Cheesecake, one of the best things to experiment with when feeling creative. And I think that's a pretty common feeling, I mean just go look at the range of options for cheesecakes at The Cheesecake Factory and I think I have proved my point. Baked or no-bake. Stuffed with sweetness or light and fresh. Cookie crust or brownie bottom. I could go on for a while, but that's getting off topic.
Because today I want to talk about the basic New York cheesecake and nothing else. I've been a fan of cheesecakes ever since I bit my first slice of New York cheesecake. But somehow I found myself always going for the no-bake option for a long time when I was getting into baking. I would always opt out for the classic cheesecake when out at a cafe or a restaurant but at home I found myself playing with gelatin and chocolate or maybe some Baileys. There was something that kept me from taking the step to the oven.
But a few summers ago, after getting fed up with fighting gelatin chunks in my no-bake cheesecake, I finally decided to give the traditional way a go. At first I was a little spooked by the need to alternate the oven temperature while baking the cheesecake. I put off my first attempt for a little because I was convinced I would get it wrong and end up wasting all the ingredients on a raw, inedible cheesecake. But one day while planning to bake for a family event, I decided it was time to give the cheesecake a go. At least I would hear a lot of opinions and I'd be able to develop the recipe.
And let me tell you, it wasn't nearly the kind of difficulty level I expected to be. So if you're a first timer with oven baked cheesecakes, don't be afraid and put off trying this recipe! If you're an old timer with oven baked cheesecakes, don't laugh, I just tend to overthink things.. Anyway! I strongly recommend this recipe and oven baked cheesecakes in general. I've already made a ton of different version and itching to make even more. Serve the cheesecake as it is or with a swirl of caramel sauce and some fresh berries, both are perfect options! Let me know what you think of the recipe and enjoy your cheesecake moment!
New York Cheesecake
Servings: 8-10 slices
Ingredients:
Crust
200g. graham crackers
70g. butter
½ tsp cinnamon
Cheesecake filling
350g. cream cheese
150g. cream fraiche
2 dl sugar
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
3 eggs
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp cream
+ Caramel sauce and berries on top strongly recommended.
1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Crush the cookies and mix with the butter and cinnamon. Press the cookie mixture into a 22cm cake tray.
3. Place the tray in the middle section of the oven for 10 min. While the crust is in the oven, prepare the filling.
4. Mix the cream cheese and crème fraiche together. Add in the sugar and vanilla sugar.
5. Mix in the eggs and then the flour. Lastly pour in the cream and mix until well combined.
6. Once the crust is out of the oven and has had about 10 min to cool down on a cooling rack, pour in the filling and place in the middle section of the oven for 10 min.
7. After the 10 minutes is up, turn down the temperature to 150C and keep the cheesecake in for 45 minutes. Lastly, turn off the oven and keep the cheesecake in for 45 minutes.
