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Anne Burrell

cheesecake
S9E1 American · 2016
Deceased June 17, 2025. Phil & Anne's Good Time Lounge in Brooklyn closed in 2018.

Anne Burrell beat Bobby Flay with cheesecake on August 25, 2016.

We are writing this in May 2026. She has been gone for almost a year. She died on June 17, 2025 — sixteen days after her wedding, three months before her sixty-second birthday. She left behind a husband, a daughter, twenty years of Food Network appearances, and the entire mentorship lineage of Worst Cooks in America, which she co-anchored for fourteen seasons.

Her cheesecake is the simple kind: cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, graham crust. She finished it with a strawberry compote because August in New York is when strawberries are at their flattering peak. Bobby brought a Basque burnt cheesecake — the trendy one, with the dark scorched top.

The judges chose hers.

We are not going to do a joke here.

More from American →

cheesecake

25 min Prep
55 min Cook
12 Serves
Ingredients
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, finely ground
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 32 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, ensuring no water can seep through. Mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, 3 tbsp sugar, and 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl until it resembles wet sand. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan, using the bottom of a measuring cup to create an even, compact layer. Bake for 8 minutes until lightly golden, then remove and cool for 5 minutes.
  2. While crust cools, whisk together 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl to prevent lumps in the filling. This technique prevents graininess in the final cheesecake.
  3. In a large bowl, beat room-temperature cream cheese on low speed for 2 minutes until completely smooth and creamy, scraping the bowl often. Do not overmix. Add the sugar-cornstarch mixture and beat on low for 1 minute. Add vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp salt, and lemon zest; beat for 30 seconds.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low speed for 15 seconds after each addition. After the last egg, beat for only 10 more seconds. Fold in sour cream and lemon juice by hand with a rubber spatula until just combined—do not overmix, as this incorporates excess air and causes cracks.
  5. Pour filling onto the cooled crust. Tap the pan firmly on the counter 3 times to release air bubbles. Place the springform pan inside a larger roasting pan. Add hot water to the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
  6. Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 45-50 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the edges are set and pull away slightly from the pan, but the center 2-inch diameter circle still jiggles slightly when gently shaken—it should not be completely firm.
  7. Turn off the oven and crack the door open 4 inches. Let the cheesecake sit in the cooling oven for 1 hour. This gradual cooling prevents the top from cracking.
  8. Remove from oven and water bath. Cool completely at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight before serving. Run a thin knife around the edges before unlatching the springform to prevent cracks.
Inspired by Anne Burrell’s winning cheesecake. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.
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