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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

New York Cheesecake

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.55 from 111 ratings South African
I often come across the saying that New York Cheesecake fall under a lot of ladies guilty pleasures! And I must agree, now that I am a little bit older too and watching my figure, this New York Cheesecake is definitely a guilty pleasure. In all my chef years that I have worked at different establishments, I have never came across any place not offering this wonderful New York Cheesecake, or to say, any similar cheesecake. It is just one of that items you need to have on your menu! A little while ago, in the heat of summer, I was fortunate to attend a very special ladys birthday party at Dunstone Stone Kitchen in Wellington. We had a lovely selection of quiches with fresh farm salad and baked bread. Then we had a choice of Carrot Cake, Chocolate Cake or, of course the New York Cheesecake. I am sure you know which one I have chosen! and boy, the guilty pleasure was so worth it! I have scanned the room and saw that most of the other ladies also decided on the lovely New York Cheesecake. If you are a family of two and perhaps not much of a sweet tooth, why not make a feast with friends to invite and everyone to share this lovely New York Cheesecake? And to make it extra inviting to have a slice, pop up a few roses or beautiful flowers to complete this lovely piece of eatable art.
A dense, rich slice of authentic baked New York cheesecake on a plate.
Prep 10 min
Cook 55 min
Total 1 h 5 m
Serves 10

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Ingredients

Crust

  • 100 g butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 150 g digestive biscuits, finely crushed
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

Filling

  • 900 g cream cheese
  • 250 g caster sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • finely grated zest of 1 orange
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 300 ml double cream

Method

Crust

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180° Celsius

  2. Place a small saucepan over a low flame, add the butter and heat until it melts. Remove from the heat, stir in the biscuits and granulated sugar and mix thoroughly

  3. Press the biscuit mixture tightly into the base of a 23 cm/9-inch spring form cake tin. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack

  4. Increase the oven temperature to 200° Celsius

Filling

  1. Use an electric mixer to beat the cheese until creamy, then gradually add the caster sugar and flour and beat until smooth. Increase the speed and beat in the vanilla extract, orange zest and lemon zest, then beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time. Finally, beat in the cream. Scrape any excess from the sides and paddles of the beater into the mixture. It should be light and fluffy - beat on a faster setting if you need to

  2. Grease the side of the cake tin and pour in the filling. Smooth the top, transfer to the preheated oven and bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 100° Celsius and bake for a further 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in it for 2 hours to cool and set. Cover and chill in the refrigerator overnight

  3. Slide a knife around the edge of the cake, then unfasten the tin, cut the cheesecake into slices and serve

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