipe. Have a great day.
hu. Best cheesecake ever. What is caking time if I’m banking in the 4″ springform pans? Thank yiu
Hi Evelyn, I have never baked it in 4 inch pan so I can’t really actually tell you what the cooking time will be.
I got a 6″ springform pan because I make a lot of cheesecakes (coconut cream one yesterday for my sister, came out awesome!) but finding recipes for a small pan is difficult!
Hey Angela, the coconut cream sounds wonderful. Sorry can’t help with 6″ pan recipes.
I would love the recipe to the coconut cream cheesecake. Would you mi d posting?
I baked 4 of the 4″ size and the time was almost 2 hours. When u see it’s starting to turn light brown on the top check to see if it’s done I usually could tell by the smell. Hope this helped
my cheesecake is taking much longer that 2 hours to cook!!?
Hey Carmen, a few factors could affect baking time, oven heating to correct temperature (check with an oven thermometer) convection oven vs regular oven (cook time will be longer in regular oven).
Hi
Is the 300 degrees in celcius or farenhiet?
300 degree fahrenheit Hannah
Hi,
My cheesecake batter split after I added the lemon juice, is that how it’s supposed to be ?
Hi Divya, I have never had that happen so not sure what could have went wrong. Did you add the eggs one at a time and blend in completely before adding lemon juice. Also did you mix batter immediately after adding lemon juice.
What is the cooking time in a regular oven? I didn’t see you used a convention until I started reading the comments, after the cake was already in.
You might want to add that to the notes. It’s very important!
Thanks Samantha, I added that to recipe notes. How did your cheesecake turn out?
I have cooked this about 15 minutes over your time and it still is not slightly brown. Any suggestions?
Hi Nona, I would suggest turning oven up to 325º, sometimes oven temperatures vary and type of oven (regular vs convection) can make a difference. Cake will set more after it is fully cooled. Hope it turns out, I’ve never had a problem with it so please let me know.
Great recipe. Is it possible to fold in some melted chocolate to make chocolate cheesecake here?
Hi Amanda, I have not used chocolate in this recipe, so not sure how it would turn out. Sorry not much help with that one.
Hi pretty sure this is too late, but I don’t have a springboard pan is it still possible to make without it??
Hi Zahra, you won’t be able to remove the cake if not using a springform pan and slice pieces very well.
i just made this and it came out superb
That is terrific Christine, thank you for letting me know.
this cheesecake looks amazing! I also made the move to WP and I know how you feel! Your site looks great:)
Thank you Dina, I certainly like WP, a bit of a learning curve, but well worth the change.
Hey! I have a quick question….would I be able to add chunks of cookie dough to this with no issue?
This looks so amazing & creamy!!!! I don’t want to ruin it, but I do want a little extra umph for a party coming up!
Hey Samantha, I can’t really say if that would turn out, I would suggest giving it a try before you make it for the party. After all you can never eat too much cheesecake.
I’ve made this twice now. So amazingly simple and absolutely delicious! It’s huge, so you have to use a nice big deep pan…Thanks for this fantastic recipe!
Amy, appreciate the comments, so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Love your website. Pictures are beautiful. I want to commend you for answering the comments and offering further clarification, motivation and encouragement. I love cheesecake, but have never made one. I will make this and let you know.
Sylvia, thank you so much, so very nice of you to leave such kind comments.
I made this for Thanksgiving, and it got rave reviews. We had someone bringing gluten free pies, and I wanted to make something naturally gluten free. I made it with vanilla extract because I hadn’t used the pods before.
That is terrific Amanda, glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe.
I am getting ready to make this tomorrow. I only have a large convection toaster oven so I do not think I will be able to put the springform pan in a roasting pan for the bath. How does that change the cake?
Hi Martha, I really don’t think this cake will turn out well in a toaster oven.
What a huge fail, my cake expanded over, cracked and collapsed, meanwhile it’s still jiggly in the middle and it’s been baking for almost 3 hours.
Now that I’ve reviewed some more recipes I wonder if 2 tbsp of corn starch is enough? And 5 eggs and 2 cups of sour cream seem like too much wet ingredients. Shame, but I don’t think I can serve this.
I am so sorry to hear that. I have never had a problem with the cake and had many people try it with great success. A couple of things to help me figure went wrong for you. Did you use a 10 inch springform pan. (I think most of them are a standard height) Were your ingredients at room temperature? Another factor could be the oven temperature being off, this happened to my oven once, I had to get it recalibrated as it was 20 degrees off.again so sorry it didn’t work out for you especially at this time of year
Looks wonderful! Do you know what adjustments I might to make for high altitude (7,000 ft)?
