New York-Style Cheesecake

By polledl

To serve, top with your favorite sauce, recipe includes simple sauce directions for strawberry, blueberry or pineapple sauces. Slice with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped with a clean cloth. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• CRUST:
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• CHEESECAKE:
• 2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 orange, zested
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• STRAWBERRY SAUCE:
• 2 pints fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons kirsch or brandy
• BLUEBERRY SAUCE:
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier liqueur
• 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, picked over and rinsed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• PINEAPPLE SAUCE:
• 3 cups fresh 1/2-inch diced pineapple chunks
• 1/4 cup sugar, plus more to taste
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons light rum

Details

Servings 14
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 715mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Butter the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar and mix well. Press onto bottom of springform pan and bake until golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool. When completely cooled, butter the sides of the pan.

Increase oven temperature to 500°F.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, sugar, zests and vanilla and beat until light and creamy. Add the flour, then the eggs and yolks 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the sour cream and mix until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 12 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200°F and bake for 1 hour more. Transfer cake to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Refrigerate cake overnight before serving.

To serve, top with sauce of choice. Slice with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped with a clean cloth, and serve.

Strawberry Sauce:

Combine berries, sugar, water and zest and cook until berries are soft and the liquid is thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in the kirsch or brandy and cook for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat and let cool. Spoon on top of the cheesecake and serve.

Blueberry Sauce:

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat stir together the sugar, cornstarch, water, orange juice, and orange zest. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the blueberries and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the berries have burst, about 5 minutes. Add the butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and let cool before pouring over the cheesecake.

Yield: 3 cups

Pineapple Sauce:

Combine pineapple, sugar, water and zest, and cook until pineapple is tender and the liquid is thick, about 15 minutes. Stir in the rum, and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and let cool. Spoon on top of the cheesecake and serve.

Yield: about 3 cups