Cheesecake is a triumph of flavor and texture. No wonder it’s one of America’s favorite desserts.
Its just-right creaminess caresses the tongue, creating a luxurious silk scarf of richness on the palate. The cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla balance in perfect harmony. By the wedge or by the sliver, cheesecake is not-too-sweet, not-too-tart dessert perfection.
But the taste is only part of the appeal. It’s an easy-to-prepare dessert that can be made in advance and frozen. Its elegance suits it to at-home entertaining or, wrapped, given as a gift. And it can feed a crowd.
Freezer-friendly. Dinner-party delicious. Present pretty. And easy.
“They may look difficult to prepare,” says Elinor Klivans, author of “Bake and Freeze Chocolate Desserts” (Broadway, $27.50), “but cheesecakes are actually one of the easiest desserts you can bake. The mixing time is short and simple. And they freeze without any flavor loss, if they are frozen correctly.”
Klivans says that before freezing, it’s important to thoroughly chill cheesecakes overnight in the refrigerator and seal them completely in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
The fat content in cheesecakes makes them good candidates for freezing.
“The fat cells within the cheesecake keep the ice crystals separated so they can’t form what looks like frost, that can potentially create soggy pockets,” Klivans says. “You want ice crystals, but you want them small.”
Klivans is quick to add that you can use reduced-fat cream cheese, such as Neufchatel cheese, and still freeze homemade cheesecakes. She suggests freezing cheesecakes made with regular cream cheese up to one month, but only two weeks for those made with reduced-fat cream cheese. Either way, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and take cheesecake out one hour before serving so it can come to room temperature.
So if cheesecakes made with different types of cream cheese freeze differently, how do full-fat and reduced-fat versions taste? According to Klivans, the primary difference is in the texture, not the flavor.
“Fat-reduced cream cheese has more water in it,” Klivans says. “It produces a thinner batter, and any solid additions to the batter, such as chopped chocolate or cherries, sink to the bottom, but it doesn’t affect the taste. The crust absorbs some of the additional moisture from the batter as the cheesecake bakes, and since a soft crust is difficult to move from the springform bottom, I leave reduced-fat cheesecakes on it for freezing and serving.” (A springform pan has a removable bottom that is released by opening the spring on the pan’s side.)
Whether you decide to go for the full-decadence rendition or trim some fat grams, here are some tips for foolproof cheesecakes:
– The cool-down: Bring cream cheese to room temperature before mixing it with the other ingredients. It takes regular cream cheese 3 to 4 hours to come to room temperature (60 to 70 degrees), reduced-fat about an hour and a half. If cream cheese is cold, it won’t combine smoothly with other ingredients. Small pieces of cream cheese will remain in the batter and they won’t smooth out as it bakes. When I forget to take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator, I unwrap it and place it on a microwave-safe plate; then I microwave it on low power just until it is at room temperature, 1 to 2 minutes.
To bring cold eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. Dry them before using.
– Speed limits: When using an electric mixer, mix ingredients on low speeds (especially after you add the eggs). And don’t mix too long. Overmixing or mixing at high speed causes batter to rise too much during baking, which causes the center to collapse when it cools.
– Beauty bath: For best results, bake cheesecake in a pan of water to diffuse the heat. Wrap bottom and sides of springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and place in a larger pan. Place pan in the oven and add enough water so it comes 1/2 inch to 1 inch up the side of the springform pan.
This method prevents Grand Canyon-style cracks from forming on top of the cheesecake. The water bath (bain-marie) also gives the cake a creamier texture and a lighter color on top.
– Gentle cool-down: Cool away from drafts. After you remove cheesecake from oven, cover loosely with a paper towel. Cool completely before refrigerating.
– Traditional vs. convection: Use a conventional oven rather than a convection oven. The latter’s forced hot air causes too much browning and often, a collapsed center.
– Is it done yet? Bake until it looks set. Cheesecakes can still jiggle a little in the center and be done. Look around the edge–you’ll see tiny cracks that look dry. When it cools, those tiny cracks will seal together. Cheesecakes become firmer as they cool.