Hey Bonnie, I have no idea, you’ll have to google search that one.
This was AMAZING!!! I have never made cheesecake before so I was a little nervous especially with the water bath technique! But your directions made it so easy! It was perfect!!
Also I have a regular oven so my temp was at 325 and it still worked out!!
That is fantastic Heather, so glad the recipe turned out for you.
Heather, really appreciate the feedback, enjoy the cheesecake, wish I had some right now.
Is the oven time for a convection oven? The comments are confusing. I don’t see any mention of convection in the recipe
Hi Danita, sorry for taking a while to respond. I was away on a humanitarian trip to Mexico. I have a convection oven which I usually bake in. If you don’t have a convection oven the baking time may be slightly longer.
Thanks for update. You replied quickly. I’m not sure if convection is the standard in Canada, but I would recommend noting that the recipe bake time is for a convection ovens to help others. Unless I missed it somewhere but I looked several times and couldn’t tell. Bake time in a regular oven was closer to 3+ hours at 300 degrees. I just discovered your site and love the mix of cooking and art. You are very talented.
Thank you Danita
I made this cheesecake last night and it was perfect. The whole family loved it. 🙂
That is wonderful Jennifer, thanks for letting me know.
What size springform pan is used
I used a 10 inch springform pan. Just make sure it is not a short one as cake rises quite a bit.
Thank you for a delicious recipe. This cheesecake is oh so yummy, and melts in your mouth. My cheesecake did not brown at all on top due to the water bath – not sure I like the color as It’s yellowish. How could I get it to brown a little?
Hi Judy, you could get the top to brown a bit by turning your oven to broil for the last few minutes of baking. You would have to keep a very close eye on it so it doesn’t scorch and burn. I have a convection oven and that does tend to brown the top of my baking a bit more.
I also wanted to ask if this cheesecake can be frozen – thanks.
Hi Judy, I’m not going to be much help here as I’ve never froze this cake before, so can’t guarantee the outcome. But as far as I know cheesecake freezes well.
The cheese cake turned out perfect! Loved it, thank you!!!
That is terrific Sheila, wish I could share a slice with you.
now that’s a cheesecake!! Stunning!
Thank you Alice, I enjoy checking out your blog http://hipfoodiemom.com
Hi, my cheesecake is in the oven now. Is there a method to removing the cheesecake from water bath. I’ve made cheesecake before but never used water bath. Thanks!
BTW this is a birthday present for my girlfriend.
Have a great day!
Hey Robin, I always get my oven mitts a tad wet on this one. I tried really large tongs once and almost dropped the cake. Hope your girlfriend enjoys the cake. Remember its best refrigerated for a while to set properly. I like to make it a day ahead.
That makes one pretty cake! I love the height!
Thank you Megan, love you taking the time to drop a comment!
Hi! I am searching for the perfect cheesecake recipe, nice and tangy, without being overpowering. I was wondering if you could tell me… Does this cheesecake have a nice tangy taste to it, or does it taste more like a vanilla-y cheesecake? By “vanilla-y” I mean no tang, just sweet and cream cheesy? Super curious! Found your recipe on Pinterest, thanks so much!
I would not consider this a tangy cheesecake, sorry I can’t help you with finding that recipe, I don’t know of any that I could recommend.
So stunning! It looks deliciously light! YUM!
thank you Serena, love your blog!
I went precisely by your recipe. My cheesecake is not very tall and it is dense. I did everything the recipe asked me to do. What went wrong.
So sorry Phyllis the cake did not turn out as expected for you. I can’t begin to guess at what went wrong. Were all the ingredients at room temperature before you started? I have had many people try this recipe with excellent results, so I do hope you try it again.
I am so making this cheesecake. My daughters’ birthday is this Sunday and she loves cheesecakes. Thanks for the recipe.
that will be a special a treat for her
Second go at your recipe. first time came out perfect, cooking time was about 20 minutes longer in my oven. my compliments on your website and you responding to comments. this recipe is now my only cheesecake recipe because if I follow it to the T it wont fail.Thankyou
That is terrific Steve, I am so glad you enjoy my recipe and my website. I really appreciate the comments.
Thank you, you made my day, love when someone tries one of my recipes and they really really like it!
Hi Laureen,
Thank you for sharing the recipe, baked it last night, taste amazing!
Cake is creamy and no cracks!
However, looking at your pic, the cake looks somewhat ‘fluffy’ which is what I am looking for. Wondering if you know how to achieve this?
Thanks!
Hi Elvina, I would definitely say the cake is more creamy. Might just be the photo makes it look fluffy, but the texture is creamy without being heavy. The cake is also taller than most cheesecakes.
