Cheesecake

[Hrothgar]

I have been learning to bake cheesecake.  When I put the springform pan filled with cheesecake batter into the water bath, it floats unevenly.  That makes the cheesecake higher on one side than another.  The spring clip in on the side that floats highest.  Any suggestions for solving this problem.

[gfron1]

Too much water in your water bath. I do about 1/2" but no more than 1" of water up the side of the pan. The batter should be heavy enough that that springform sinks to the bottom. BTW, I usually put two baking sheets under my springform to further insulate.

Edited May 17, 2016 by gfron1 (log)

[Hrothgar]

Thanks for the advice.  I'll try it next time.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I know I am a rebel, but I don't have a springform pan, and I haven't let it stop me from baking cheesecakes. I also have several recipes for cheesecake that are not baked in a water bath at all, and actually prefer them, after trying both ways. They get a little golden brown, and really bring out the cheese flavor to me, but to each their own. If you like the softer, creamier texture the water bath gives you, go for it. I think gfron1 is dead on about why your springform pan is floating, though.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I make a lovely Roman cheesecake from an old Time-Life recipe.  I use a springform pan but I do not employ a water bath.

 

This brings to mind that I have not made this cheesecake in a real long while.  The problem is I need to find a way to scale the recipe down for one person.

[gfweb]

1 minute ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I make a lovely Roman cheesecake from an old Time-Life recipe.  I use a springform pan but I do not employ a water bath.

 

This brings to mind that I have not made this cheesecake in a real long while.  The problem is I need to find a way to scale the recipe down for one person.

 

Or you need to send some of  it to me.

 

[gfron1]

9 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

This brings to mind that I have not made this cheesecake in a real long while.  The problem is I need to find a way to scale the recipe down for one person.

Scaling down shouldn't be hard. I make mine as individual cheesecakes to sell, so portion it down, use ring mold, lower oven temp a bit and shorten bake time. For an example, I bake mine at 285ºF for 55 min, then turn off the oven with a spoon in the door and let rest for 30 more minutes. That's for a 3" ring.

[Hrothgar]

The Roman cheesecake sounds delicious.  Could you share the recipe?  I wonder if the Thanks for the crepes writer could share that recipe also.  I appreciate getting such good advice from these writers.  I will have to try several recipes with and without the water bath, especially now that I know I was working on a false assumption, i.e., the batter in the springform pan should float in the water.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Not sure we may post copyrighted material here.  The recipe is Crostata di Ricotta in a rich Marsala pastry crust.  The reference is Time-Life The Cooking of Italy pp 28,29.  A couple months ago I purchased some lovely European pine nuts for making the crostata.  I suppose I should do something before they go rancid.

 

"Fresh fruits like white grapes, served with crostata di ricotta, make a tangy, sweet contrast to the richness of the pie.  Crostata di ricotta is one of the oldest of Roman dishes."

[Anna N]

5 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Not sure we may post copyrighted material here.  The recipe is Crostata di Ricotta in a rich Marsala pastry crust.  The reference is Time-Life The Cooking of Italy pp 28,29.  A couple months ago I purchased some lovely European pine nuts for making the crostata.  I suppose I should do something before they go rancid.

 

"Fresh fruits like white grapes, served with crostata di ricotta, make a tangy, sweet contrast to the richness of the pie.  Crostata di ricotta is one of the oldest of Roman dishes."

Seems to be readily available on the web. 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

On 5/19/2016 at 11:22 PM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I make a lovely Roman cheesecake from an old Time-Life recipe.  I use a springform pan but I do not employ a water bath.

 

This brings to mind that I have not made this cheesecake in a real long while.  The problem is I need to find a way to scale the recipe down for one person.

 

Cheesecake can be frozen. It is my defense against becoming a behemoth. 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

On 5/19/2016 at 10:09 AM, Hrothgar said:

I wonder if the Thanks for the crepes writer could share that recipe also.

