SERVES 8
This is a classic New York–style cheesecake based in cream cheese (as opposed to Italian style, which uses ricotta cheese). It’s a purist’s cheesecake, flavored only with vanilla and set into a simple crisp graham cracker crust.
An excellent cheesecake is dense but never heavy, firm but not rigid; these standards are achieved by baking the cheesecake in a water bath (known as a bain-marie, the same setup we used for baking the crème brûlée here) until just set with a bit of wiggle left to it.
A perfect cheesecake can stand on its own, no embellishments required. Purists pass on elaborate flavorings—no cookie crumbs, raspberry swirl, or pumpkin for them—and insist that theirs be served plain. Those less rigid will allow for simple handful of berries and a drizzle of fruit syrup to finish their cheesecake.
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (around 14 cookies)
¼ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup sugar
24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 vanilla seeds, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Place the graham crackers into a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, salt, butter, and sugar. Stir until combined. Press onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes and let cool. Cover the outside of the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
BOIL a pot of water while you mix the filling. Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment on medium-high until smooth, around 2–3 minutes. Scrape down sides with a spatula and add brown sugar. Beat again until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time. Next beat in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and seeds. Pour filling over crust. Place the springform pan into a larger pan and pour the boiling water into larger pan until it comes halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake on the center oven rack in the water bath for around 1 hour, or until just set; the center of the cheesecake should jiggle. Once done, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cool, and then refrigerate for at least 10 hours.