Cheesecake

For other uses, see Cheesecake (disambiguation).

Cheesecake

Baked cheesecake with a strawberry, raspberries, and blueberries
Type	Custard tart
Course	Dessert
Main ingredients	Cheese, pie crust (graham cracker crust, pastry, or sponge cake), sugar
Cookbook: Cheesecake   Media: Cheesecake

South African Rose cheesecake

"No bake" cheesecake with orange jelly

Strawberry baked cheesecake

Cheesecake is a sweet dish consisting of two or more layers. The main, and thickest layer, consists of a mixture of soft, fresh cheese, eggs, and sugar; the bottom layer is often a crust or base made from crushed cookies, graham crackers, pastry, or sponge cake. It may be baked or unbaked (usually refrigerated). Cheesecake is usually sweetened with sugar and may be flavored or topped with fruit, whipped cream, nuts, fruit sauce, and/or chocolate syrup. Cheesecake can be prepared in many flavors, such as; strawberry, pumpkin, key lime, chestnut, or toffee.

History

An ancient form of cheesecake may have been a popular dish in ancient Greece even prior to Romans' adoption of it with the conquest of Greece. The earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus, who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes (πλακουντοποιικόν σύγγραμμα—plakountopoiikon suggramma). Cato the Elder's De Agri Cultura includes recipes for two cakes for religious uses: libum and placenta. Of the two, placenta is most like most modern cheesecakes, having a crust that is separately prepared and baked. It is important to note that though these early forms are called "cheesecakes", they differed greatly in taste and consistency from the cheesecake that we know today.

Modern commercial American cream cheese was developed in 1872, when William Lawrence, from Chester, New York, while looking for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese Neufchâtel, accidentally came up with a way of making an "unripened cheese" that is heavier and creamier; other dairymen came up with similar creations independently. In 1912, James Kraft developed a form of pasteurized cream cheese. Kraft acquired the Philadelphia trademark in 1928, and marketed pasteurized Philadelphia Cream Cheese which is now the most commonly used cheese for cheesecake.

Composition

Cheesecake with cream

Almost all modern cheesecakes in the United States and Canada use cream cheese; in Italy, cheesecakes use ricotta; Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland use quark. Cheesecakes are most easily baked in a leak-proof springform pan, often paired with a water bath to more evenly distribute the heat. Because of the high density of most cheesecakes, they continue baking for some time after removal from an oven.

Whether baked cheesecake should be classified as a cake, a custard, a torte, or something else is a matter of debate.

The early Greeks considered it a cake. Some modern authors point to the presence of many eggs, the sole source of leavening, as proof that it is a torte. Still others claim that the separate crust, the soft filling, and the absence of flour prove that it is a custard pie.

National varieties

Cheesecakes can be broadly categorized into two basic types: baked and unbaked. Each comes in a variety of styles determined by region:

Asia

Asian-style cheesecake flavors include matcha (powdered Japanese green tea), lychee, and mango. Asian-style cheesecakes are also lighter in flavor and are sometimes light and spongy in texture. Compared to its counterparts, Asian cheesecake is also considerably less sweet.

Japan

Japanese-style cheesecake relies upon the emulsification of cornstarch and eggs to make a smooth flan-like texture and almost plasticine appearance.

Australia

Australian cheesecakes are typically unbaked. Common flavors include passionfruit, chocolate, raspberry, lemon, caramel, and vanilla.

Europe

Bavarian baked cheesecake

Swedish cheesecake (Ostkaka)

United Kingdom and Ireland

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, cheesecake is typically made with a base of crushed, buttered biscuits and often topped with a fruit compote. The most common commercial varieties are black cherry, blackcurrant, strawberry, passionfruit, raspberry, and lemon curd. The usual filling is a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, and cream and it is not baked, but refrigerated. Gelatine (sometimes in the form of fruit-flavored dessert jelly) may also be mixed in with the cheese/cream mixture to keep the filling firm. Variations are common, and include banoffee, coffee, tea, chocolate, Irish cream, white chocolate, and marshmallow flavors. Savory smoked salmon cheesecake is made in Scotland.

Germany

German-style cheesecake (Käsekuchen, Quarkkuchen, Matzkuchen; Topfenkuchen in Austria) uses Quark (dairy product) and a freshly made dough, not Graham crackers. The Käsesahnetorte (cheese cream tart) adds cream and is not baked. This recipe is sometimes translated into English using rennet-based cottage cheese, but a true Quarkkuchen uses quark cheese made from sour milk. Quark is used for the famous German or Bavarian baked cheesecake.