Hi
I just made it, This was an incredible recipe and the cheesecake was even more so. Now I’m wondering if i cut the ingredients in half, how does that affect the time it has to be in the oven?
Again, thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Keyvan, I have not tried to 1/2 the recipe, so you may have to experiment if you do. The dept of the pan will factor into the cooking time. If you use the same dept of pan, just smaller, I am guessing the baking time would be close to the same, maybe a bit less.
The cake looks fluffy and perfect!
Thank you Jen
Oh my Maureen! This is fantastic! My favorite dessert has always been cheesecake, but only the tall, plain New York style and only homemade. My mom used to make it for my birthday every year. Your recipe definitely fits the bill. Thanks so much!
That my favourite as well, just plain creamy cheesecake, thanks Laureen.
Thank you Beverley, I LOVE your cupcakes, so many great recipes!
Your cheesecake looks amazing! It also reminds me that it has been years since I’ve made my mom’s cheesecake recipe. I think now I’ll need to do a side by side taste test 🙂
Love to know the results of your taste test Renee.
The cheesecake is beautiful! Love the height of it 🙂
Thanks Meagan, it is one of my favourite cheesecake recipes!
Your cheesecake looks so good!
How will I remove the cheesecake from the bottom pan? I wanted to give it as a gift
Thanks!
Hi Ginggay, I’ve always been scared it would fall apart removing the bottom pan, so I haven’t tried it. If you want to try, it might be best to have a graham crust base.
🙂 ok thank you very much!
Hi Laureen,
I made this cream cheesecake yesterday and I have to say it was awesome. I never was a big fan of cheesecake, but my husband found it on facebook from a friend who posted it. He can not have any gluten so when he say the recipe and found out it was crust free and all ingredients where gluten free he ask me to make it for him. He went to kroger’s sunday and got all the stuff needed. I just ate piece and thought I was in heaven. It is awesome. I only had an 8″ in springform pan and realized there was going to be enough mix for 2 cakes. I used a regular 8″ cake pan and lined the inside with non-stick foil. Non stick is very easy to mold to the pan than regular foil, but I was not sure how it would work so keep my fingers crossed. I have a regular gas oven and it took about 2 3/4 hours to cook. Since I could not put them both on the same rack I very carefully reversed the cake after about 40 minutes or so & thinking I would mess them up for sure doing this. When done I took them both out and waited on them to cool and placed in the frig to get cold. I took the one in the cake pan out first and it lifted out perfect and the foil came off with no sticking except for just a tiny bit on the bottom. I left the springform pan in the frig til after we ate dinner. At this point my husband was dying to have a piece since there aren’t many gluten free desserts available and they usually are not good. I unhooked the pan and it came off perfect. I left the bottom on and when I slice the first piece it came out perfect. And my husband loved, loved it so much he had a second piece. Topped it with canned cherry pie filling. Thank you Laureen for sharing this recipe. I’m sure I will make it often. We have a family reunion next month and this will definitely be on my list. I’m to try making it in a large casserole dish using the non stick foil. Wish me luck. Thanks again, Debra
Hi Debra, that is awesome. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. You made my day with the great feedback on the recipe. So glad your husband enjoyed it. Have a great day.
Hi Laureen,
I just took the cheesecake out of the oven and can tell you that it is beauty!! Immediately after it finished baking it was quite tall and was about an inch above the rim of the pan. I let it cool for an hour during which time it dropped about an inch. It didn’t crack, and like I said, it’s beautiful. I’m just curious as to why the height changed so drastically during the cooling period. Still, I can’t wait to taste it. I baked mine in a water bath with both foil and a turkey-size over bag over the bottom of the springform pan.
Hi Maria, the cake drops a bit but not usually that much, not sure why this happened
I made this cheesecake several time and it’s amazing. Thank u for sharing this recipe. I read some of the comments regarding the time it should be in the oven. I leave it for
2 1/2 hours then I shut my oven off and I leave it in the oven for another hour and it comes out perfect. All my friends and family are in love with this cheesecake. I leave all my ingredients out over night and start to make it in the morning. This helps make the mixture nice and creamy. I also did it with a cookie crust and a cake crust and they all came out amazing. I wish I could post pictures. Laureen I do have a question if I wanted to make a 7″ cake only should I use half of every ingredients to make it?
Thank you Marta, Cheesecake is the ultimate dessert isn’t it. About the 7″ cake, I’m not too sure as I haven’t tried to half the recipe, so I can’t guarantee it will turn out. Sometimes recipes are funny that way. I may half to give it a try, that will save me from eating too much. Let me know if you try to 1/2 the recipe.
