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Cheesecake.
Decadent, creamy, heavenly bliss.
Cheesecake should never be a source of frustration.
It should never bring about a sense of failure.
A lot of my friends have come, tried and gotten beaten by one (or more) cheesecake(s).
It should never happen again! Cheesecake are made to be enjoyed, savored and bring you total happiness. To my friends and those of you who, like them, are desperately trying to vanquish the Cheesecake, I give you direction, guidance and explanation on how to be successful and never fail again.
Let’s talk about cheese
This has to be the staple ingredient of a cheesecake. It will not be doing it’s job all alone but let’s face it, a cheesecake without cream cheese is not a cheesecake.
Which one to choose?
That is a verrrry good question. No, actually it’s quite simple!
Some people are loyal to this brand of that one. Some people swear only by the name Philadelphia.
I admit that Philadephia cream cheese makes a superb, silky and creamy cheesecake, but I have never been disatisfied by any other, local or not, brand I have used. I tend to look at the one that are on special at the time I am planning the cake.
Light or not?
Another good question.
Some people will tell you that it’s not time to whimper and only use the fully fat super rich one. I tend to disagree. I have tried full fat, less fat and 95% less fat one and I have always been successful, I have never fail a cheesecake.
Never.
Yes it will change the texture slightly, it will be less creamy with the lower fat cream cheese but it still will be heavenly delicious.
The Support Team
A cheesecake is not only made of cream cheese, it requires a little more to be able to stand in front of you will all it’s glory.
Going through recipes and recipes, it’s clear that the first team mate is either the sour cream or some heavy cream.
Both of them acts the same way, softening the cream cheese and adding some nice moisture to the mixture. Personnaly, I prefer using sour cream. It has the benefit of adding some sour tang to balance the creaminess of the cheese. Like that, you are adding an extra layer of flavor complexity to your cheesecake! Wonderful!
The second teammates are the eggs.
There role is to hold the cake together, they create the links required for your cream cheese mixture to hold itself. 3 whole eggs should nicely do the job. You can add an extra yolk, to add enhance the velvety texture of the cake. But if you are lazy and don’t want to separate the yolk, you can add the complete egg! An egg white will add some air to the mixture and will lighten it up, which is also fine.
The final important teammate is the flour.
Why flour in a cheesecake?
It binds the moisture into the cake, it makes yours cake more solid.
Yes it will be denser a little less fluffy then if you would not include the flour. However, with the right amount you will have a good balance between fluffiness and density. It will make cutting and serving it easier. The added value is that it also helps preventing cracks from forming and it prevents your cake from collapsing.
Natural starches, such as corn starch and potato starch will, technically, have the same effect.
The Cheesecake Spa
Let’s talk about “Bain Marie” or water bath.
For those who don’t know what a “Bain Marie” is, as Wikipedia says “In cooking applications, a bain-marie usually consists of a pan of water in which another container or containers of food to be cooked is placed within the pan of water”.
To use it or not use it, this is the question.
It’s not absolutely required. However, it helps cooking your cake very slowly and gently. It will create a humid spa like environment for your cheesecake and will prevent the surface from drying out and will give a super creamy and smooth cake.
For those that think that a “Bain Marie” is a technical difficulty, you should think twice! It’s actually pretty easy to do! you just need to fill a high pan, such as a Roasting Pan or other large pan with water, approximately half the height of the cake pan. Put the whole apparatus in the oven.
And Voilà!
To prevent water getting into the cake pan cracks, wrap it in aluminium foil. 2 layers should be enough.
Cheesecake Crack Prevention program
You are scared of cheesecake cracks?
You don’t need to be anymore!
There are 2 main reasons why your cheesecake would crack: Overbaking; and
Cooling it too fast.
Let’s look at each issue
Overbaking
Bake your cake until the outer ring, approximately 3/4 of the cake, is firm and puffy but the center is still lightly giggly. Your cake will probably harbor some nice golden spots, and that’s perfect! However, if your cake start to crack, to the cooling step we go.
Rapid Cooling
That is the step where the cake really sets in. It will firm up completely.
Exposing the cake to rapid change in temperature might lead to cracking. So you want to try to slow down the cooling process.
If possible, let the cake sit in the oven with the door slightly open for about 1 hour. Then, you can remove it from the “Bain Marie” and let it cool on the counter top.
