The ancient Greeks on the island of Samos created the earliest known cheesecake. This rudimentary cheesecake was made with patties of fresh cheese that were then pounded smooth with flour and honey.
The Key Ingredients for a Great Cheesecake are
1.Cream cheese: Specifically, full-fat cream cheese. Cheesecake is not the time to skimp.
2.Sour cream: Most cheesecake recipes use either heavy cream or sour cream; either will do the job of softening the texture of the cheese and adding some moisture. I prefer sour cream because I like the extra hit of sour tang it adds to the cake.
3.Eggs: Three whole eggs hold the cheesecake together. 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.)
TIPS FOR MAKING A PERFECT CHEESECAKE
1. Your cream cheese should always be room temperature.
This one is really all about making sure that your cheesecake isn’t lumpy and that the ingredients combine smoothly. Cream cheese that is too firm won’t mix well and will leave you with a lumpy mess, so it needs to be room temperature. In a pinch, take the cream cheese out of the foil wrapping, cut into smaller sections and heat for about 15 seconds at a time until softened.
Also, as far as cream cheese goes, the full fat regular stuff is going to give you the best cheesecake. More fat means more creamy, plus you don’t have any fillers or anything that is made to replace fat. For your cheesecake texture to be on point, you don’t want anything funky going on. Just real, good cream cheese.
2.Use a little flour or cornstarch.
we believe that a little flour makes a difference in a cheesecake. The starch prevents the egg proteins from over-coagulating, giving you a creamier texture and helping you prevent any cracks. If you are looking for a gluten free alternative, cornstarch will work too. Use half as much cornstarch as you would flour.
3. Add some sour cream.
While this one doesn’t necessarily ensure your cheesecake bakes properly, I do think the added tangy flavor and creamy texture helps to give you that perfect cheesecake. If you absolutely must substitute it, greek yogurt is fine but the flavor is definitely a little different.
4. Don’t over mix the batter or mix on too high speed.
Both over mixing and mixing on a high speed add more air to a batter. Too much air in a cheesecake can cause cracks a few ways. One – big air bubbles can rise to the surface and create cracks or little craters. Two – adding air causes things to rise and too much rise in a cheesecake isn’t a good thing. It can rise too much or too quickly and then fall and crack.
This also goes back to number one about room temperature cream cheese. If your cream cheese isn’t soft enough, you’ll have to mix things more to get out the lumps. So again, be sure it’s nice and soft. Also, more air tends to be added during the process of adding eggs to batter, so be sure to use a lower speed.
5. Don’t over bake the cheesecake.
6. Let the cheesecake cool gradually.
When the cheesecake has baked enough and is set, but still jiggly, it’s time for the gradual cooling process. I typically let a cheesecake sit in the oven with the door closed for about another 30 minutes. Then I crack the door of the oven about half way and let it gradually cool some more. This allows the cheesecake to cool slowly, while also finishing baking, which again helps avoid cracking.
