Original New York Cheesecake

Original New York Cheesecake
Original New York Cheesecake
As the name implies, the recipe for Junior's famous original cheesecake has been baked the very same way since the 1950s. And for good reason. It's simply The Best cheesecake you can find. "There will never be a better cheesecake than the cheesecake they serve at Junior's on Flatbush Avenue... it's the best cheesecake in New York," wrote Ron Rosenblum (Village Voice, July 26, 1973). The next year, a jury of six cool-headed cheesecake lovers for New York magazine named Junior's the Champion Cheesecake. I asked Alan Rosen what makes it so special: "It's light but not crumbly, oh-so-creamy but not dense, and with that heavenly cream cheese flavor that makes Junior's New York cheesecake famous the world over." Surprisingly, this is one of the easiest cakes to make. Just follow this recipe that we have specially adapted for your home kitchen. You'll soon proudly be slicing up the best cheesecake you've ever tasted!
  • Preparing Time: -
  • Total Time: -
  • Served Person: Makes one 9-inch or 8-inch cheesecake, about 2 1/2 inches high
Cake Dessert Bake Cream Cheese Party Advance Prep Required Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 2/3 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 1 recipe 9-inch junior's sponge cake crust
  • four 8-ounce packages philadelphia cream cheese (use only full fat), at room temperature
  • 1 recipe 8-inch junior's sponge cake crust
  • three 8-ounce packages philadelphia cream cheese (use only full fat), at room temperature
  • Carbohydrate 770 g(257%)
  • Cholesterol 2382 mg(794%)
  • Fat 423 g(651%)
  • Fiber 1 g(2%)
  • Protein 91 g(183%)
  • Saturated Fat 239 g(1197%)
  • Sodium 3643 mg(152%)
  • Calories 7181

PreparationThe day before you plan to serve the cheesecake: 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make and bake the cake crust as directed and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on. 2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment if your mixer has one, beat 1 package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch together on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each. 3. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the cream just until completely blended. The filling will look light, creamy, airy, and almost like billowy clouds. Be careful not to overmix! Gently spoon the batter over the crust. 4. Place the cake pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes halfway (about 1 inch) up the side of the springform. Bake until the edge is light golden brown, the top is light gold, and the center barely jiggles, about 1 1/4 hours. If the cake still feels soft around the edge, let it bake for 10 minutes more (the cooking time will be about the same for both the 8- and 9-inch cheesecakes). Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours (just walk away—don't move it). Then, leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold before serving, preferably overnight or for at least 6 hours. On serving day: 5. Release and remove the side of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one, rinsing the knife with warm water between slices. Refrigerate any leftover cake, tightly covered, and enjoy within 2 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. The Junior's WayAlways bake the cheesecake in a water bath as they do at Junior's. It keeps the heat in the oven moist and helps the cake bake slowly, gently, and evenly. It also helps to ensure that your cake will have a smooth top, with no large cracks. Reprinted with permission from Junior's Home Cooking: Over 100 Recipes for Classic Comfort Food by Alan Rosen & Beth Allen. Text © 2013 by Alan Rosen and Beth Allen; photographs © 2013 by Mark Ferri. Published by the Taunton Press.

PreparationThe day before you plan to serve the cheesecake: 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make and bake the cake crust as directed and leave it in the pan. Keep the oven on. 2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment if your mixer has one, beat 1 package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch together on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each. 3. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in the cream just until completely blended. The filling will look light, creamy, airy, and almost like billowy clouds. Be careful not to overmix! Gently spoon the batter over the crust. 4. Place the cake pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes halfway (about 1 inch) up the side of the springform. Bake until the edge is light golden brown, the top is light gold, and the center barely jiggles, about 1 1/4 hours. If the cake still feels soft around the edge, let it bake for 10 minutes more (the cooking time will be about the same for both the 8- and 9-inch cheesecakes). Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours (just walk away—don't move it). Then, leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold before serving, preferably overnight or for at least 6 hours. On serving day: 5. Release and remove the side of the springform, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one, rinsing the knife with warm water between slices. Refrigerate any leftover cake, tightly covered, and enjoy within 2 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. The Junior's WayAlways bake the cheesecake in a water bath as they do at Junior's. It keeps the heat in the oven moist and helps the cake bake slowly, gently, and evenly. It also helps to ensure that your cake will have a smooth top, with no large cracks. Reprinted with permission from Junior's Home Cooking: Over 100 Recipes for Classic Comfort Food by Alan Rosen & Beth Allen. Text © 2013 by Alan Rosen and Beth Allen; photographs © 2013 by Mark Ferri. Published by the Taunton Press.