 

There are many recipes for cheesecakes cooked without a water bath, and here's a favorite. It comes from my 1997 edition of "The Joy of Cooking" by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker.

 

Cheesecake Cocaigne

 

They recommend a graham cracker crust. Since I'm not a big graham cracker fan, I usually go with a shortbread or chocolate or vanilla wafer crumb crust. I will blind bake all of these to toastiness first. They call for a 10 inch springform or cake pan.

 

You want to preheat your oven to 300 F.

 

In a mixing bowl, beat until creamy, and this'll take about half a minute

 

1-1/2 pounds cream cheese (I use Neufchatel, with good results)

 

Beat in incrementally

 

1 c sugar (I reduce)

1 t vanilla or 1/4 t almond extract

 

Beat in one at a time

 

3 large eggs

 

Spoon batter into your pan with the crust and level out. Place on a baking sheet and bake about 45-55 minutes until the center is still a little jiggly when the pan is tapped. Let cool on a rack for at least an hour.

 

They call for a very vanilla sweetened sour cream topping. I never use it, opting for lightly sweetened berries in season or frozen in winter. I can't vouch for the sour cream topping, but here it is.

 

1 c sour cream

1/4 c sugar

1 T vanilla (yes, 1 Tablespoon!)

1/8 t salt

 

Cover and refrigerate minimum 3 hours, and preferably 24 hours before service.

 

It really couldn't get much simpler, but man, this is good!

 

Edit: Oops! I lost the first post where I said they call for all ingredients for the batter at room temp. I do this by taking out the cream cheese and placing it on a heat sink like my metal stove top in its wrapper well before I get ready to prepare the batter. This can also be done in the microwave gently at low power, but don't leave it in its metallic wrapper like I did once. I thought it was silver plastic because it is so flexible, but it has enough metal content to cause arcs in a microwave.

 

I take the eggs and place in a pitcher of warm water in their shells.

 

Edited May 21, 2016 by Thanks for the Crepes
lost part of post and failed to recreate it (log)

[Hrothgar]

Thanks for the recipe.  I am eager to try it.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

@Hrothgar, please see my edit above for an important correction to the recipe.

 

If you make it, I hope you enjoy it.

[Shel_B]

On ‎5‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 3:43 AM, Thanks for the Crepes said:

 

There are many recipes for cheesecakes cooked without a water bath, and here's a favorite. It comes from my 1997 edition of "The Joy of Cooking" by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker.

 

Cheesecake Cocaigne

 

They recommend a graham cracker crust. Since I'm not a big graham cracker fan, I usually go with a shortbread or chocolate or vanilla wafer crumb crust. I will blind bake all of these to toastiness first. They call for a 10 inch springform or cake pan.

 

You want to preheat your oven to 300 F.

 

In a mixing bowl, beat until creamy, and this'll take about half a minute

 

1-1/2 pounds cream cheese (I use Neufchatel, with good results)

 

.....

 

About how many people does this recipe serve?  My cheesecake (lemon goat cheese, based on a Food & Wine recipe - no water bath), made with 11-oz of cheese and six eggs, serves about 8 people, maybe more ... it's been a while since I made it for a crowd.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Shel_B (log)

[Deryn]

I love cheesecake therefore I rarely make it any more since any size recipe will only serve one - me.

 

That said, the first time I made (a baked) cheesecake, I used the Great Dinners from LIfe recipe. I don't recall (and I unfortunately do not have a copy of that wonderful book any more) it saying you must use a water bath at all so I have never used one. Yes, I got a few cracks on the top from time to time but, for me, that is part of the charm of a cheesecake. I prefer to make it in a springform pan but a cake pan will do fine too (though it is harder to get it out in one piece obviously).

