Published: May 5, 2019 · Modified: August 2, 2023 by Cindy Gibbs

This decadent and Creamy New York Cheesecake with Strawberry Compote is silky smooth and pairs beautifully with fresh strawberry compote or any other topping!

New York Cheesecake with Strawberry Compote.

I can’t imagine anyone not liking a decadent piece of creamy, satiny smooth cheesecake topped with some homemade strawberry compote.  Can you? 

I suppose there are those who don’t like cheesecake, but I’m betting it’s because they’ve never had the right cheesecake.  I’m personally not a fan of cheesecake from those huge bakeries that bake hundreds of them at a time.  They look pretty, but the taste is just not there for me, and I can taste the preservatives in every bite.

Let’s talk about making this Creamy New York Cheesecake with Strawberry Compote…

You may be intimidated by the thought of making a homemade cheesecake, but don’t be.  It really isn’t hard.  There are 4 steps, and none of them are difficult.  They are the crust, filling, water bath, and chilling.  The hardest thing for me is the chilling time.  I have no patience and the cheesecake needs to chill for at least 4 hours before trying to slice and serve it.  The water bath is super simple and we’ll talk about that more in a minute.

Making The Crust

  1. Wrap two layers of heavy duty foil around the bottom and all the way up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Be careful to not tear a hole anywhere in the foil.
  2. Crush 2 cups of graham crackers very fine, either with a rolling pin or in a blender.
  3. Mix the cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 6 tablespoons of melted butter, until thoroughly combined.
  4. Add the crumb mixture to the springform pan, and using your hands or a flat bottomed measuring cup, pat the mixture across the bottom and part way up the sides of the pan.
  5. Bake the crust for 8 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Allow it to cool while you make the filling.
New York Cheesecake.

Preparing the water bath

Move an oven rack to the bottom third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a large pan, larger than the springform pan, on the oven rack.  Make sure the pan is at least 2 inches deep.  Fill the pan with at least 1 inch of boiling water.  Leave the pan in the preheated oven while you prepare the filling.

When your ready to place the cheesecake in the oven, carefully place the cheesecake in the hot water, making sure to not tear the foil. The hot water should be about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. If it’s not add more hot water, making sure to not splatter any water into the cheesecake.

Making the filling & baking the cheesecake

  1. Add the cream cheese to the large bowl of a stand mixer.  Beat the cream cheese on high speed until the cream cheese is light and creamy and free of any lumps. It’s VERY IMPORTANT to beat the cream cheese until there are absolutely no lumps in it before adding the other ingredients.
  2. Add the vanilla, sugar and eggs, one at a time, and mix on medium speed until well blended.  Add the sour cream and whipping cream and mix to incorporate. 
  3. Pour the filling over the crust.  Pick up the pan and gently shake it to even out the filling.  To ensure you do not tear a hole in the foil, make sure you do not shake the pan back and forth on a surface.
  4.  Gently place the springform pan in the water bath in the preheated oven.  Bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cheesecake is just slightly jiggly in the center.  Remove the cheesecake from the oven and remove the foil from around the pan.  Remove the water bath from the oven and return the cheesecake to the oven.  Turn the oven off and leave oven door gently ajar.  Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. This helps to prevent cracks in the cheesecake.

If you happened to read my Table Talk post this week, I showed a picture of what happens if you loosen the ring around your cheesecake while it is still warm.  Never talk to your husband when you’re making a recipe!

This cheesecake is absolutely delicious on its own, but leave it to me, I couldn’t stop there.  I made a quick and easy strawberry compote to serve on top of each slice.  The compote took 5 minutes to make.  Then I didn’t stop there either.  I whipped up some fresh whipping cream to pipe on top.  What more could you ask for? Both of them are listed on the recipe card below.

Click here to see how to make a perfect cheesecake with zero cracks every time!

Can I freeze this cheesecake?

