New York Style, Fully-Loaded, Baked Vanilla Cheesecake

If you’ve ever wondered how to make a New York style, baked vanilla cheesecake, I’ve got you covered.

This one is rich, creamy, and impossible to resist.

Classic New York Cheesecake Recipe

Cheesecake is my number one weakness. Dense, creamy, and smooth, it is as close to perfect as you can get.

And I’m not a purist either. Give me pumpkin! Give me chocolate! Give me anything with banana in the mix!

But where my heart really lies, is with a classic New York style, baked cheesecake, fully loaded with an assortment of decadent toppings.

Ingredients

For the Base

• Cookies - use any kind of cookie you like, including shortbread, Oreos, or even gingersnaps
• Sugar - just a little for sweetness
• Melted Butter - to help the base stick together

For the Filling

• Cream Cheese - obviously! Use full-fat for the best texture
• Sugar - for sweetness
• Cornstarch - to help the filling set
• Eggs - for richness and to help the filling set
• Sour Cream - for flavor and to soften the texture
• Vanilla - for sweet warmth

How to Make the Best Baked Cheesecake

The key to this recipe is to mix it by hand. If you go in with an electric mixer, you’ll incorporate too much air and it won’t have the same dense deliciousness.

1. Make the crust - mix the cookie crumbs and sugar with melted butter until it looks like wet sand.
2. Press the base into the pan - use a measuring cup to pack it down flat.
3. Bake the crust - just until slightly golden then take it out to cool while you make the filling.
4. Make the filling - beat the cream cheese and sugar by hand until smooth. Then add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until well blended.
5. Add the cornstarch and sour cream - stir to combine.
6. Bake the cheesecake - pour the filling over the base and bake for 10 minutes at 220°C. Then, reduce the heat to 110°C and bake for 1 hour.
7. Cool in the oven - turn the oven off, crack the door a little, then leave the cheesecake to cool for an hour.
8. Cool then chill overnight in the fridge - let the cheesecake go cold on the counter, cover it, then pop it in the fridge overnight. 

Recipe Tips

• Use full fat cream cheese - it’s thicker and gives you the best overall texture. Using something low in fat might seem like a good way to save calories, but the texture will suffer in the end.

• Start with room temperature ingredients - it’ll help everything mix easily so you don’t have to over-work it. If you over-mix, you’ll incorporate too much air and risk losing that incredible dense filling we all love.

• Use real vanilla - I LOVE to use real vanilla or vanilla paste. Having the flecks spread throughout is beautiful and the flavor is unmatched.

• Use a water bath - it helps to cook the cheesecake evenly and keeps the top from cracking

How to Bake Cheesecake in A Water Bath

Don’t panic when it comes to the water bath! I have two fool proof methods to keep the cheesecake dry.

Method One: Before you start baking, wrap the springform pan in alternating layers of foil and plastic. I use cooking bags split in half.

Just place a layer of foil on the counter followed by half of the cooking bag, another layer of foil, and the other half of the cooking bag.

Then, place the pan in the middle and carefully mold the foil around the base.

The foil will keep it in place and the plastic stops any moisture from leaking into the cake.

Now you can pop the pan in a larger container and fill it halfway with water to bake.

Method Two: Bake the cheesecake on the middle rack with another tray underneath filled with water.

It’s not as good as the method above, but the moisture should keep the top from cracking.

For step by step instructions, check out my video: