Foolproof New York Cheesecake

For Mother’s Day, we had a picnic with family in Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, underneath the cherry blossoms. Dessert was a New York cheesecake, that turned out to be not quite so foolproof.

I’ll spare you all the details, but the CI recipe reverses the standard baking technique, by starting out at a low temperature, then raising it at the end. I know my oven is not true: ever since we lost one of the convection fans, it hasn’t worked quite right. I also don’t have an oven thermometer to check its accuracy. In hindsight, it seems obvious that the cheesecake wouldn’t turn out perfectly, given that the directions state that measuring the temperature of the oven and the cheesecake are essential for success.

I needed almost thirty extra minutes before the internal temperature of the batter reached 165°F, raising the temperature of my oven 25°F every time I checked. As you can see, however, I messed up during the browning part. I walked away for just a minute to let it get darker, and it got way too dark, beyond edible. Using a serrated blade, we sliced off the tops before serving.

Accompanied by a fresh strawberry topping (just strawberries macerated in sugar, thickened with strawberry jam), this was a cheesecake to rival my favourite cheesecake. I would definitely make this again, once I’ve gotten my oven fixed and purchased an oven thermometer.