If you are like your’s truly and have an adventuring kid in the house, you shouldn’t leave the oven’s door open! What you can do is to take out the cheesecake in it’s “Bain Marie” and let it cool off on the counter for about 1 hour. Afterward, you can remove it from the “Bain Marie”.
Tips:
When removing the cheesecake from the “Bain Marie“, try to gently run a thin-bladed knife around the edge to make sure that it’s not sticking to the pan. Otherwise, the cake might crack due to the filling contraction in the cooling step.
The Chilly Rest Area
A cheesecake is, sadly, not a dessert that can be made in a rush or on a “I need it now” basis. It’s has a long cooking time plus it needs to chill.
It’s a very important step of the process.
Now that it has baked for a while, cooled down for even longer, it still needs to chill out in the fridge to finish setting up. 4 hours is a bare minimum, 8 is great and overnight is ideal.
What happens if you don’t wait?
If you cut it before it completely sets up, you will end up with a firm custard like texture, much like a flan of Crème Caramel. After it’s completely set, you will have the velvety, creamy lush texture that is a staple of a good cheesecake.
The Crust
Did you know that cheesecake do not always have a Graham cracker based crust?
Numerous types of crust have been used through history for different type of cheesecake.
The crust is the foundation on which the cheesecake is built. As such, the perfect crust texture needs to compliment the velvety texture of the filling. A crumbly, light crust compliment it nicely.
Also, it’s taste shouldn’t be overpowering the creaminess of the cheesecake.
You need to decide if you want crust that will rise up to the top of the cheesecake or just enough to cover the bottom of the cake pan.
A high crust will hold your on all side and give some extra crunchiness. It’s also more permissive on cracks and will nicely hide the velvety and creamy texture until the moment where you serve it.
On the otherside, a small crust will showcase the cheesecake exterior and will make your guest salivate.
Anything to put on top?
Topping.
Another delicate subject.
Some people swear only with natural, untopped cheesecake. Others, won’t eat a cheesecake unless it’s covered in chocolate, fruit or caramel (or anything that suits their fancies).
A topping can be a really good addition to a cheesecake.
It has to bring some extra OOOMPH to the recipe to really be important. Some toppings add freshness to the cake, other will had a suggary note to counter balance the creaminess of the cream cheese.
A topping that has worked well with my family, friends and co-worker is actually a mistake I made.
It’s a creamy caramel that I actually boiled for a bit too long after I added the cream in, it’s my baby daughter’s fault, but the result is actually very good!
Other suggestions include a Chocolate Ganache, Fresh Berries, Apples and Crumble. Nothing is preventing you from trying anything, or almost anything…
Onward to Cheesecake Heaven
Now that you are equipped with all that good information, it’s your turn to bake a gorgeous, delicious velvety cheesecake!
A creamy, velvelty, heavenly delicious cream cheese filling on a crumbly buttery crust.
Pure heavenly bliss packaged in an easy recipe
- 1 1/4 cup sugar (310 ml)
- 2 tbsp unbleached flour (30 ml)
- 1 kg cream cheese Room temperature
- 3/4 cup sour cream (180 ml)
- 4 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (10 ml)
- 1 1/4 cup Graham cracker crumb (310 ml)
- 2 tbsp Sugar (30 ml)
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter Melted
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Make sure rack is in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
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Line the bottom of a 8 inch (20cm) springform pan with parchment paper.
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In a bowl, mix all ingredient until it’s homogeneous.
If you are doing a high crust, butter the inside walls of the springform pan. Lightly press the crust mixture on the cake pan.
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Bake for 12 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Let it cool completely and for a low crusts, generously butter the inside walls of the springform pan.
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Once cooled, wrap the springform pan bottom and side in aluminium foil. Let the foil extend a bit over the top edge. 2 layers of wrapping is sufficient.
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Reduce oven’s temperature to 170°C (325°F).
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar and flour. Add cream cheese and sour cream. Mix until the mixture is soft. Add eggs, egg yolks and vanilla and mix ingredients until smooth.
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Pour the filling on the cooled down crust.
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Prepare a "Bain Marie": Place the cake in a large baking dish/Roasting pan and pour boiling water into the dish halfway up the springform pan.
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Bake in the oven for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
If you have time, let the cheesecake for 1 hour in the oven with the door opened.
Remove the cake from the water bath and aluminum foil. Run a knife between the pan and the cake.
Let cool for about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours or until completely chilled.
Double the crust ingredients if you want a high crust.
You can top your cake with the topping of your choice.
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