Creamy, smooth, and delicious New York Style Cheesecake with a sweet, buttery graham cracker crust.

When I was younger, I had always thought cheesecake was only an adult dessert. So, it was never my “Go-To” dessert when the dessert menu came around at restaurants. However, whenever my mom made this cheesecake, I would have seconds and thirds. This is the best cheesecake I have ever had! Like my Dad’s Apple Pecan Crumb Bread recipe, this is another recipe that my Dad had given my mom when they were dating. This recipe was given to my Dad and his family a long time ago from their old Italian neighbor when they were growing up in New York’s Little Italy.

Since I was young, this cheesecake has been a huge hit at every party we brought it to. There are normally little to no left overs because people keep going back for more! This cheesecake is so creamy and smooth with the perfect amount of sweetness. It is very light and rich with flavor. Not only is the filling absolutely delicious, but the graham cracker crust perfectly ties the cake together with its texture and sweet and buttery flavor.

Making this cheesecake is very straight forward. Begin by crushing the graham crackers into small crumbs. When I was younger, my mom liked to put the graham crackers into a heavy duty zip lock bag and let me pound on the bag to crush up the crackers. This was always so fun to me and I felt like I was being a big help! Now that I am older, it is easier and faster for me to just put the crackers in a food processor to make crumbs. Then, mix in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Once mixed in, add the butter and combine all the ingredients together for the crust and pour it out into a 9-inch spring form pan. Use the bottom of a glass to compress the crust evenly throughout the bottom of the pan. Don’t forget to reserve a tablespoon or two of crust so you can do a little taste test ;)! Next, make the batter. Begin by whipping the cream cheese. It is very important to whip the cream cheese to make the batter lighter. Then, add the sugar, and then eggs one at a time. Make sure to beat well after the addition of each egg. Next, add everything else and beat well. Pour all the batter on top of the crust and put the cheesecake in the refrigerator while the oven is pre-heating.

Baking the cake is a little different. It is very important to set up a water bath for the cake to bake in to prevent the cheesecake from cracking. The water should be about a 1/4-inch high. Bake for 60 minutes. The cheesecake will not change much in color, but 60 minutes will be long enough for the cake to bake. After the hour, do not open the oven door! Turn off the oven and let the cake sit in the oven for another hour. This is when the top of the cheesecake will become a nice golden brown.

I like to refrigerate the cake and serve it cold, but it can also be served at room temperature. This cheesecake is perfect to eat as is or with fresh berries! Enjoy!

I would love to see your cheesecakes! Tag me in your creations on Instagram @beyondbakingwithamandajane and use the #beyondbakingwithamandajane !

Taste tested with love by friends and family.