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The Kitchn: How to make the ultimate cheesecake

By Emma Christensen on

TheKitchn.com

Cheesecake should never be a source for anything except pure bliss. Not distress. Not frustration. Certainly never tears. Just dreamy, decadent, nonstop bliss.

So let's break down this whole process into easy pieces and talk about ingredients, water baths, dealing with surface cracks -- the whole shebang. Here's a step-by-step recipe that will help you make a creamy, no-fail cheesecake that is everything you ever dreamed it could be.

--Use full-fat cream cheese.

Cream cheese is a very important ingredient in cheesecake. Some people have brand loyalty to Philadelphia, and I won't deny that this cream cheese makes a particularly silky and lush cheesecake. I've also made cheesecakes with local brands and off brands and been perfectly happy.

No matter what, buy full-fat cream cheese. Cheesecake is not the time to skimp.

 

--A cheesecake needs more than cream cheese.

As delicious as cream cheese is, it needs some helpers to become a tasty cheesecake. Most recipes either use heavy cream or sour cream; either will do the job of softening the texture of the cheese and adding some moisture. Personally, I prefer sour cream because I like the extra hit of sour tang it adds to the cake.

You also need a few eggs to hold the cake together. Three whole eggs do the trick quite nicely. I also add an extra yolk, which enhances the cake's velvety texture. (Whites tend to lighten the cake, which is actually fine -- if you don't feel like separating that fourth egg and don't mind some extra airiness in the texture, just add in the whole egg.)

--Starch adds insurance.

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