The Best New York-Style Cheesecake

New York-style cheesecake is a classic on dessert menus across the country, so that's why when people visit New York City, they often seek out real, authentic New York cheesecake. But is the frozen brand from your local supermarket better than famed New York cheesecakes? To find out, we set up a blind taste test in Times Square in New York City where we had New Yorkers and tourists taste three different cheesecakes to determine which one was the best.

The first competitor is Junior's, a cheesecake shop and diner from Brooklyn that has consistently been named one of the best cheesecakes in the country since the early 1950's. Owner Alan Rosen gives all the credit to their fresh ingredients, the time put into properly blending those ingredients, and their famous sponge cake crust.

The second competitor is Eileen's, a small Manhattan based bakery that started in the 1970's that quickly gave Junior's a run for their money. Eileen's cheesecake is significantly lighter than Junior's which owner Eileen Avezzano attributes to separating the eggs and beating the whites until they peak before adding to the rest of the cake mixture.

Last is one that everyone can buy from the local supermarket: Sara Lee's frozen cheesecake. This has your classic graham cracker crust and a sweet whipped cream-like topping.

In the end Sara Lee garnered about 12% of the votes, and Junior's and Eileen's were a tie! It came down to preference between light and creamy, or dense and rich. Those who chose Eileen's appreciated the airiness of the cake and the delicious graham cracker crust, and those who chose Junior's loved the dense and rich texture of a classic New York style cheesecake. Host Allison Fishman was the deciding vote and she chose rich, dense, classic Junior's.

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