This is Step by Step instructions and tips on how to make the perfect New York Style Cheesecake. 
This New York Style Cheesecake recipe is similar to the famous Carnegie Deli Cheesecake and has a sugar cookie crust. It is thick, creamy, dense and absolutely delicious.
Carnegie Deli
My son recently turned 18, and he does not like a traditional birthday cake. This year he requested New York Style Cheesecake with strawberries on top. Homemade only of course! His favorite cheesecake is the Carnegie Deli Cheesecake. It is sad that it will be closing. The Carnegie Deli Cheesecake is dense, creamy, moist, rich and has a sugar cookie crust instead of the traditional graham cracker crust.
Because this is his favorite cheesecake, I have tried to come up with a recipe that ALMOST tastes like the Carnegie Deli Cheesecake. It is pretty darn good if I say so myself!
New York Style Cheesecake
Here are some tips so you can make this pretty fabulous New York Style Cheesecake yourself!
*Cooking tip 1: Use the full fat cream cheese. This is not a time to skimp out on calories. It will not turn out well with the low fat cream cheese.
*Cooking tip 2: I always make a water bath. It keeps the cheesecake creamy and helps with preventing the cracking by cooking it evenly. Don't be scared of the water bath. Just place your cake in the middle of a large baking dish and fill the baking dish up with water a few inches. If you are worried about the water seeping in, you can wrap the cheesecake in foil, but I have never had that problem.
Cooking tip 3: Two main reasons your cheesecakes crack are from overcooking, and cooling down too fast. When the outer ring of your cheesecake is mostly firm and the center is slightly jiggly, it is time for the cooling down process. Turn off the oven, crack the oven door, and leave it in the oven for an hour as it cools down. Then take it out of the oven and the water bath and let it cool compeletly on your counter. At this time, you can run a thin-bladed knife around the edge to make sure the cake isn't sticking to the pan, which can also cause cracks as the cake settles.
Cooking tip 4: You must chill your cheesecake. It will not be the same serving it early. It is best to cook it the night before and chill it overnight. If you serve it too early it will not taste like a cheesecake, but more like a thick custard. But not the best tasting thick custard. The chilling is part of the cooking process. If you can't make it the night before, chill at least 4 to 6 hours before serving.
Cooking tip 5: Soften your cream cheese to about room temperature. This will help prevent lumps in your filling.
For the topping, I take fresh strawberries, slice them and set them in sugar an hour before serving.
The strawberries are there to compliment the cheesecake, not take over it.
If you like this recipe, check out: Strawberry Cream Shortcake and Easy Southern Banana Pudding.
New York Style Cheesecake Recipe-Adapted from the Carnegie Deli
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 stick of butter cut into ¼ slices
- Filling:
- 1 ½ pound cream cheese softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tbs flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs and 1 extra yolk
- 3 tbs heavy cream
Instructions
- For Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the flour, sugar, vanilla extract, egg yolk, and butter in a large mixing bowl.
- With your fingertips, rub the ingredients together until they are well mixed and can be gathered into a ball.
- Dust with a little flour, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Butter and flour the bottom of a 8 inch X 2 inch spring-form pan, roll out dough to cover bottom and sides. Bake until a light brown color.
- For Filling:
- Baking Step One:
- Preheat the oven to 485. Oven should be hot to enhance color and to help with setting the cake.
- Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat vigorously until it is creamy and smooth.
- Beat in sugar, a few tablespoons at a time, then beat in the flour, lemon, vanilla, eggs and egg yolk and heavy cream.
- Watch out for lumps!
- Pour the filling into the cookie dough lined pan, bake in the center of the oven in a water bath until a dark brown color has been achieved.
- The cake should also start to rise slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Cool for 30 minutes. Set oven to 350 degrees.
- Baking Step Two:
- After cheesecake has cooled for 30 minutes, return the cheesecake to the oven for final baking (this procedure will set the cheesecake).
- NOTE: Cheesecake is like a pudding with only eggs being used to firm the cake.
- When the cake is bouncy in the center and slightly risen in the middle as well as on the sides, it's finished!
- Baking time at 350°F will vary (usually 20 to 40 minutes) depending on your oven. You have to watch the progress to know when it is done. When it hits 20 minutes, start watching it closely. In my oven it takes about 20 minutes.
- Turn oven off. Crack open door a good amount. Leave in oven an hour to cool down. Remove for oven and cool completely before removing from pan.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight.
- Slice cake using a hot, wet knife; wipe blade clean between slices.
- NOTE: If you overbake, the cake will crack and be too firm. If you underbake, the cake will tend to be soft in the center.
- It usually takes a couple of tries to get it right. Good luck!
Nutrition- Nutrition info is based on estimation only.
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat
Yum this looks great! I've never made a New York cheesecake but you've got some great tips here 🙂
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen
I am a sucker for a cheesecake! This looks so creamy, thank you for the detailed instructions!
Char Ferrara
Oh my yum! This cheesecake looks divine. Great tips as well! Thank you for sharing!
Jennifer
I love a good cheesecake and this one looks delish! Great tips as well!
Amanda Mason
That's funny that he doesn't like traditional bday cake! But hey - this is a great substitute! It is sad that the Carnegie Deli in Las Vega is closing! Bummer! But it looks like you've done an amazing job on re-creating this cheesecake!!
Anne Murphy
Note to readers from a native New Yorker - follow all her tips. Really And then that should be one good cheesecake... It's well worth the fuss!
Paige
Wow, this sound fabulous...I'll have to give it a try. I bet the crust is wonderful this way!
Britt @ A Lil' Sweet, Spice, & Advice
Okay, I need this cheesecake in my life! The sugar cookie crust sounds spectacular. You gave some really great cheesecake making and baking tips!
Debbye
OMG I love cheesecake and this one looks delicious. I especially love the picture with the young boy. Very nice and sweet.
Zoe Groulx
Looks delicious! I will be making this with a glass baking dish, can be rectangular or round. How would you suggest I adjust cooking times? Or do I even need to do so?
Katie
Honestly, I wouldn't recommend cooking it in anything but a spring-form pan. It would almost be impossible removing the cake without it. Also, glass cooks a little faster than the metal pans. I am not sure at all what the time adjustment would be... sorry.
rita
love this recipe. the only thing i do differently is only add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. the first time i made it i thought it was a little too much lemon. good stuff. every one raves when i make it.