Simply Delicious New York-Style Cheesecake

Submitted by Luby Luby Luby

"This wonderful cheesecake recipe is from Emeril Lagasse with a few modifications to the crust. One of the secrets to a successful cheesecake that does not crack is to avoid over mixing the batter. The zest adds such a great flavor and it really is simply delicious."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• 1 1⁄2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 3⁄4 cups sugar
• 5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 lemon, zest of, only
• 1 orange, zest of, only
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped from inside
• 1 teaspoon Bourbon

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter & 2 tbsp sugar, mixing well.
3. Press onto bottom of a 10 inch springform pan, pressing up sides slightly.
4. Bake in preheated oven about 8-10 minutes.
5. Set aside to cool.
6. In large mixing bowl using an electric mixer combine cream cheese, 1 3/4 cup sugar, zests and vanilla extract beating until light and creamy.
7. Add the flour, eggs, yolks, sour cream, vanilla bean seeds and bourbon and mix just until smooth.
8. Pour mixture into the prepared springform pan.
9. Wrap the pan with heavy duty foil and place in a roasting pan.
10. Fill the roasting pan with enough hot water to come half way up the sides of the pan.
11. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
12. Remove from oven and remove from water bath.
13. Remove foil and place on counter until it comes to room temperature.
14. Place in refrigerator overnight or at least 6 hours.

Reviews

[oilpatchjo]

Hi Luby, Emeril Lagasse is the best! I have been making cheesecakes for 15 or more years and my DH said, "this is the best one he has ever tasted!" Made the cheesecake according to instructions and did not change any of the ingredients. The texture and taste of this cheesecake was a perfect New York Style that you would find in a true NY deli! This recipe has just gone to 1st place in my line up of cheesecakes, did I mention that I have been looking for this taste in a cheesecake for over 15 years! Thanks for posting this divine recipe. Update: Hi Luby, Since I last posted this review I have made this cheesecake about 3 times without a doubt excellent. This last time I didn't have any lemons or oranges so I used 1 teaspoon of lemon juice I had left over from juicing and 1 teaspoon of orange oil made by Watkins. I did let the cheesecake set in the refrigerator for 3 days and the taste was superb! Served with a strawberry confit and fresh strawberries the taste was wonderful! Update I made it with lemon and Matusalem Rum from Cuba and added an extra 1/2 lb. of cream cheese to accommodate the extra liquid what a taste in the spirit of Emeril "BAM"! I guess I've this cheesecake about 20 times since the last review my DH loves it so much. Luby Update January 2010: Well this Holiday Season I made this cheesecake more than "once" but this time I followed baking instructions from another recipe to avoid cracks baked @ 250 F for 2 hours using a vented oven drip pan used 3 quarts of water without opening the oven door until the 2 hours baking time were over. Let the cheesecake cool in the oven shut off for for 4 hours. I used Nut Crust recipe # 347039 which is suberb the cheesecake lifted off the spring form disk with the greatest of ease after cooling in the refriderator for 24 hours. I also used a 10" spring form pan which I lightly greased with unsalted butter. I also found them much easier to cut baked with the water bath. I took them to functions throughout the Holiday Season and all were devoured with great enthusiasm and many compliments were given from across the room with their take home containers under their arms securely, they went happily out the door. Absolute perfection! Thanks Luby for sharing.

 

[DNP1983]

Very first time making cheesecake and this was a total hit! When I took the first bite I could hardly believe I made this thing!! Awesome recipe!

 

[MarinasDaddy]

Excellent, authentic cheesecake recipe. I made this for my husband's birthday, and he said that it reminded him of the New York style cheesecake of his youth (his mother is Italian and grew up near Arthur Avenue in the Bronx). I couldn't figure out how to remove the bottom of the springform pan without damaging the cake, so I just served it on the disk. No one noticed. Maybe next time I will try using parchment paper.

 

[cibbitson]

I made this without the 2 egg yokes and didn't have the vanilla beans, so i added extra vanilla. I also left out the bourbon and added some orange extract. It came out fantastic. I put blueberry comstock brand prepared on top.. wow.. everyone raved. My daughter loved it as it was for her b day.. It was rich and so creamy. Will keep in my cookbook!!

 

[Aunt Bee]

This cheesecake is awesome! I made it exactly as it was written and it was so very delicious. It had the best flavor of any cheesecake I've ever made. Everyone who tasted it made the very same comments -- superb!! It was surprisingly easy to make also. Thank you very much for posting this recipe.