Copycat Lindy's New York Cheesecake Recipe | CDKitchen.com (2024)

reviews & comments

1. cheftrisha January 10, 2016

   After commenting on this recipe earlier today I returned to my kitchen and made the recipe with a few adjustments. Having recently read America's Test Kitchen's comments regarding New York cheesecakes and agreeing with some of their assessment (even though I'm not ready to invert the cooking temp as they suggest), I embarked on yet another cheesecake adventure. That my finished cake has a break on the periphery of the crown due to the souffléing in the latter stages of the baking is not a blemish I perceive as a problem because the cheesecake is pleasantly the driest in this area. And once the cheesecake has been chilled and/or frozen and thawed for presenting, the blemish is nearly imperceptible. Especially so if presented with any adornment of fresh fruit, sauce or whipped cream. I consider any adornment to be a gilding of the lily because the strength of this dessert is its understated elegance. It's flavor profile is classic and yet with little effort is adaptable to a variety of adjustments from the crust, to the "custard," to the sauces. That being said it should be noted that I reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup; added 1/2 teaspoon salt; omitted the lemon and orange zests; added 2 teaspoons vanilla; added 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg; and because the eggs were smaller than normal I added one yolk. Cooking time was increased by 20" in ten minute increments until the cake's "jiggle" was a "set jiggle." Also tented the cake for the last 15" resulting in a beautiful golden surface. The crown settled without cracking once the souffléing deflated without creating a crater effect. It appears the additional cooking time resolved the issue I've had with the cratering. Looking forward to cutting into this effort in a day or two. Although my comment is long-winded I hope it is helpful to those on their own search for that deliciously dry cheesecake.

2. Chef Trisha REVIEW:
   January 9, 2016

   This is hands down the best New York cheesecake recipe I have ever made. It's success is contingent on the speed with which your oven cools to the reduced temp for the final baking time and that cannot be emphasized enough. If it takes too much time the final cake will be over baked. If it cools too quickly the cake will be soupy in the middle. During the holidays I replace the heavy cream with eggnog and add one teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg while omitting the lemon and orange peels. I will often only use my homemade vanilla plus the caviar from a vanilla bean (minus the orange and lemon peel) and a teaspoon of nutmeg with the heavy cream for a wonderful flavor profile. As for the comment regarding "lack of cheese flavor" I would suggest that baker be sure they are using top shelf cream cheese and possibly reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. With two and a half pounds of cream cheese it is hard for me to understand the lack of cheese flavor. There remains little more in this recipe than cream cheese thus the masked flavor could be in large part due to the quality of the cheese being used. Oh...and I don't serve it with any toppings inasmuch as I prefer the 'sueded' texture of a truly dry "New York" cheesecake. Also, I use a graham cracker crust on he bottom and sides and sometimes substitute a nut crust or a ginger snap crust. Those changes are made depending on the season and/or the occasion. Happy eating to all my cheesecake eating partners out there!

3. Guest Foodie December 12, 2015

   I noticed one person comment about how dry the crust was. Shouldn't there be some butter in that crust? Most all the old original Lindy's recipes I've seen have 4-8 Tbsp of butter in the crust.

4. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
   July 21, 2014

   I have been making this cheesecake for over 20 yrs. It is my husband's favorite, so I make it for his birthday and our anniversary. Yes, it's a bit more time-consuming (the crust), but worth the effort. I sometimes make a blueberry sauce to pour over each slice, but this cheesecake is heavenly without a topping, too!

5. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
   October 9, 2013

   This is one of those recipes that is an old standby for me. It always turns out great. One thing I do sometimes is use amaretto instead of vanilla extract.

6. Carol February 24, 2013

   Oh my gosh...I never thought I would find this recipe online and exactly as I made it over 40 yrs ago. While it has been many years since making it, I find that the dough for the crust is so dry that I had difficulty making a ball. Finally, I managed to bring it together although it was pretty crumbly. It's in the fridge now and I'm afraid that after an hour, the rolling of the dough will give me problems. Any suggestions to my sisters of the Lindy cheesecake?

7. kfhoz REVIEW:
   February 22, 2013

   I started making this recipe over a quarter of a century ago. Now that I am more health oriented I only make it for special occasions. I cut the sugar a little because we like desserts minimally sweet. Once I froze it in summer, then mailed it to my mother for mother's day. It thawed in the post, of course, but I thought freezing it gave it a head start.