Would this freeze well?
Hi Shanna, generally cheesecakes freeze well, but I have not tried freezing this recipe. It never lasts that long.
Since being in New York City last year, indulging on authentic New York cheesecake (and falling in love with it), I’ve wanted to make one. I found your recipe and made it last night. I followed your recipe to the letter. Baked in a regular oven for 2 hrs, 15 minutes. Browned beautifully! Cooled it, wrapped it in Saran and chilled it all day. We just cut into it and O=M=G!!!!!!!! FABULOUS! Exactly like NYC! Thank you for having such an awesome site and for answering questions, it’s extremely helpful and appreciate! This will be a go to for me going forward! Cheers!
“appreciated”
Awe Debi, you’re the best! That is quite the compliment coming from someone you has had the pleasure of experiencing New York Cheesecake in New York! I hope to do that one day!
Question…….. Did your Cheesecake crack on top? Another question…… How do you stop a cheesecake from cracking? What is the reason for the cracking?
Hi Dale, no my cheesecake did not crack on top. Did you bake it in a water bath?
I have tried many Cheesecake recipes! And this one looks like the simplest! I am going to try this one real soon! Probably for my birthday next month! I love Cheesecake on my birthday! 😉
wonderful Dale, hope you enjoy it!
Ahhhhh I just made this it’s beautiful I can’t wait till it cools. Flawless recipe 🙂
I hope you enjoy it, my family devours this cake!
I just made it again today with a crust and raspberry swirl omgawd? flawless again this recipe is perfect I can’t thank you enough ?
Wonderful Delilah, the raspberry swirl sounds awesome!
THIS is the best cheesecake recipe EVER! I just enjoyed my first piece. I have to hold myself back for another!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, don’t hold back have that second piece, ha ha.
I have never made a cheesecake in my life before but I’ve been staring at this page for the past several weeks and I can;t stand it any longer, Tomorrow is the day!!!! I can’t wait for a slice of this heavenly looking thing!
Hi Donna, hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
I’m making today. I’m very excited with your site. First time here. I will be back. Thank you
Awesome Joann, hope you enjoy.
I’ve made this twice now used graham cracker crust and topped with cherries and I have never received so many compliments. I was asked to bring another one Sunday to church, and it’s not pot luck!
Hey Carol, that is so great to hear, thank you very much for taking the time to drop me a comment 🙂
Love this recipe! I have a couple of tips for people making cheesecake. 1. you can put a layer of parchement paper on the bottom of your sprinform pan before locking the two pieces together. I just tear off a square of paper, place it on the pan bottom piece , lock the two pieces together, then trim. That way you can slide your cake right off the pan without a problem. 2. To make sure you don’t get a leak when you do a waterbath, after wrapping in foil place your springform pan into a roasting bag or crockpot liner. That keeps your foil from leaking, just trim the top of the bag down to the top of your pan so it doean’t fall into your cake batter. I love making cheesecakes and this recipe is different from my others. I will be trying this one very soon! Thanks for posting.
some great tips Jealith, thanks 🙂
Sorry for the question, I’m a bit confused if 300° degrees are Fahrenheit or Celsius.
Thank you for the amazing recipe! I’ll do it tomorrow for my boyfriend.
Ciao from Italy 🙂
It is 300º fahrenheit, enjoY!
Is it possible to convert this recipe for an 8 inch springform pan?
Aliseea, unless I tested it with reducing ingredient ratio I can’t guarantee how it would turn out using a 8 inch pan.
Okay, that’s fine 🙂
Also, do I have to put it in the water bath? Or can I place the water bath under the pan in a separate rack?
Thanks for your time!
Hi Ailiseea you have to bake the cake in the water bath, do a search on youtube is best to get a great visual to make sure you do it correctly.
Really really gorgeous cheesecake, glad I found you
Thank you so much Veronica!
Love this cheesecake and have made it multiple times with great success. My only issue is it is so soft and creamy that it is difficult to cut and tends to stick to the knife so that one can’t get a nice clean slice..any suggestions?
Hi Elena, have you tried using a serrated blade knife? As well run the knife under hot water, dry then before it has a chance to cool cut the slice of cake. Repeat for each slice.
Cut it with dental floss.
What a great tip Linda, thanks!
This cake looks just like the one my grandmother use to make and unfortunately we never found her recipe. I can not wait to try it. I do have one question. What type of roasting pan for the water bath? Is it the big blue kind with a lid or the smaller one with a rack. I know common sense answer will be coming and I will kick myself, but I just want this to turn out perfect. Thank you!