Absolutely! This cheesecake freezes beautifully. Freeze for no more than 3 months, wrapped tightly. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

New York Cheesecake.

Slicing tip

For perfect slices, use a sharp knife. Dip the knife in a tall glass of hot water, and wipe it clean between cuts.

Here are more cheesecake recipes you might like…

The Ultimate Lemon Cheesecake

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

No-Bake Red White & Blue Cheesecake

Coconut White Chocolate Cheesecake

Cranberry White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake

Japanese Cheesecake

If you make this recipe please rate it, and leave a comment below on how you liked it. I love getting your feedback! 🙂

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New York Cheesecake.

Creamy New York Cheesecake with Strawberry Compote

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  • Author: Cindy Gibbs
  • Prep Time: 30 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 Hour & 15 Minutes
  • Total Time: 56 minute
  • Yield: 12 Servings 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This creamy New York Cheesecake is satiny smooth and each bite will melt on your tongue.  It makes a great dessert for a special occasion.


Ingredients

Units Scale

FOR THE CRUST

  • 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (About 9 whole graham crackers)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 6 tablespoons melted butter
  • Pinch of salt if using unsalted butter

FOR THE FILLING

  • 4 packages softened cream cheese, 8 ounces each
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

FOR STRAWBERRY COMPOTE

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 cups strawberries, halved

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar


Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

FOR THE CRUST

  1. Melt the butter in a medium bowl in a microwave.  Add the cracker crumbs.  (I used whole graham crackers and crush them by with my rolling pin).  Add the sugar and salt and mix until all the crumbs are moistened with the butter.  Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the crumbs firmly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.  Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with heavy-duty foil.  Place the springform pan on the middle rack of an oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the crust is set.  Mine took 9 minutes.  Set the pan aside while preparing the filling.

FOR THE FILLING

  1. Prepare the water bath.  Move oven rack to the bottom third of the oven.  Place a large pan, larger than the springform pan, on the oven rack.  Make sure the pan is at least 2 inches deep.  Fill the pan with at least 1 inch of boiling water.  Leave the pan in the preheated oven while you prepare the filling.
  2. Add the cream cheese to the large bowl of a stand mixer.  Using the whisk attachment, mix the cream cheese on high speed until the cream cheese is light and creamy and free of any lumps.  Add the vanilla, sugar and eggs, one at a time, and mix on medium speed until well blended.  Add the sour cream and whipping cream and mix to incorporate.  Pour the filling over the crust.  Pick up the pan and gently shake it to even out the filling.  To ensure you do not tear a hole in the foil, make sure you do not shake the pan back and forth on a surface.
  3.  Gently place the springform pan in the water bath in the preheated oven.  Bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the cheesecake is just slightly jiggly in the center.  Remove the cheesecake from the oven and remove the foil from around the pan.  Remove the water bath from the oven and return the cheesecake to the oven.  Turn the oven off and leave oven door gently ajar.  Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour.
  4. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a sharp knife around the edges.  Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Release and remove the springform ring and cut and serve.

FOR THE STRAWBERRY COMPOTE

  1. Add the water and cornstarch to a medium saucepan and whisk together until smooth.  Place the pan over medium heat and add the sugar and strawberries.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes while stirring constantly and remove from heat.  Using a potato masher, slightly mash some of the strawberries.  Allow compote to completely cool.  It will thicken as it cools.  Refrigerate the compote until ready to use.

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM

  1. Add the cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Mix on medium speed for about 1 minute.  Add the vanilla and sugar and mix on high speed until medium-stiff peaks form about 1 minute.  Place dollops of the cream around the edges of the cheesecake, or pipe it on with a pastry bag.

Notes

  • It’s always important when whisking cream cheese, to whisk it until it’s very light and creamy and free of all lumps before adding other ingredients.
  • This cheesecake can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, and frozen for up to 1 month.
  • For neat slices, use a sharp long knife. Dip the knife in a tall glass of hot water, and wipe the knife clean between cuts.