Why it works: Butter and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
New York-style Sour Cream-topped Cheesecake
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the crust
Heat oven to 325°F.
Line baking pan with foil, extending over sides of pan.
Mix crumbs, butter and 2 tbs sugar.
Press mixture onto bottom of pan.
Make and bake the filling
Beat cream cheese, 1 cup of the remaining sugar and 1 tsp vanilla in bowl until blended.
Add 1 cup sour cream, mix well.
Add eggs, beating until blended.
Pour over crust.
Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set.
Mix remaining sour cream, 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla until blended.
Spread over cheesecake.
Bake an additional 10 minutes.
Chill and serve
Cool.
Cover, refrigerate 3 hours.
Lift cheesecake from pan.
Cut into 16 pieces.
Top with mixed berries just before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Cream Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 99 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cracker | 5 saltine crackers (15g) | 66 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Butter + cream cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,747 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Cream cheese + vanillatop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,929 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cream cheese
- Provides the dense, creamy body that sets into the cheesecake structure.
- Eggs
- Set during baking to give the filling its firm, sliceable structure.
- Sour cream
- Adds moisture and tang, keeping the filling smooth and rich.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and crust and helps give a tender texture.
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Form the crisp, binding base that holds the cheesecake together.
- Butter
- Binds the crumbs and adds richness to the crust.
The step that matters
Bake until the center is just almost set. Eggs keep setting as the cheesecake cools, so over-baking can make the filling dry, cracked and grainy. Pulling it out while the center still jiggles gives a smooth, creamy texture.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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