Lenny's Cheesecake

A crustless cheesecake built on just five ingredients and trust in the water bath. Four blocks of cream cheese soften and beat into a smooth base with sugar, vanilla, six eggs, and a full carton of sour cream. That’s it. No graham crumbs, no bottom, just a dense slab of tangy, creamy cheesecake that slices clean.

The sour cream is what makes this unmistakably a New York-style. Cheesecakes made with just cream cheese skew heavy and cloying, but sour cream lightens the texture and adds a slight tang that keeps each bite from feeling rich past the point of enjoyment.

A water bath is non-negotiable here, not optional. Baking the pan in another pan of water at half an inch deep keeps the temperature around the cheesecake gentle and even, preventing the cracking and curdling that plague crustless cheesecakes. A broiler pan works beautifully as the outer vessel.

The underbaking is deliberate. When the top just begins to turn a light toast color and the cake still jiggles in the center, it’s done. Residual heat and refrigeration finish the set. Fully set in the oven means overbaked.

Pro Tips

• Bring cream cheese to full room temperature before mixing. Cold cream cheese leaves unmixable lumps that show up as streaks in the finished cake.
• Beat the batter on low to medium. High speed whips in air that creates cracks as the cake cools.
• Chill a full 6 to 8 hours (overnight is best) before slicing. Two hours is barely enough; the cake needs time to fully firm up.

Variations

• Swirl in ¼ cup of raspberry jam or lemon curd before baking for a marbled effect.
• Serve with fresh strawberries macerated in sugar for a classic topping.
• Brown butter before adding it to the batter for a nuttier, more complex flavor (if adding butter at all).