Hi Kathy, I use a roasting pan like this one, with the rack taken out.
Roasting Pan
Very nice looking! I wish there was nutritional facts already but I guess I can figure it out. I like that it is crust less. Thanks for sharing.
It looks delicious…:) BTW, is that oven temperature in celcius or fahrenheit? I fugured it must be fahrenheit, otherwise it would get burned during 2 hours baking time…lol Am i right?
Hi Asta, yes temperature in Fahreheit.
If I choose to add a crust should I still butter entire pan?
Hi Theresa, yes I would butter entire pan.
My first time making cheese cake & everyone loved it. It turned out so pretty no crack but the top was a little brown. Should I have added more water to the pan while baking? This recipe is a keeper! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Hi Helen, glad you enjoyed the recipe. Sometimes oven can vary and perhaps that caused your cake to brown a bit more than you would like. Next time I would try tenting foil wrap on top of cake when you see it is getting browned to your liking. The foil should be loose and not touch the cake at all.
Would this work in a 9 or 10″ springform?
Hi Lily, a 9 inch would be too small, a 10 or larger is needed.
Hi, just a question regarding how to get a high cheesecake. I had a cheesecake from a chef in St. Louise, IL. It was, I swear, six inches high! It was really cheesy. What’s the test difference between one using just cream cheese and one using sour cream or mascarpone? Does one combo rise more than the other? Hoping you can help me.
Thanks CJ
Hi CJ, those are great questions. I know this cake doesn’t get six inches high. I wish I had that recipe to try. I have not tested using mascarpone, but I have bake cheesecakes without the sour cream and they don’t rise as high.
How long does the cheesecake last before going bad? It’s very delicious but it’s a lot lol.
Hi Celeste, the cheesecake should be good for 5 days in the refrigerator. Cheesecakes should also freeze well. I just made one last night, so I am going to cut into individual slices, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then place in freezer bag. Mine has never lasted long enough to freeze, so this will be a test for me.
This is my first time making a cheesecake like this and it turned out fantastic. The texture was creamy and the taste was phenomenal..I am so proud of this endeavor! Thank you for the recipe.
With much appreciation, marge
Wonderful Marge, I just made one yesterday and the family is devouring it.
I made this recipe two nights ago, and it is superb! I made it by step by step and it is a no fail recipe. I have shared with so many friends that were really impressed with it. Thanks for sharing this recipe. It will become a staple for parties.
So did I Laurie, in fact I’m enjoying a slice right now! lol
Hi can i use 50 % less fat sour cream here ??? Does it affect the texture and taste ??
Hi Yasmeen, I have not tried the recipe with 50% so unfortuneately I am not sure.
I usually make my grandmother’s German cheesecake,but today I’m going to give this one a try. I can’t wait to see how it will turn out! I’m going to be using your shortbread recipe for the crust and I’ll be back to let you know how it turns out. Cheesecake is my absolute favorite desert!
I’ve never used my shortbread recipe for the crust, so please let me know how that turned out. thanks.
I made this cheesecake. It tasted wonderful. The texture was good. Unfortunately I didn’t wrap the foil properly and water got in the pan so the bottom was a little wet. That’s one is on me. Can’t wait to try it again. Thank you for sharing.
Been there, done that, as well Carmen. The cake still seems to take awesome though.
Hi Laureen! This looks amazing! I’ve never made a plain cheesecake, but I’m excited to try. I think I am going to add a crust though. Do you think it would make the cake overflow? Thanks!
Hi Callie, just make sure you use a 10 inch pan.
Almost finished baking and just realized I forgot to add the lemon juice! Will it be a total fail?
Hi Caitlin, it shouldn’t make a big difference, just won’t have that bit of tangy flavour to it.
I just finished baking this cheesecake. It is cooling now but I couldn’t wait to tell you how beautiful it looks… it is flawless!!! I am soooo pleased with it! No cracks, beautiful color and smells so good! I’m waiting to determine how good the texture really is but, based on appearance, it looks perfect! I know I’m gushing! Thanks for a great recipe. Your new Dutch fan in the Netherlands!
Thank you C, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Ok, what did I do wrong? I’ve been making perfect cheesecakes for the last 50 years. Never did one in a water bath. Saw this, I’m from NY, it looked awesome and my granddaughter loves cheesecake. Tried it. Followed recipe to the letter. Even put oven on convection. It hardly rose. It was not as sweet as we are accustomed to and I had to keep it in the oven for almost 3 hrs. Top was not as brown as photo. HELP!!!
Hi Robin, very sorry the cheesecake didn’t turn out. I’ve had many people try the recipe with great success.
