Old-School New York Cheesecake

Name: Old-School New York Cheesecake
Prep time: PT0D0H0M
Cook time: PT0D11H0M
Total time: PT0D11H0M
Yield: 12–16
Ingredients: 2¼ cups all-purpose flour; 18 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut in small cubes; ¾ cup sugar; ¾ tsp. vanilla extract; Kosher salt; 2 medium eggs; 2 lb. (4 cups) farmer cheese; ¼ tsp. kosher salt; 8 oz. sour cream; 1 cup sugar; ½ cup heavy cream; 2½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest; 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice; 5 medium eggs plus 2 yolks; ½ tsp. vanilla extract

This family recipe from writer Mark Kurlansky is lighter and tangier than the cream cheese-laden versions popular today.

Serves
12–16
Time
12 hours

PHOTO NINA GALLANT ⠂FOOD STYLING MADISON TRAPKIN

By Mark Kurlansky

Published on May 19, 2025

This old-school New York cheesecake recipe, inspired by my grandmother’s, has a slightly curdled texture and is tart and scented with lemon. Farmer cheese is readily available at supermarkets, but it’s also surprisingly easy to make: Slowly stir ½ cup of white vinegar into a gallon of simmering milk until it curdles, then pour it through cheesecloth and squeeze out the whey. Don’t be shy about cutting nice, large slices of this cake—it’s lighter and less cloying than today’s cream cheese-laden versions.

Featured in “Is My Grandmother’s Cheesecake Extinct?” by Mark Kurlansky in the Spring/Summer 2025 issue. See more stories from Issue 204 here.

Ingredients

For the crust:

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
18 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
¾ cup sugar
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
Kosher salt
2 medium eggs

For the filling:

2 lb. (4 cups) farmer cheese
¼ tsp. kosher salt
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream
2½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
5 medium eggs plus 2 yolks
½ tsp. vanilla extract

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Instructions

Step 1

Make the crust: In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, butter, and sugar on medium speed until it resembles coarse meal. Add the vanilla, a pinch of salt, and the eggs and mix until a dough forms. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan to a thickness of about ¼ inch on the bottom and ⅛ inch on the sides. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours, or up to 24.

Step 2

Make the filling: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the farmer cheese and salt until smooth, 1–2 minutes. With the mixer running, adding one ingredient at a time and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, add the sour cream, sugar, cream, lemon zest and juice, eggs and yolks, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into the reserved crust.

Step 3

Bake until jiggly in the middle and puffed and golden on top (there will be some cracks), about 1 hour 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside until the oven is cool, about 2 hours.

Step 4

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and set aside to cool for about 1 hour more, then cover loosely and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours. To serve, run a knife around the edge of the springform pan, unmold onto a plate, and slice into wedges.

Make the crust: In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix the flour, butter, and sugar on medium speed until it resembles coarse meal. Add the vanilla, a pinch of salt, and the eggs and mix until a dough forms. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan to a thickness of about ¼ inch on the bottom and ⅛ inch on the sides. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours, or up to 24.
Make the filling: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the farmer cheese and salt until smooth, 1–2 minutes. With the mixer running, adding one ingredient at a time and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, add the sour cream, sugar, cream, lemon zest and juice, eggs and yolks, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into the reserved crust.
Bake until jiggly in the middle and puffed and golden on top (there will be some cracks), about 1 hour 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside until the oven is cool, about 2 hours.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and set aside to cool for about 1 hour more, then cover loosely and refrigerate until cold, at least 8 hours. To serve, run a knife around the edge of the springform pan, unmold onto a plate, and slice into wedges.