Rich, smooth, creamy and delicious! There is something about cheesecake that has to make it the best loved dessert of all time. The classic cheesecake is a plain cheesecake served with a fruit topping and is very easy to make, even for a novice. Just follow the directions carefully and pay attention to details. Your cheesecake will turn out fantastic on your first try.
Cheesecake Recipe Tips:
- Always have all of your ingredients at room temperature before starting. They will mix more easily and the finished cheesecake will turn out with a smoother texture
- Combine the eggs and cream cheese or ricotta thoroughly before adding any liquid ingredients. Lumps are next to impossible to get out once the thin liquid ingredients are added.
- Using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer works best to mix the ingredients. Regular whipping beaters add too much air to the mixture creating a less creamy texture, and may also contribute to cracks in the finished cheesecake. If you must use regular whipping beaters, set the mixer to low for a minimal amount of air in your cake.
- If using beaten egg whites or whipped cream, gently and slowly fold in with a rubber spatula so as to not deflate these ingredients
- Cream cheese; always use regular cream cheese unless stated in the recipe
- Cheesecakes are generally made with crusts, however, there are recipes made without crusts. Most crusted cheesecakes are made with cookie crumbs mixed with melted butter. Many recipes call for a graham crumb crust, but you can substitute almost any cookie, even cream filled sandwich cookies. Just process them in a food processor or in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. A nut based crust is also good
- Even if you follow all the directions carefully, you may still develop cracks on top of the finished cheesecake. These cracks are caused by steam escaping. Too much steam escaping too fast causes these cracks. Extreme temperature changes will also crack the top of the cake. That is why cheesecake recipes call for a relatively low baking temperature. Sometimes there just isn’t anything to do but accept them as part of the charm of real homemade cheesecakes
Cheesecake Recipes
- Apple Celebration Cheesecake
- Apple Streusel Cheesecake
- Belgian Truffle Cheesecake
- Black Forest Cheesecake
- Cappuccino Cheesecake
- Chocolate Almond Cheesecake
- Chocolate Cheesecake
- Chocolate Marble Cheesecake
- Chocolate Marble Cheesecake #2
- Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake
- Double Chocolate Cheesecake
- Easiest-Ever Cheesecake
- Neapolitan Cheesecake
- No Bake Mini Almond Peach Cheesecakes
- Oreo Cheesecake
- Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cheesecake
- Philly 3-Step Cheesecake
- Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
- White Chocolate-Cranberry Cheesecake