Cheesecake Recipes

Culinary uses and challenges

Almost all modern cheesecakes in the United States and Canada use cream cheese; in Italy, cheesecakes use ricotta; Germany and Poland use quark cheese. Cheesecakes are most easily baked in a springform pan.

The type of cheese affects not only the texture and taste, but also the ability to incorporate certain types of ingredients. When cheesecake batter is too thin, many cheesecakes will not be structurally sound and fall apart at the table. One way to get around this is to use unflavored gelatin or a little cornstarch beaten with the eggs.

A common difficulty with baking cheesecakes is its tendency to “crack” when cooled. This is due to the coagulation of the beaten eggs in its batter. There are various methods to prevent this. One method is to bake the cheesecake in a hot water bath to ensure even heating. However, a major drawback to the 'bath' is water leaking into the springform pan despite layering the outside of the pan with aluminium foil. This is easily solved by placing a small (8" X 8") pan of water on the lowest oven rack; care needs to be taken when opening the oven to let the built-up steam escape. Other methods include blending a little cornstarch into the batter or baking the cheesecake at a lower temperature and slow cooling it in the oven, turned off, with the door ajar. If these methods fail, a common practice is to cover the top of the cheesecake with toppings such as fruit, whipped cream, or cookie crumbs. One additional method is to wrap a wet towel around the cake tin, which slows down the cooking of the outside edge and results in a flat top.

Alternatively, cracks can also be repaired by simply using a flat knife and some warm water. After the cake has been chilled for a few hours, simply dip the knife in warm water and mold the cheesecake as if sculpting. Cracks and unevenness can easily be taken care of in this fashion. This method also works well for repairing the sides and giving the final cheesecake a flawless look. For crater size cracks, try using the bits that are stuck on the side of the pan to help repair the damage. Alternatively, a mixture of sour cream and caster sugar with a drop of vanilla extract can be spread over a recently baked cheesecake (while still hot), before returning it to the oven for ten minutes.

Another common problem, particularly with baked cheesecakes, is that the biscuit base becomes too soft. For extra crunch, replace around a quarter of the crushed biscuits with Grape Nuts.

Fruits like Strawberries and Pineapples are also often used to make baked cheesecakes. Whilst Strawberries are best used fresh for a cheesecake, to bake a Pineapple Cheesecake it is recommended to use canned pineapple. Reason, the fresh fruit contains the Bromelain Enzyme which can break down the proteins in gelatine. If you do use fresh pineapple it is recommended to boil the fruit chunks in their juice or water for a few minutes until they are soft.