Martha's New York-Style Cheesecake

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54 Reviews

This cheesecake will be your new favorite dessert.

Martha Stewart

Updated on November 27, 2024

Servings:

Yield:

1 10-inch cake

Martha’s New York-style cheesecake is a rich, dense classic dessert. It has a silky-smooth texture and no cracks. It’s so good that Martha calls it the ultimate cheesecake. The filling is made with a whopping seven packages of cream cheese plus a little sour cream, the crust is plain graham crackers, not honey or cinnamon. Wrapping the springform pan in two layers of aluminum foil is her trick to ensure water doesn’t seep in while the cheesecake bakes in a water bath in the oven. Her foolproof recipe makes it easy to enjoy this favorite even if you’re new to making cheesecake.

Making Martha's New York Cheesecake Ahead

Once chilled, this cheesecake can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to three days. In fact, it actually tastes best after being chilled overnight, which is why we call for at least six hours of chilling the cheesecake before serving.

Let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

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Ingredients

For the Crust

12 graham crackers
6 tablespoons butter, melted; plus more, room temperature, for pan
2 tablespoons sugar

for the Crust

Pinch of coarse salt

For the Cake

3 ½ pounds (seven 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
2 ¼ cups sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
5 large eggs, room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven and prep pan:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Wrap exterior of pan (including base) in a double layer of foil.
Make crust:

Process graham crackers in food processor until fine. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
Form crust in pan; freeze:

Transfer mixture to the pan and pat into an even layer using the bottom of a measuring cup or meat pounder. Freeze the dough in the pan, about 15 minutes.
Bake and cool crust:

Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake until the crust is firm to the touch and deeply golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Beat cream cheese until fluffy:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides as needed.
Combine sugar and flour and add to cream cheese:

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and flour. With mixer on low speed, gradually add sugar mixture to cream cheese; mix until smooth.
Mix in sour cream and vanilla, then eggs:

Add sour cream and vanilla; mix until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined; do not over mix.
Pour filling into pan; set up bain marie:

Pour cream cheese filling into the prepared pan. Set pan inside a large, shallow roasting pan. Carefully ladle boiling water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of springform pan.
Bake:

Bake 45 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Continue baking until cake is set but still slightly wobbly in the center, about 30 minutes more. Turn off oven; leave cake in oven with the door slightly ajar, about 1 hour.
Cool completely then refrigerate; unmold and serve:

Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cake cool completely. Refrigerate, uncovered, at least 6 hours or overnight. Before unmolding, run a knife around the edge of the cake.