Move over, Cheesecake Factory: New York Style Cheesecake
When I was growing up, cheesecake meant the no-bake kind that came in a box. You know, the box with two white paper pouches inside, one containing graham cracker crumbs, and the other a mysterious, white, cheesecake-scented powder. You added sugar and melted butter to the graham cracker crumbs, and pressed them into the bottom of a pie plate with a fork, and that was your crust. As for the mysterious white powder, you just added some milk to it, beat it with the electric mixer, and voila! There was your filling. Into the crust it went, and from thence into the fridge, and in an hour, you had cheesecake. A can of cherry pie filling spread on top was the finishing touch, and it was party time.
On the other end of the spectrum, there is The Cheesecake Factory, the king of all gourmet chain restaurants (if such a thing can really exist as a chain, this is it). Twenty-plus varieties of cheesecake on any given day, not to mention seasonal flavors like pumpkin in the fall, make The Cheesecake Factory’s menu unbeatable. We don’t have TCF here in Michigan, but I don’t visit Chicago without making a stop at the John Hancock Center for, at the very least, a piece of cheesecake to go. It doesn’t matter what flavor – they’re all a slice of heaven.
I never imagined I’d be able to make cheesecake that rivals TCF’s, but this one does. I promise. I made this recently for a party at which the only food was a dessert buffet, and at the end of the event, this was the only thing that was nearly gone – there was just one slice left. Competing as it was with things like dark chocolate cake with ganache, I took that as a massive compliment.
The flavor is simultaneously rich and delicate. The keys are the fresh lemon zest (if you don’t have a zester, use a parmesan cheese grater, and just take off the bright yellow top layer) and the vanilla – don’t forego either of these. The texture is as heavy and creamy as the very best bakery cheesecake, and the crust is a sweet shortbread, reminiscent of Walker’s shortbread cookies. I nearly passed out the first time I read the recipe that this version evolved from – the quantity of cream cheese, eggs, and heavy cream is enough to cause a heart attack by mere association. But it’s worth every calorie and fat gram.
The process is lengthy, but not particularly difficult. There is no special skill involved, other than mindfulness while it’s baking. If you can use a food processor and a mixer, you’ll have no problem. The time and labor involved will be well-spent. You can serve it plain (it requires no added frills) or with any number of toppings: chocolate sauce, caramel, fruit compote. And of course, a little bit of real whipped cream if that’s your thing.
New York Style Cheesecake
For crust:
1-1/4 cups unbleached flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into dice
1 egg, separated
Whisk together the flour, sugar, lemon zest, and salt. Place in the bowl of a food processor, and add the butter. Process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk, and process in short pulses until the dough comes together in a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Butter the bottom and sides of a 10″ round pan, and line the bottom and sides with parchment (a springform pan with removable sides works best, but if you don’t have one, the parchment lining will enable you to remove the cheesecake without it sticking). Pat about 1/3 of the chilled dough evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Prick all over with a fork. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Bake crust 10 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven, and let cool to room temperature. Pat the other half of the dough around the sides of the pan, about 1/8″ thick. Brush the dough with egg white. Refrigerate until ready to fill.
For filling:
2-1/2 pounds cream cheese (5 bricks)
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating well until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla, then the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Finally, beat in the heavy cream.
Pour the batter into the prepared crust, and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake 15 minutes at 500 degrees, then reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake another hour. Turn the oven off, prop the door ajar, and let the cheesecake slowly cool down for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool all the way to room temperature.
To unmold:
First, run the blade of a knife around the side of the cheesecake between the pan and the parchment to loosen it.
If you used a springform pan, simply undo the latch, loosen the side of the pan, and remove. Peel off the parchment from the side of the cheesecake, cut and serve.
If you used a regular pan, place a layer of plastic wrap or waxed paper over the top of the cheesecake. Place a plate or platter greater than 10″ in diameter upside down over the top of the pan, and quickly invert. Knock gently on the bottom of the pan a few times to loosen it, and gently lift the pan, knocking on the bottom again if the cheesecake sticks. Peel off all the parchment, and using a second platter or plate placed upside down against the bottom of the cheesecake, invert again. Cut and serve.