I really wish I could help you figure out what went wrong, but without going step by with you, its so very hard to figure out went wrong
I followed the directions to the T, it does it taste like cheesecake, it tastes more like a custard? Idk what I could have done wrong. ?… So disapointed. But thank you!
Hi Stephanie, I am so sorry the cake didn’t turn out for you. Many people have made it with great success, so I would really like to help you figure what went wrong. With 4 8oz blocks of cream cheese it should have great cheesecake flavour. Have you doubled checked the exact measurements in the ingredient list. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve messed up that way with a recipe. The other thing may have been over mixing.
My cheesecake turned out perfect!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for the recipe! Happy Thanksgiving Day to you and yours.
Terrific Mega, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, appreciate it. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
I just made the cheesecake and it’s perfect! I’m so impressed. Thank you. So creamy too!
thank you Barbara
Hello Larueen! I just wanted to say thanks for providing the cheesecake recipe. I have made this cheesecake once before and everyone loved it and it turned out great. Then I decided to make it again the following year and for some reason it did not turn out the same and I was wondering if you could give me some advice about what may have been the reason. This time around the cheesecake tasted very sour like I had used too much sour cream but I only used the required amount of 2 cups. Also it wasn’t as tall as it was before. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!
Also I didn’t realize until later that I had used 1/3 fat cream cheese. Could that have been why there was only a sour cream flavor?
Hi Anna, if the low fat cream cheese was the only thing you did differently I’m guessing that is what altered the flavor. Have a very Merry Christmas
I make this cheese cake all the ti.e it’s the best ,my grandson who is 5 tells to please make it over and over we enjoy it very much. On holidays this cheese cake needs to be one of the desserts . Thank you for recipe
Thank you Maria, have a wonderful 2017
I made this cheese cake for the first time today. Since I don’t have a convention oven, I baked it for three hours, that’s when the top turned a lovely golden brown. However, when I took the surrounding part of the spring form pan away from the sides, it was so mushy. I have it in the frig and hope that it firms up as the ingredients are not cheap and I would love to have a taste of this cake, it looks great so hopefully it will work out.
Hi Diane, did you remove the surrounding rim before cooling completely in the refrigerator?
Hi, I love strawberry cheesecake and yours looks like the one that I love, I want to try to make but I would like with glaze over, any advice?
Thanks,
Hi Kelly, my husband loves strawberries and sauce over his cheesecake. I usually just buy the frozen containers of strawberries or raspberries packed in a light syrup, then spoon over his slice. (not the whole cake).
Hi! I just got the cheesecake out of the oven and it looks great. It has dropped a little since cooling. My question is is there a secret to knowing when its done? I went by the browning on the top. I have a regular oven and baked it for 2 hours and 5 minutes. It has a nice browning on the top, I just wasnt sure if it was done baking? Any secrets as to knowing when its completely done? This is my first cheesecake, so I dont have much experience in knowing how to tell if they are done. Thanks in advance
Hi Christine, here is a great video that shows how to check if a cheesecake is done. Make sure you cool completely in the refrigerator. I always find this cake is best cooled over night. Here the video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkwbSGEczHQ
Do you bake it on 350 or 375?
Hi Kevin, as the recipe indicates you bake it at 300º enjoy!
What is the purpose of the lemon juice? Can it be omitted? What can I use as a sustitution for the sour cream? Thanks in advance.
Hi Analiz, lemon juice adds a hint of flavour and for this recipe there aren’t any substitutions for the sour cream.
So I can omit the lemon juice? Can I bake it without the water bath?
Hello Analiz, yes you can eliminate the lemon juice, you can try baking it without the water bath (I never have) so the cake make crack on top.
Could I use a square of parchment on the bottom of the pan to make transfering the whole cheesecake easier? I plan to give this as a gift packaged in a pie box. I also plan to use the oven bag method to cook. Thank you for your reply, I rarely bake.
Parchment paper should work, just make sure the cake is totally chilled before trying to remove. I would suggest letting it cool in the refrigerator overnight.
Hi Laureen,
Thanks so much for this recipe. It’s become a “go-to” for me for special occasions for my boyfriend. The man can eat a lot of cheesecake. But it’s just the two of us, so I was wondering if it freezes well? I’ve purchased frozen cheesecakes before, but not NY style. Have you tried it?
Thanks!
I have not froze this cake before, never have any leftover, but I am sure it should freeze quite well.
Hi! Made your recipe last night and had a question. How tall is the cake supposed to end up being? When I pulled it out of the oven it was almost to the rim, when I unlatched the pan the cake was still the same height. But when I put it in the fridge over night, it shrunk to about half the size. I was just curious if this was normal or not. Thanks!
