The Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe brought many recipes to America that became part of the culinary pantheon of the United States. This cheesecake is one of them: reinforced with cream cheese (Philadelphia, of course) the cake became an international icon – New York Cheesecake.
Ingredients for New York Cheesecake
For the Base:
- 3.5 oz (100 grams) butter cold, cut into cubes
- ¼ cup (50 grams) Sugar
- 1 cup (140 grams) flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract pure
- 2 egg yolks
For the Filling:
- 3.3 lbs (1½ kilograms) cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract pure
- 1½ teaspoons grated lemon peel
- 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
- ⅓ cup (75 ml) sweet cream
- ⅓ cup (46 grams) flour
- 4 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 8 oz (225 grams) Sugar
Instructions
Prepare the Cheese:
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1. The day before preparing the cake, place the cheese in a dense strainer, in the refrigerator and drain the cheese from liquid. Please note, only 2.7lbs (1.225 kg) of drained cheese should be used.
Prepare the Base:
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2. Pulse butter and flour in a food processor until you get a mixture of coarse crumbs. Add the vanilla and egg yolks and process briefly just until you get a lump of dough.
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3. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan with your hands, pierce with a fork and bake for 20-25 minutes in an oven preheated to 302F degrees (150C) until the dough takes on a light golden color. Cool on a wire rack.
Prepare the Filling:
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4. Increase the oven temperature to 375F degrees (190C).
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5. Mix cheese with vanilla and zest until a uniform mixture is obtained. Add cream and mix until just combined. Finally, gradually add the flour.
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6. Beat the eggs and yolks with the sugar at medium-high speed for 8-10 minutes until the mixture is puffy and pale. Fold the egg mixture into the cheese mixture in three batches.
Bake and Serve:
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7. Transfer to the pan with your pre-baked base and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 11 minutes. The cake will rise a little, should not brown and remain light. Immediately lower the temperature to 212F degrees (100C). It is advisable to open the oven door slightly for 30-60 seconds to lower the temperature quickly. Bake for another 40 minutes or more, until the top looks bright and dry, the edges are firm and the center vibrates a little.
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8. Turn off the oven, open the door a little and leave the cake inside until completely cool. Run a small knife around the edges to release from the sides, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
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9. Remove from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving and slice with a knife dipped in hot water and cleaned.