New York Cheesecake

By minicoopercraig

For the crust, chocolate wafers (such as Nabisco Famous) may be substituted for graham crackers; you will need about 14 wafers. The flavor and texture of the cheesecake are best if the cake is allowed to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving. When cutting the cake, have a pitcher of hot tap water ready; dipping the blade of the knife into the water and wiping it after each cut helps make clean slices.

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus 1 Tbsp melted for the pan
• 8 whole graham crackers (4 ounces) broken into rough pieces and processed in a food processor to fine, even crumbs
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• Filling:
• 2 1/2 lbs (five 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, cut into rough 1-inch chunks, at room temperature
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
• 1/3 up sour cream
• 2 tsp juice from 1 lemon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large egg yolks, plus 6 large eggs, at room temperature

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from cooksillustrated.com

Preparation

Step 1

For the crust: Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with 1/2 tablespoon of the melted butter. Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl; add 5 tablespoons of the melted butter and toss with a fork until evenly moistened. Empty the crumbs into the springform pan and press evenly into the pan bottom. Bake until fragrant and beginning to brown around the edges, about 13 minutes. Cook on a wire rack while making the filling.
For the filling: Increase the oven temperature to 500 degrees. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the cream cheese at medium-low speed to break up and soften it slightly, about 1 minute. Scrape the beater and the bottom and sides of the bowl well with a rubber spatula; add the salt and about half of the sugar and beat at medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl; beat in remaining sugar until combined, about 1 minute. Scrap the bow; add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla, and beat at low speed until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Scrap the bowl; add the egg yolks and beat at medium-low speed until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl; add the remaining eggs, two at a time, beating until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute, scraping the bowl between additions.
Brush the sides of the springform pan with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon melted butter. Set the springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any spills if the pan leaks). Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake 10 minutes; without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees and continue to bake until the cheesecake registers about 150 degrees on an instant read thermometer inserted in the center, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool until barely warm, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Run a paring knife between the cake and the pan sides. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours. (The cheesecake can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
To unmold the cheesecake, remove the sides of the pan. lide a thin metal spatula between the crust and the bottom of the pan to loosen, then slide the cake onto a serving plate. Let the cheesecake stand at room temperature about 30 minutes, then cut into wedges.