The cake does raise quite high and I have had it shrink a bit but never to half the size. It difficult for me to guess what may have gone wrong to make it shrink that much.
It still tasted amazing the consistency was there, it was just shorter. Followed the whole recipe to the T, so not sure where I went wrong. I am definitely okay with making another one to see where I went wrong 😉
Hi! This recipe looks great! I was wondering how long you would cook the cheesecake if you were to cook it without the water bath. Thanks!
The cooking time should be approximately the same. The water bath helps the cake from cracking.
Hi Laureen
Do I use salted or unsalted butter ? If I were to make half of the recipe, what size pan is more suitable? Thank You 🙂
Florence I use salted butter, and I’ve never halved the recipe, so not sure about the results, but if you were to try I would use and 8 inch round springform pan.
I followed recipe exactly all items were room temp n blended 2 minutes but did not rise much at all, still looks n tastes great tho. I google my question n it noted that it’s not supposed to rise much? Tips for next time please? Thank u, awesome recipe!
Hi Teri, my cake usually rises to the very top of the pan, which the batter fills to about 1 inch from top. Without seeing the cake its hard to determine how much it raised. Sometimes different ovens just bake things differently. I wish I could help you more. Maybe I’ll try to add some step by step photos to my recipe post.
What can I use instead of sour cream?
Hi Analiz, there is no substitution in this recipe for the sour cream. You may want to try this recipe instead https://www.artandthekitchen.com/brownie-cheesecake-bites/
I have now made this twice. Last night being my second time. I thought I had enough sour cream, but did not, I did however have vanilla Greek yogurt, so I subbed the missing sour cream for the yogurt and it turned out amazing. I wish I could share a picture. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Hi Laureen, I’m just wondering, does the cheesecake have to sit in water? Will it make a difference
I do not have a pan big enough to fit the 10″ pan in for a water bath..Is it possible to put a pan of water underneath while baking??
Thanks!
Hi Sue, do you have a big roasting pan (like one you would cook a turkey in. That would work. The cake has to bake in the water bath (bain-marie). Putting it underneath will have no effect. You could always try baking it without the water bath (bain-marie), but may get some cracks on top and a bit drier.
I followed the recipe to a T ,did the water bath, never opened the oven, and my ingredients were ALL at room temp , but when my timer went off and I opened the oven I had a huge crack in the center. Not sure why this happened?
Hi Starla, I have not encountered that myself so I hope to be able to figure this out with you. Firstly was is a 300ºF oven? Sometimes oven temperatures are off and this can result in overbaking the cake which is usually the most likely cause of cracking.
Thank you Laureen,
Been baking cheesecakes for 35 years, after I quit Brooklyn it was a major goal in my life to learn to bake ’em so I can get my fix each year. I will bake your cake tomorrow. Your recipe is like the one I have been using and I must say the photos convinced me to bake it your way.. The only differences between what recipe I have been using and yours are: I butter pan and then dust pan with powdered sugar, which I won’t do this time; and my recipe has no butter in mix, however i will go with your recipe 100%.That is a gorgeous looking cake, with that amazing top cooked color. I can taste it from the photos!!!
Hi Carmine, wow I would love to try one of your cheesecakes. I hope you like this recipe and I would love any feedback you have. Enjoy!
Just starting the process at this moment, will give you our report when cooled in frig and ready for cutting
I’d like to make as cupcakes, any guesses on how long a cupcake version would need to bake for?
I made this recipe last weekend to take to a friends and everyone loved it! They requested I make this weekend for Easter / Birthday celebrations.
Hey Cathy, cupcakes sound like a great idea, I truly would be guessing at bake time, but I would keep checking after 30 minutes. Let me know how you make out.
I ended up making the full recipe and taking 12 cup cakes out since I knew my sister wasn’t going to be able to wait for the full cheesecake tomorrow 🙂 . I cooked the 12 cup cakes in a water bath, along with the rest of the recipe in a regular springform pan. I ended up cooking for 1 1/2 hours and towards the end I was just trying to get them brown.
If I did this again next time I would cook the cupcakes in a second oven I think they would have browned if it wasn’t for the full size cheesecake also baking in the same oven. I would probably also only take 6 hour for “tasters” for those who can’t wait. 12 was a little too much batter. They taste delicious, though just wish they looked prettier :). Great recipe
Thanks for the update Cathy, I am going to try making cupcakes. I also have 4 small size springforms pans I might give the recipe a try in.
Have made this twice, I did make a crust. It was excellent. The second time I doubled the lemon juice, that’s just my preference.
