Cheesecake – A Rich, Creamy Dessert That Can Be Both Savory and Sweet

케이크주문제작 Cheesecake is a rich, creamy dessert that can be both savory and sweet. It is usually molded in a springform pan and chilled before unmolding and serving.

케이크주문제작

A well made cheesecake is even and smooth, with no cracks. The use of a water bath helps insure this by distributing the heat evenly and further insulating the cake.

Origins

As far back as 3,000 years ago, people have been combining cheese and other ingredients to make baked goods. But it wasn’t until the late 1600s/early 1700s that bakers began experimenting with the idea of making a dessert out of the cheese.

The first written recipe describing how to prepare something that resembles modern cheesecake was recorded in 230 A.D. by an ancient Greco-Egyptian writer, Athenaeus of Naucratis, in his manuscript titled “Deipnosophistae.”

While the early recipes that existed for cheesecake weren’t anything like the creamy, dense, New York style cake we know and love today, the concept continued to spread as people moved from place to place throughout the world, evolving with local ingredients and traditions. In Italy, for example, it became popular to make cheesecake with ricotta cheese. This variation is still enjoyed today in the form of cannoli.

During the 케이크주문제작 1920s, American dairymen achieved a technological breakthrough that would eventually help to spawn the New York style of cheesecake. Attempting to duplicate the popular Neufchatel cheese of France, they came up with a formula that resulted in an unripened cheese that was much richer than cottage cheese. With the addition of stabilizers to the cheese, which keep it from curdling during baking, New York style cheesecake took on a distinct, creamy texture that quickly became one of America’s favorite desserts.

Ingredients

A cheesecake is a dessert that has a crust made from cookie or cracker crumbs with a soft, sweet filling containing cream cheese. The filling can be flavored with vanilla, spices, lemon, chocolate or pumpkin, and may contain other ingredients as well such as nuts, fruit, whipped cream and candied fruit. The cheesecake can be baked or unbaked.

Baked cheesecakes are usually molded in a cake pan or springform pan and baked until the center no longer jiggles. It is important to prevent the top from burning and the crust from over browning by reducing oven temperature, keeping the baking time short and by not opening the oven door until the end of the baking time. Opening the oven door can cause the cake to cool too quickly, which causes cracking.

The graham cracker crust is a common choice for a cheesecake because it has an appealing flavor and texture. Other types of crusts can be used, including sponge cake and pastry. The crust is usually pre-baked before adding the filling.

The most important ingredient in cheesecake is the cream cheese. This should be beaten until it is very smooth, with no lumps. Then the sugar is gradually added. A little flour is often added to help the batter maintain a firm texture and prevent cracking. Other ingredients include eggs, sour cream and other flavors.

Preparation

A cheesecake is a dessert that is usually made with a mixture of soft, fresh cheese curds such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, quark or ricotta, sugar and eggs. The filling is sometimes topped with fruit, glazes or whipped cream and served chilled. Some cheesecakes are baked, while others are unbaked and rely on gelatin to set into a semi-rigid gel.

Almost all modern cheesecakes are baked in a leak-proof pan called a springform pan. A false bottom, which is often made from crushed cookies, graham crackers or pastry can be used to line the base of the pan and help to prevent the cake from sticking. The filling is then topped with fruits, glazes or whipped cream to add extra flavor and visual appeal.

The batter for a cheesecake should be stirred until smooth and free of lumps. Some recipes suggest adding flour or cornstarch to help stabilize the filling, but this is not essential for most cakes. Eggs are the most important part of the batter, so they should be lightly scrambled before being added to the other ingredients. Over-beating the eggs can ruin the texture and lead to cracks in the finished cheesecake.

After baking, the cheesecake is refrigerated to cool and develop a richer flavor. A thin layer of sour cream, pecans, chocolate sauce or chopped candy bars may be added to the top as an additional garnish.

Baking

Like all baked custards, cheesecake requires a certain technique to achieve its best texture. The batter must be well mixed, but not overbeaten, and it should bake at just the right temperature for just the right amount of time. Failure to follow this procedure can result in several problems: the cake may crack as it cools, it might shrink, and it might become dense or dry. Cracking and shrinkage can be avoided if the cheesecake is cooled slowly and gently.

When the cheesecake is fully cooled, it can be served in its pan or transferred to a serving plate and covered with a layer of plastic wrap. If desired, the cheesecake can be frozen. To freeze, cover the cheesecake with a layer of plastic wrap and then foil, and place it in the freezer.

Although some people insist that cheesecake is not a true cake, the word ‘cake’ clearly indicates a dessert made from a filling and surrounded on all sides by a crust. Cheesecake is not a cake in this sense because it does not use flour, baking powder, or other leavening agents–and it lacks the yeasty dough quality that defines a cake. However, it does share some characteristics with pies–most specifically, lemon meringue and chess pie–which also feature a baked custard and a crust. And it does have some similarities with fruitcake, a type of cake that is traditionally served around the winter holidays and which uses dried or candied fruits, rum, and butter.