New York Cheesecake

New York cheesecake is a dense, rich cream cheese filling baked over a graham cracker crust until the top just turns golden. It's the thick, tangy style of cheesecake that gave the city its name attached to the dessert worldwide, built almost entirely on cream cheese rather than the lighter ricotta or cottage cheese bases used elsewhere.

What it really is

A crust of crushed graham crackers bound with melted butter presses into a springform pan and bakes briefly to set. Cream cheese beats smooth with sugar and eggs until the mixture turns dense and pale, sometimes with a little sour cream folded in for extra tang, then bakes slowly in that crust until the edges set and the centre still holds a slight wobble. Baking it in a water bath, or simply at a low, even temperature, is what keeps the top from cracking as it cools.

Density is the point, not a flaw. A New York cheesecake is meant to be heavy and rich enough that a thin slice satisfies — a lighter, fluffier cheesecake is a different regional style entirely, built on different proportions rather than a lesser version of this one.

How it's served

• Cold, cut into clean wedges after a full chill.
• Plain, or with a fruit compote or coulis spooned alongside.
• As a dessert, almost always sliced thin given how rich it is.

How to write it on the menu

• Flag the wheat in the crust, the dairy in the cream cheese, and the egg.
• Say if a fruit topping is included as standard or offered on the side.
• Note that it needs a full chill before serving; a warm slice never sets properly.