Thank you Judy for taking the time to leave a comment. So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I was so excited about this recipe, but unfortunately mine burnt! I followed the recipe exactly and my oven is normally spot on when it comes to temperature and cook time. Please help!!!
Hi Kallie, sorry this happened to you. I have never had this happen to me, nor anyone who has tried the recipe. Did you bake in 300º Farenheit and also in water bath?
Yes I did. Or at least I thought did? I must have set it to a higher degree. Which is most likely the case after reading all of the reviews! Looks like I will just have to try again! 🙂 thanks for the reply!
Made this today and it was amazing rich, creamy, smooth and not too heavy. I didn’t have sour cream so I substituted plain yogurt and it turned out wonderfully. Thank you for putting it out there for the public. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Thank you R Swanson for taking the time to drop me a note. I’m thrilled when people try my recipes and enjoy them.
Hi there, thanks for sharing your recipes. I followed the directions exactly (except I only had a 9 inch pan, so i just didn’t use all the batter) and it came out of the oven beautiful–just over the edge of the pan, no cracks, golden brown. But as it cooled, it fell to about an inch tall. I’m surprised all the ingredients could fit in such a small space! Any guesses as to what happened? I have an old gas stove that cooks moist–I wondered if the bath was just too much.
Thanks!
Hi Emilie, the cake will fall a bit, but shouldn’t that much. Sometimes ovens can certainly affect how things bake. I hope the cheesecake still tasted great.
me and my husband are cheese cake lovers. i made 1 for the 4 of July..i used sour cream for the 1st time and it was so creamy..i also put the zest of a whole lemon mixed in last…i also made a mistake and used vanilla butter &nut flavoring but also added 1 teaspoon of vanilla..we love to top it with canned blueberries…i like any fruit topping my hubby like blueberry the best..he says my cheese cakes are better than his moms..she is an amazing cook..she from Germany and does sometimes make authentic German food..thank you for this recipe..i will try this recipe..soon…take care and keep posting lovely and yummy recipes..
Thats quite a compliment from your husband saying your cheesecakes are better than his Mom’s. Hope you enjoy the recipe Karen.
I don’t like sour cream
Is there something else that I can use
Hi Elizabeth, for this recipe I’m not sure if there would be any substitutions that would give the same results.
What it be ok to use Splenda in place of sugar?
Hi Lillian, I have not tried this cake with Splenda. I know splenda does bake differently than sugar, so unsure of the outcome. Let me know if you decide to try it.
Thanks I will, looking for a low carb version and without the crust thought it sounded perfect. Thanks for sharing, I look forward to trying it.
I am always looking for the perfect cheesecake recipe. I’m sure this is it, but I can’t figure out one problem I had. Right size pan. All ingredients room temperature. Water bath…I used a convection oven, but mine did not raise high like I was hoping. What else could I have done incorrectly? It looked like it was going to be perfect, but when it cooled, it was the same old size they always are. It was a beautiful golden brown on top. ??????
Hi Eileen, too bad you didn’t take a photo so I could have seen it. The cake will drop a bit once cooled, but should still be higher than most cheesecakes. Sometimes oven temperature can affect baking. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. I hope it still tasted great.
Actually, it was much lower than my usual cheesecakes. I am weirdly surprised because Inhave some great cheesecake recipes which have never failed. I was so looking forward to this, but I made it again & to no better avail. Really bummed about it. All the great replies! And I can’t figure out the problem. I just got my oven in November &!I keep a thermometers in it. No problems with anything else I’ve baked. I just can’t figure this one out. Anybody, ANY ideas? Yes, everything was room temperature.
Thanks!
Hi Eileen, I’m stumped. You sound like a very accomplished baker I for the life of me can’t figure out what happened. Mine usually rises to the point where I worry it will overflow and lowers somewhat after its cooled. Last time I made it I took step by step photos so I better get those added. I do appreciate you trying my recipes.
could you please confirm the depth of the 10″ spring-form case tin? I read a comment here that states the pan needs to be deep so would like to confirm before i bake it
Hi Priyanka, I think most springform pans come in 3 inch high depth. I measured mine and thats what it is
I made this cheesecake…was delicious. Only problem was it didn’t rise alot. Did I do something wrong?
Hi Jen, it should have raised higher than a normal cheesecake so not sure what happened. Sometimes its the way our oven’s bake or even over or under mixing the ingredients. Were ingredients at room temperature? I hope the cheesecake still tasted great.
Made this amazing cheesecake and itt will be my new go to. Loved it. Thanks so much!
thank you so much Sherri, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!