New York-Style Cheesecake with Berries
This is a thick and creamy traditional New York-style cheesecake. Make the cake the day before, then chill overnight and finish off with the berries and berry topping just prior to serving. This cheesecake serves 18-20 people, sliced thinly.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- Cooking spray
- 20 whole graham crackers (10 ounces total), broken
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
- 1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
For the filling:
- 4 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each), at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 5 large eggs
For the topping:
- 2 cups sour cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 16-ounce baskets strawberries, whole
- 2 cups mixed berries of your choice (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Preparation
Make the crust:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and pre-heat to 350°F. Wrap foil around the outside of a 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 3-inch-high sides. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the graham crackers, butter and sugars in a food processor. Using the on/off turns, blend until the crumbs begin to stick together. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and 2 3/4 inches up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool while preparing the filling. Maintain the oven temperature.
Make the filling:
Beat the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt in large bowl until very smooth. Beat in the flour. Add the eggs and beat just until blended, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour the batter into the crust.
Bake the cheesecake until the outer 2 inches of the edge of the cake is puffed and slightly cracked, the center is set but slightly jiggly and the top is brown in spots, about 70 minutes. Transfer the cake to a rack. Cool for 10 minutes. Maintain the oven temperature.
Make the topping:
Whisk the sour cream, sugar and vanilla in medium size bowl to blend.
Spoon the topping over the cake, spreading to the edge of the pan. Bake until the topping is just set, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Run a knife between the crust and the pan.
Cool the hot cake in the pan on a rack, Chill overnight.
Mix 2 cups of mixed berries with the sugar and set aside for 10-30 minutes. Release the pan sides from the cheesecake and transfer to a platter. Arrange the whole strawberries, stems facing out, around the perimeter of the cake. Mound the mixed berries on top of the cake, covering completely. Serve.