– Lost bottoms: For years, when I gave cheesecakes as gifts, I was afraid to remove them from the bottom disk of the springform pan. I ended up with oodles of springform pans without their bottoms. Then I read about using a disposable cardboard cake circle in place of the springform bottoms (such as Wilton’s Cake Circles, sold at craft shops and cake-decorating stores). Use the pan bottom as a template to trace the appropriate-size circle on the cardboard. Cut it out and use it as you would the regular bottom, placing the glossy side up. It works well as long as you make sure it’s securely in place in the bottom of the pan.
– Craters, cracks and crevices: If your cheesecake develops one or more cracks, you have a few options:
1. You can prepare a sour cream topping (mix 2 cups sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons sugar). Spread over top, filling in the problem areas, and bake in a 325-degree oven 10 minutes if warm, 14 to 15 minutes if the cheesecake is cool.
2. Cover with fruit and sprigs of fresh mint.
3. Make a jam glaze. Stir 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch into 1 cup apricot, red currant or seedless raspberry jam. Place in medium saucepan and melt on low heat, stirring frequently. Increase heat and heat to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon orange liqueur; strain. Pour over cheesecake. Top with pomegranate seeds, if desired.
4. Slice it in the kitchen. No one will know it has a crack.
TIRAMISU CHEESECAKE
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
1 poundcake (20 ounces)
1/4 cup strong coffee, preferably espresso
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs
2 ounces sweet chocolate, such as plain milk chocolate candy bar, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut half of the poundcake into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices in a single layer in bottom of greased 9-inch springform pan. Fit slices in patchwork-style, pushing pieces together to form complete layer of cake at bottom of pan.
2. Combine coffee, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, brandy and vanilla in medium bowl; stir to dissolve sugar. Cut remaining pound cake into 1/2-inch cubes. Add to bowl and gently toss to coat cake cubes with syrup. Set aside.
3. Mix cream cheese in large bowl of an electric mixer on low speed until softened, about 1 minute. Add remaining 1 cup sugar; mix on low until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix only until well-blended.
4. Place half of the cream cheese mixture in prepared pan. Sprinkle with cubed poundcake. Press down gently so part of cubes sink down into cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Add remaining cream cheese mixture. Smooth top with rubber spatula.
5. Place cocoa powder in fine sieve and sprinkle on top of cheesecake. Wrap heavy-duty aluminum foil around outside of pan. Place pan in large roasting or baking pan. Place baking pan in oven and fill outside pan with enough water to come 1 inch up side of springform pan.
6. Bake until lightly colored and cheesecake looks set (it can still jiggle slightly in center), about 55 minutes. Remove cheesecake from hot water. Place on wire rack and cover loosely with paper towel. Allow to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories … 500 Fat … 32 g Cholesterol … 220 mg Sodium … 375 mg
TWO-IN-ONE CHEESECAKE
Preparation time: 35 minutes
Cooking time: 55-60 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
This unusual cake has yellow cake on the bottom and a cheesecake on top. It makes a great treat at breakfast. If serving as a dessert, garnish with raspberry sauce or drizzle with some prepared chocolate sauce. To add a little glamour, dip pecans in melted semisweet chocolate and place on wax paper until chocolate hardens. Place around the top of the cake. Adapted from “The Neighborhood Bakeshop,” by Jill Van Cleave.
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cake layer:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 yolk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk, room temperature
Cheesecake layer:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans on baking sheet in single layer. Bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes; set aside. (Watch carefully because nuts can burn easily.)
2. To prepare cake layer, put flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir to blend. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk; beat thoroughly. Lower speed and add vanilla. Add flour mixture in small portions, alternating with milk, beating to smooth batter. Pour into greased 8 1/2-inch springform pan; spread evenly.
4. To prepare cheesecake layer, beat cream cheese and sugar in bowl of electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and blend well. Stir in flour. Add cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
5. Sprinkle toasted pecans over cake batter. Pour in cheesecake batter. Place springform pan on baking sheet. Bake until cake is golden and center is set but still jiggles slightly when pan is shaken, about 55 to 60 minutes.
6. Cool in pan on wire rack until cheesecake layer has shrunk away from sides of pan. Cool completely. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories … 425 Fat … 30 g Cholesterol … 160 mg Sodium … 205 mg
