Andy Montoya
Cheesecake is a dessert made with soft, unaged cheeses, such as cream cheese, ricotta, mascarpone, Neufchâtel, or cottage cheese. In a traditional baked cheesecake, cream cheese is mixed with eggs, sugar, often sour cream or heavy cream, and sometimes a little flour. The mixture is then poured into a graham cracker crust and gently baked. While cheesecake does contain cheese, it is not made with the kind of cheese that one would put on a pizza. Instead, it is made with cream cheese, similar to the kind that is spread on a bagel.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of cheese used in cheesecakes | Cream cheese, ricotta, marscapone, Neufchâtel, cottage cheese, parmesan, feta |
| Other ingredients | Eggs, sugar, sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla, chocolate, fruit |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Cheesecakes use cream cheese, not hard cheese
Cheesecakes are typically made with cream cheese, not hard cheese. The cream cheese is mixed with eggs, sugar, and often sour cream or heavy cream, and sometimes flour, to create the distinctive creamy texture and flavour. This is then poured into a crust made from crushed biscuits or crackers, such as graham crackers, and baked in a water bath to ensure a gentle, even cook.
Cream cheese is essential to the classic cheesecake flavour and texture. It is a soft, unaged cheese, similar to mascarpone, ricotta, Neufchâtel, or cottage cheese, which are also used in other cheese-based desserts. These soft cheeses are the usual base for sweet desserts, and a hard cheese would not be suitable for a cheesecake.
The cream cheese must be full-fat and bought in block form, not as a spread. The blocks are beaten until smooth and creamy, but not over-beaten, as this can incorporate too much air into the mixture. The cream cheese is then mixed with the other ingredients, taking care not to over-beat the eggs, as this can ruin the texture and cause cracks in the baked cheesecake.
The base of a cheesecake is usually made from crushed biscuits or crackers, mixed with butter and sugar, and pressed into the bottom of a springform pan. This provides a sweet, crunchy contrast to the creamy filling. The cheesecake is then baked gently, either in a water bath or a low-temperature oven, to prevent cracking and ensure an even bake.
So, while cheese is indeed an ingredient in a cheesecake, it is specifically cream cheese, a soft, unaged cheese, that is used. Hard cheeses are not typically used in cheesecakes or other desserts, although they can be used in savoury applications, such as a spinach cheesecake, where a combination of parmesan, feta, and cream cheese might be used.
Cheese and Milk: A Healthy Combination?
You may want to see also
Other soft cheeses like ricotta, mascarpone, or cottage cheese can be used
While a traditional cheesecake uses cream cheese, other soft cheeses can be used as a base for cheesecakes. These include ricotta, mascarpone, or cottage cheese. These are all unaged soft cheeses, which are what cheese-based desserts usually use. For example, cannoli uses mascarpone or ricotta, and some recipes use Neufchâtel or cottage cheese.
Ricotta cheesecakes have a baked ricotta base, and some recipes use other fresh soft cheeses. A savoury cheesecake might use a combination of cheeses, such as parmesan and feta, as well as cream cheese.
Cream cheese is the base of a classic cheesecake, with four 8-ounce bricks of full-fat cream cheese making up the bulk of the dessert. This is then mixed with eggs, sugar, and often sour cream or heavy cream, and sometimes a little flour. Vanilla, chocolate, fruit, or other flavourings can be added, and the mixture is then poured into a graham cracker crust and gently baked in a water bath.
The cream cheese used should be the brick variety, not the spread, and it should not be the reduced-fat variety. The cream cheese is mixed until smooth and creamy, but should not be over-beaten, as this will incorporate too much air.
The Italian Way: Cheese and Fish, a Perfect Match?
You may want to see also
Cream cheese is mixed with eggs, sugar, and sour cream or heavy cream
The base ingredient of a cheesecake is cream cheese—the same kind that you spread on a bagel. A traditional baked cheesecake uses full-fat cream cheese, mixed with eggs, sugar, and sour cream or heavy cream. Some recipes also call for a little flour, cornstarch, or extra egg yolk, which gives the cake a velvety texture. The cream cheese should be stirred until smooth and creamy, but be careful not to over-beat it, as this can incorporate too much air.
