New York-Style Cheesecake with Blackberry Topping

Dense, creamy, and lusciously richNew York-Style Cheesecake crownedwith a sweet blackberry topping!

Of all the cakes out there, cheesecake has to be the most decadent.ESPECIALLY New York-Style Cheesecake.

While I’ve definitely made my fair share of cheesecakes over the past few years of food blogging, I’ve never made a true New York Cheesecake.Although I’m queen of all things sweet, sugary, and unhealthy,even I have to admit that I feel a little bit of guilt whenit comes to incorporating TWOPOUNDS of cream cheese into ONE cheesecake. But hey, if you’re gonna make an authentic New York Cheesecake, yacan’t skimp on the cream cheese, nor can you lighten it up with yogurt. It’s all about FULL FAT, baby!

So seeing as I had a big gathering coming up with family and friends, I felt that this would be the perfect opportunity to make something super rich and unhealthy (aren’t all of my recipes??) with the hopes that most of it would be eaten. Less leftover cheesecake means less killing myself at the gym because I “accidentally” inhaled an entire New York Cheesecake.

As I mentioned earlier, this cheesecake has a whopping TWO pounds of cream cheese. It’s really what gives the cheesecake its dense richness, smooth tanginess, and firm texture. It ain’t your light and airyno-bake cheesecake, that’s for sure.

Thankfully the ingredients are pretty basic. It beginsbywhipping together some cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, salt, and cornstarch. The cornstarch helps to firm up the filling and is supposed to prevent cracking…we’ll get to that topic later on. Once those ingredients have incorporated, the eggs are added, mixing just until combined. Once the eggs are added, you want to avoid over-mixing since it’ll produce more air in your cheesecake, causing it to rise too much, thus forming cracks.

As for the crust, it’s just your standard graham cracker crumb crust. I did add a little bit of cinnamon to enhance the flavor anddepth. While the crust may not be the star of the show,that doesn’t mean it needs to be flavorless. The cinnamon definitely added that extra oomph that most boring graham cracker crusts lack.

Now let’s talk about cracks…

From whispering sweet nothings to ancient burialrain dances in front ofthe oven, I have yet to discover the magical secret to baking up the perfect crack-lesscheesecake. I feel like I’ve tried every oneof those “tips” and “tricks” out there, yetmy cheesecake still falls victim to the infamous crack. So this time, I just said “Eff it!” We ain’t messin’ with no annoying water bath, nor are we gonna be cracking no oven doors open. We’re going to simplify the baking process a littlebystarting the baking at a much higher temp (500ºF) for 10 minutes, then dropping it down low (200ºF) for the rest of the baking time.Yes, my cheesecake did crack, but WHO FLIPPIN’ CARES??? Besides, that’s what blackberries are for.

New York Style Cheesecake with Blackberry Topping

Dense, creamy, and lusciously richNew York-Style Cheesecake crownedwith a sweet blackberry topping!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Refrigeration Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 10 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Filling:

32 ounces cream cheese
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
4 eggs

Topping:

4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons water
3 cups blackberries fresh or frozen
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Blackberries for decorating

Instructions

Make the Crust:

In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to toss the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon together. Add the melted butter, mixing until all crumbs are moistened. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a9-inch springform pan. Refrigerate while you work on the filling.

Make the Filling:

Preheat the oven to 500ºF. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on high until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar and continue beating for another 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the cornstarch, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt, and beat until incorporated, 1-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, two at a time, until combined. Try not to overmix.
Pour filling into the crust, smoothing out the top. Bake cheesecake for 10 minutes. Then without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 200ºF, and continue to bake for 80-85 minutes, or until center appears nearly set when shaken.
Transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack and run a knife around the edges. Allow to cool for at least 2 hours before covering cheesecake and chilling in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Make the Topping:

In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons of water. In a saucepan, heat 2 cups of the berries, both sugars, the water, lemon juice, and salt over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Allow to boil and stir constantly for 3-4 minutes, or until juices have released and berries begin to break up. Add the remaining cup of berries, along with the cornstarch-water mixture and continue stirring over low heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat immediately and pour into a bowl to cool.*
To serve, remove sides of the springform pan and slice with a sharp knife, wiping the knife clean between slices. Serve with blackberry topping.

Notes

*If topping is too thick to your liking, add water, a tablespoon at a time, until you've reached the desired consistency.

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