homemade cheesecake

A good New York style cheesecake, that is smooth, creamy and crack-free, can be easy to make if you remember these few tips:
- don't use light/low fat cream cheese and sour cream
- do make sure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature
- do grease and line your springform pan with parchment paper
- don't overbeat your batter
- don't put a warm cheesecake in the fridge
- do chill the cheesecake uncovered for at least 4 hours

Homemade Cheesecake

recipe adapted from TheKitchn

makes one 9 inch cake

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:

2 cups ground graham crackers (12 pieces)

1/2 stick (1/4 cup or 56g) unsalted butter, melted

For the cake:

1 lbs (2 x 8 oz bricks or 1.8 x 250g bricks) cream cheese, room temp

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temp

For the topping:
2 cups sour cream
1/8 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

METHOD:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F (177C or 170C Fan). Grease the sides and line the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with a parchment round. Set aside. 

2. In a small bowl, make the crust by combining the ground biscuits and melted butter together. Dump the mixture into your prepared springform pan and gently shake to spread the crumbs. Gently use the flat bottom of a drinking glass to press the crust evenly into the bottom of the pan.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges brown. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack.

4. In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, make the cake by mixing the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt on medium-low speed until the mixture is creamy and no lumps of cream cheese remain.

5. Mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until combined and creamy.

6. Mix in the eggs one at a time and beat each one until completely blended.

7. Stir and scrape down the beater and sides of the bowl with a spatula. Make sure everything is incorporated. The finished batter should be thick, creamy, and silky. Pour the batter over the crust and spread the batter in an even layer against the sides of the pan.

8. Put a tray or shallow heat-proof bowl of water on the lower rack of the oven. Place the cheesecake on the rack above and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the middle is still slightly wobbly. While the cheesecake is baking, make the topping by combining the sour cream, sugar and vanilla.

9. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and gently spread the sour cream topping evenly over top. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.

10. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and cool completely at room temperature for another hour.

11. Chill the cheesecake in the pan uncovered for at least 4 hours or up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

12. When you're ready to serve, release the springform side from the pan and remove. You can serve the cheesecake right from bottom of the pan or slip a large spatula under the parchment paper and carefully transfer the cheesecake to a serving platter. Top cheesecake with your desired topping and serve.