Once the cream cheese is smooth, add the sugar and stir again until creamy. Then, add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt, and stir until well-combined. The batter can be flavoured with vanilla, chocolate, fruit, or any other desired flavour. The mixture is then poured into a graham cracker crust and gently baked in a water bath.
The water bath method involves wrapping the cheesecake pan in foil and placing it in a roasting pan or large baking dish filled with a few inches of water. This ensures that no water leaks into the cheesecake and helps to create an even bake. It is important not to over-bake the cheesecake, as this can cause cracks in the surface. To test if it is ready, the outer ring should be slightly puffed, but the inner circle should still jiggle.
Once baked, the cheesecake should be left to cool slowly. This can be done by turning off the oven and leaving the door ajar for about an hour, then removing the cheesecake from the water bath and allowing it to cool completely. After this, it should be chilled in the fridge overnight.
Shredded Cheese: Plastic or Not?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Flavourants like vanilla, chocolate, or fruit are added
Cheesecakes are versatile desserts that can be modified with different flavourants such as vanilla, chocolate, or fruit. Here are some tips and tricks for adding these flavourants to your cheesecake:
Vanilla
Vanilla is a classic flavourant for cheesecakes, providing a pure, creamy, and tangy flavour profile. To make a vanilla cheesecake, you will need vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or fresh vanilla beans. The quality of the vanilla is essential to the overall taste, so opt for a high-quality extract such as Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla. Include other ingredients such as full-fat sour cream or yoghurt, granulated sugar, eggs, and a small amount of water to create a silky-smooth texture. Blend these ingredients well, ensuring the batter is emulsified and smooth before baking to avoid lumps and cracks in your cheesecake.
Chocolate
Chocolate can be added to a cheesecake to create a rich, indulgent dessert. When adding melted chocolate to your cheesecake batter, be cautious of the sequence in which you combine the ingredients. If using egg, it is important to cool the melted chocolate first to avoid cooking the egg, but do not cool it too much, or it will solidify. Alternatively, add the melted chocolate to cooler ingredients before adding the egg. You can also use chocolate extract as a flavourant.
Fruit
Fruit is a fantastic way to add a burst of freshness and balance out the richness of a cheesecake. Popular fruits to pair with cheesecakes include strawberries, cherries, and other berries, which can be used as a topping or incorporated into the filling. For a fruit-filled cheesecake, puree your chosen fruit with lemon juice and sugar, and consider adding food colouring and cornstarch to enhance the colour and texture. You can also use fresh or frozen fruit to make a compote to spoon over your cheesecake before serving.
These flavourants can be used individually or combined to create unique cheesecake flavours, such as a chocolate and raspberry cheesecake or a vanilla cheesecake with a strawberry compote topping.
Ricotta and Eggs: The Perfect Pair?
You may want to see also
The mixture is poured into a graham cracker crust
The cream cheese mixture is then poured into this prepared graham cracker crust and gently baked in a water bath. This water bath helps to create an extra creamy texture and prevents the cheesecake from drying out. It is important to wrap the cheesecake pan in foil to prevent water from seeping through the cracks of the pan. The cheesecake is baked until the outer ring is slightly puffed but the inner circle still jiggles, ensuring a creamy texture.
After baking, the cheesecake should be allowed to cool gradually to prevent cracking. This can be done by leaving it in the turned-off oven with the door ajar for about an hour and then removing it from the water bath to cool completely. Finally, the cheesecake is chilled in the refrigerator or freezer, transforming into the velvety, creamy texture characteristic of cheesecakes.
While the classic graham cracker crust is a popular choice, some variations include using GF shortbread or a different type of cookie base, adjusted with slightly less butter to account for the difference in texture.
Cheese in Napalm: A Tasty Treat or a Melty Mess?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Yes, the base of a traditional cheesecake is cream cheese. This is the same type of cream cheese that is spread on bagels.
Cheesecakes typically use unaged soft cheeses. Cream cheese is the most common, but ricotta, mascarpone, Neufchâtel, and cottage cheese are also used.
Yes, but this is less common. One source mentions a savoury cheesecake recipe that includes parmesan and feta in addition to cream cheese.
