Baked New York Cheesecake
I’m not ashamed to admit that the first cheesecake I ever enjoyed was a fridge-set one on an airplane. It was a simple New York cheesecake, and it was bloody good. Since then, I’ve eaten and made better, but I’ll never forget that first one. Baked cheesecakes can seem daunting—they’re often seen as fiddly, prone to cracking, and tricky to bake. My recipe simplifies the process: use a food processor for the base and an electric whisk for the filling. The key is baking it in a water bath (a bain-marie) and being patient with the temperature. Bake it slowly, let it rest in the oven, and you’ll get a perfect, crack-free top. If you enjoy this, try my Japanese Cotton Cheesecake. It’s light, soft, and even more addictive!
Serves The Golden Girls or 12-16
Hands-on Time 30 minutes
Baking Time 3 hours 25 minutes
Ingredients
200g digestive biscuits
210g plus 1 tbsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp fine salt
130g unsalted butter (softened)
800g cream cheese (room temperature)
55g cornflour
3/4 tsp vanilla bean paste (or seeds from 1 vanilla pod)
1 lemon
4 large eggs
300ml sour cream
Equipment
Food processor
Microwaveable bowl
Microwave
Spatula
20cm springform tin
Large mixing bowl
Electric whisk
Micro-grater
Juicer
Pastry brush
Extra-wide tin foil
Large deep-sided roasting tin
Kettle of water
Method
1. Make the Base
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C (fan)/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Blitz the digestives, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt in a food processor until fine.
Melt 90g butter in a microwaveable bowl. Pour into the processor while running until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Press the mixture into the base of the springform tin. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/140°C (fan)/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
2. Make the Filling
In a large bowl, whisk cream cheese and 30g butter for 5 minutes until lightly whipped.
Add 210g sugar, cornflour, 1/8 tsp salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whisk briefly.
Add the eggs and whisk until combined. Stir in the sour cream until smooth.
3. Assemble and Bake
Brush the inside of the tin with melted butter. Wrap the tin tightly in foil to prevent water from seeping in.
Pour the filling over the base. Tap the tin to remove air bubbles.
Place the tin in a roasting tin and pour boiling water into the roasting tin to create a water bath.
Bake for 75 minutes, then turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit inside for 2 hours (or overnight).
4. Cool and Serve
Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and let it cool completely. Chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Run a palette knife around the edge of the cheesecake before releasing the springform tin.
Enjoy!