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  German-style cheesecake (Käsekuchen) uses quark

Bulgaria

Bulgarian-style cheesecake uses cream cheese in a New York–style filling and smetana for a top layer. Ground nuts are often added to the crust mixture.

Italy

Ancient Roman-style cheesecake uses honey and a ricotta-like cheese along with flour and is traditionally shaped into loaves. Some recipes call for bay leaves, which may have been used as a preservative. Italian-style cheesecake uses ricotta or mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and sometimes barley flakes. This type of cheesecake is typically drier than American styles. Small bits of candied fruit are often added.

France

French-style cheesecakes are very light, feature gelatin as a binding ingredient, and are typically only 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2 inches) high. This variety gets its light texture and flavor from Neufchâtel cheese.

Sweden

Swedish-style cheesecake differs greatly from other cheesecakes. A Swedish cheesecake is not layered and is traditionally produced by adding rennet to milk and letting the casein coagulate. It is then baked in an oven and served warm. Since the process of curdling milk is somewhat complicated, alternative recipes intended for home cooking instead use cottage cheese as a base to simulate the texture of the dessert. Swedish-style cheesecake is traditionally served with jam and whipped cream or ice cream. There are two different types of Swedish cheesecake from different regions in Sweden. To avoid confusion with other cheesecakes, Swedish cheesecake is usually called ostkaka.

The Netherlands and Belgium

Dutch/Belgian-style cheesecakes are typically flavored with fruit or melted bittersweet chocolate, are generally made with quark, and are not baked. Belgian cheesecake also includes a speculaas crust (speculaas is a traditional Dutch-Belgian biscuit).

Poland

Polish sernik (cheesecake), one of the most popular desserts in Poland, is made primarily using twaróg, a type of fresh cheese.

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  Polish cheesecake (Sernik)

Greece

In Greece the cheese cake has been made since ancient Roman times and is traditionally made of mizithra. There are many regional variants of the mizithropita. This traditional context is often not known and media influence make many Greeks think that it is an American delicacy and call it cheezz cake.

North America

A slice of cheesecake covered with chocolate and served on a stick

New York style cheesecake with strawberries

North America has several different recipes for cheesecake and this usually depends on the region in which the cake was baked, as well as the cultural background of the person baking it. These cheesecakes are typically baked before serving.

Usually, cheesecake is made from cream cheese, eggs, and egg yolks to add a richness and a smooth consistency. It is baked in a special 13–15-centimeter (5.1–5.9 in) tall springform pan in many restaurants. Some recipes use cottage cheese and lemon for distinct texture and flavor or add a drizzle of chocolate or strawberry sauce to the basic recipe.

• New York-style cheesecake relies upon heavy cream or sour cream. The typical New York cheesecake is rich and has a dense, smooth, and creamy consistency. Sour cream makes the cheesecake more resilient to freezing and is the method by which most frozen cheesecakes are made. However, a lavish variant uses sour cream as a topping, applied when the cheesecake is cooked. It is mixed with vanilla extract and sugar and replaced in the oven, essentially making the cheesecake twice-baked.
• Pennsylvania Dutch-style cheesecake uses a slightly tangy type of cheese with larger curds and less water content, called pot or farmer's cheese.
• Philadelphia-style cheesecake is lighter in texture, yet richer in flavor than New York–style cheesecake.
• Farmer cheese cheesecake is the contemporary implementation for the traditional use of baking to preserve fresh cheese and is often baked in a cake form, along with fresh fruit like a tart.
• Country-style cheesecake uses buttermilk to produce a firm texture while increasing acidity to extend shelf life.
• Chicago style cheesecakes are firm on the outside and have a soft and creamy texture on the inside. They are popular in Chicago.

In the United States, July 30 has been unofficially declared "National Cheesecake Day".

Savory cheesecakes are also made, often for an hors d'oeuvre or served with accompanying salads.

South America

Brazil

Brazilian-style cheesecake is made with cream cheese and condensed milk, with the addition of gelatin and/or ricotta cheese. Mulberry jam is a common choice for the top layer, as well as strawberry, raspberry, or guava (goiabada).

Argentina

In Argentina, cheesecake is usually served with strawberry or another berry marmalade on top.

Colombia

Colombian cheesecake uses honey or panela and cuajada (curd) mixed with wheat or maize flour. Sometimes it is served with strawberry, blackberry, or uchuva jam; rarely it is served with boiled figs. It is a quite popular dessert in the central East Andes region.

How to make a cheesecake

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See also

• Ostkaka
• Graham cracker crust
• List of desserts