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Original New York-Style Cheesecake Recipe, Plus Differences Explained

New York Style Cheesecake

There is cheesecake, and then there is delicious, heavenly, rich slices of New York-style cheesecake. There are several variations to basic cheesecake recipes, adding different flavors to create new levels of the tasty treat, but difference between the original New York-Style Cheesecake and all other cheesecakes are covered here:

New York-Style Cheesecake – It was Junior’s Deli that made a name for “The World’s Most Fabulous Cheesecake” in New York. Using a tall springform pan, heavy cream, Philadelphia cream cheese, lemon and orange rind, an egg yolk and whole egg mix, with a couple of tablespoons of flour, and a sponge cake crust, it’s a richer variant that is also cooked slightly different. Most don’t New York styles don’t use a water bath and begin the baking process at a higher temperature (usually in the 500 degree range) before significantly reducing the heat (typically to 200 degrees) to give a richer interior with a light brown top.

Plain Cheesecake – The average basic, plain cheesecake recipe uses sour cream in lieu of New York-style’s heavy cream. It’s usually simpler, lighter finish that requires a water bath and sits on a graham cracker crust. This style is typically used more of a template for added flavors to create new versions like Banana Cream Cheesecake or Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake.

Italian Cheesecake – Somewhat like your New York-Style cheesecake, but uses ricotta in place of cream cheese making it significantly lighter than both cream cheese based versions. Also, you’ll note that there is no water bath in the baking process and the crust will either be absent completely or be a sugar-cookie style base.

Thanks to an old article that ran in the Chicago Tribune (1991 print edition), this is the original New York Style Cheesecake recipe from the Manhattan deli…

Lindy’s New York Cheesecake

For the dough:

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

Pinch of vanilla-bean pulp

1 egg yolk

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter

For the filling:

2 1/2 pounds cream cheese

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

Pinch of vanilla-bean pulp or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup heavy cream

Strawberry glaze (optional), recipe follows

1. Prepare dough: Combine flour, sugar, lemon rind and vanilla pulp. Add egg yolk and butter and beat to combine. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Prepare filling: Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, grated rinds, vanilla pulp until smoothly blended. Add eggs and egg yolks one by one, blending thoroughly after each addition. Stir in cream. Reserve.

3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease inside and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Release the bottom. Take 1/3 of chilled dough and roll it out until 1/8 inch thick. Position over bottom and trim edges. Bake until crust is set and light gold, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool. Turn oven up to 550 degrees.

4. Place the springform ring over the bottom and close the spring. Roll out remaining dough until 1/8 inch thick and cut into 2-inch strips. Line the inside of the ring with the strips, which should come only 3/4 of the way up the sides.

5. Pour filling mixture into the pan and spread to level the top. Place in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 200 degrees and bake 1 additional hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

6. Before serving, loosen pastry from sides with a spatula and remove ring. Cut into 12 to 16 wedges.