8. Deb1257 REVIEW:
   November 19, 2012

   I have been making this cheesecake for family holidays for about ten years. I have yet to find it's equal. It's a bit of extra work but well worth it.

9. Valerie REVIEW:
   November 19, 2012

   Recently (October 2012) I was visiting my mom to celebrate her 85th birthday. I am the famiily baker and was looking for something different to bake for her birthday other than my carrot cake that she absolutely loves. She just happened to have this recipe cut from some newspaper and so I decided to make it. It didnt seem complicated or take anymore time than any other cheesecake recipe but it was absolutely the BEST cheesecake I've ever made. THere is a restaurant here in Atlanta that serves a Grand Marnier cheesecake thay my husband absolutely loves and I couldn't wait for him to taste this one. Next time I'm going to add Grand Marnier to the recipe as I'm sure it will only make it better. Enjoy

10. LindyLol ! REVIEW:
    May 24, 2012

    I found this recipe about 25 years ago in *The Jerusalem Post*. There isn't a cheesecake recipe out there that can compete with Lindy's NY Cheesecake. ohhhh wait, there was another come to think.....Mark's & Spencer had one years ago, to die for also! Don't know if they still make it.Anyways, impress your guests, Lindy's is a bit time-comsuming. but overall well worth the effort : )

11. humzzalong REVIEW:
    May 2, 2012

    I actually have the page from McCall's Magazine with this terriffic cheesecake recipe. It's been a family favorite for years (though I don't make it very often any more). I use the pineapple topping recipe that McCalls included with the cheesecake recipe. I have a question/request.... McCalls also published a great recipe for Chicken Breast with Lobster Bisque sauce served with carrots and sugar-snap peas. I have lost my recipe and would dearly love to have it if anyone can locate this or happens to have it in their archives.Thanks. I'm so glad I found this site!

12. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    April 7, 2012

    I've been making this cheesecake recipe for about 10 years now and it is the best I have found, actually I've quit looking. It is the most requested dessert that I prepare.

13. 

    Cyn1031 REVIEW:
    May 18, 2011

    I've always loved the Lindy's style cheesecake. I've used recipes similar to this for years. I always tweak it a little bit, of course. For example, on this try, I used flavored coffee creamer in place of heavy cream, added a little bit of lemon juice, and didn't use a crust.Most of the time, I add a sour cream topping. I reduce the temp to 225, increase the bake time by about 20 minutes, mix a half teaspoon of vanilla and a quarter cup of sugar into a 16 ounce tub of sour cream and spread it over during the last 20 minutes of baking.... it's awesome if you're using an unfamiliar oven and your cheesecake cracks, because this fills that in to make it beautiful.

14. Shelley REVIEW:
    June 2, 2010

    This is a great cheesecake recipe!I usually make this without the crust and for those on a gluten free diet - the flour in the recipe can be substituted with tapioca flour.Be careful you get your springform pan bottom back - many people do not know what this really is & will sometimes discard it. A waxed cardboard form in the bottom of the pan will let you slide it off onto a plate and keep your cake pan safe.

15. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    December 31, 2009

    I've been using this recipe for many years. I have used this recipe from an old (when copiers were new) photocopy from McCall's. This is the real thing! Current taste calls for strawberries. However, the more traditional toppings are pineapple glaze or sour cream, Creme fresh is great, too.

16. mo December 21, 2009

    this is th best cheesecake ever! have made it f.or over 25 years and have impressed many of guests...you'll never regret the time it takes to make

17. flmama REVIEW:
    December 28, 2008

    This is a recipe I used for over 30 years. It is the best ever. Well worth time involved.

18. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    August 11, 2007

    I love the looks of this cheesecake, a work of art..so pretty, It has a wonderful texture. BUT this was a lot of work for a "so-so" taste. It lacked the "cheesy" flavor I'm used to. I keep going over the recipe to see if there was something I missed. As I was making it, I even put a tad more lemon and orange zest and a little more vanilla, but it didnt help. However, the crust part of it was wonderful and I will use it with another recipe. (Its much better than graham cracker in that it dosnt take away from the flavor of the cheesecake.) I'm really dissappointed and would not make this again.

19. Guest Foodie REVIEW:
    April 17, 2007

    Best cheese cake ever!! Yes ...sure to impress..

20. joelraymd REVIEW:
    August 29, 2006

    If you really want to impress your guests, serve this. It is a lot of work but it is the BEST cheesecake you will ever make, guaranteed.