 

When I do make cheesecake however, I don't use a recipe any more - rather, I simply imagine that first Great Dinners cake (which turned out so perfectly, it is my 'standard' ever since) and recall that it used ricotta, sour cream and cream cheese - all three. I mix about a pound or a bit more of cream cheese, a small container of sour cream and a similar size container of ricotta together with (usually 2) eggs, a bit of sugar (I don't like it too sweet so I start with about a quarter of a cup and adjust from there), a pinch of salt and teaspoon or so of vanilla (and a bit of lemon juice usually), and the final ingredient, a 1/4 cup or so of melted butter. I mix everything up till it s smooth. I taste the concoction to be sure it tastes like my taste memory - and check that the consistency is thick but pourable. I then throw it into the oven (on top of a crust of some type usually - crust varies but I have used a flourless/nut-based crust, shortbread or graham cracker conventional ones) at about 300 degrees F for an hour, turn off the oven, leave for another hour, remove from oven and set on counter for an hour and then refrigerate.

 

I have often also used a lower fat (but NOT fat free) cream cheese (or Neuchatel). Haven't had one 'fail' yet though I have to say that apparently there are different formulations for cream cheese and ricotta these days (or perhaps just in some areas of the country) and a few times the result has been a bit gritty in texture as (I think) because of the ingredient differences. I have also heard speculation that the 'difference' that caused the grittiness was just that one ingredient or another may have been previously frozen (either in transit or in the store - who knows).

 

As I said, I don't unfortunately have that Great Dinners recipe any more but it may also have used a bit of cornstarch. I had to make a cake years ago for a friend who had celiac disease so my modification for her was to leave out anything I was not sure would meet her dietary needs - so I made the nut crust and left out the cornstarch - and it turned out so well that I no longer use cornstarch, if I ever did. I have made this cake from ice cold (though of course it is easier to mix cream cheese when it is warmer) ingredients and from room temperature ingredients too - never have been really consistent about ensuring all ingredients were the same temperature - and haven't really noticed that this made any real difference in this 'recipe'.

 

I have found 'cheesecake' to be one of the most flexible and forgiving 'cakes' I have ever made. I know however that people are very finicky sometimes about what, for them, constitutes the 'perfect cheesecake'. I say ... experiment till you find a recipe you like and stick with it whatever it may be!

Edited May 21, 2016 by Deryn (log)

[Hrothgar]

Thanks for the recipe!  

 

[ElsieD]

9 hours ago, Deryn said:

I love cheesecake therefore I rarely make it any more since any size recipe will only serve one - me.

 

That said, the first time I made (a baked) cheesecake, I used the Great Dinners from LIfe recipe. I don't recall (and I unfortunately do not have a copy of that wonderful book any more) it saying you must use a water bath at all so I have never used one. Yes, I got a few cracks on the top from time to time but, for me, that is part of the charm of a cheesecake. I prefer to make it in a springform pan but a cake pan will do fine too (though it is harder to get it out in one piece obviously).

 

When I do make cheesecake however, I don't use a recipe any more - rather, I simply imagine that first Great Dinners cake (which turned out so perfectly, it is my 'standard' ever since) and recall that it used ricotta, sour cream and cream cheese - all three. I mix about a pound or a bit more of cream cheese, a small container of sour cream and a similar size container of ricotta together with (usually 2) eggs, a bit of sugar (I don't like it too sweet so I start with about a quarter of a cup and adjust from there), a pinch of salt and teaspoon or so of vanilla (and a bit of lemon juice usually), and the final ingredient, a 1/4 cup or so of melted butter. I mix everything up till it s smooth. I taste the concoction to be sure it tastes like my taste memory - and check that the consistency is thick but pourable. I then throw it into the oven (on top of a crust of some type usually - crust varies but I have used a flourless/nut-based crust, shortbread or graham cracker conventional ones) at about 300 degrees F for an hour, turn off the oven, leave for another hour, remove from oven and set on counter for an hour and then refrigerate.

 

I have often also used a lower fat (but NOT fat free) cream cheese (or Neuchatel). Haven't had one 'fail' yet though I have to say that apparently there are different formulations for cream cheese and ricotta these days (or perhaps just in some areas of the country) and a few times the result has been a bit gritty in texture as (I think) because of the ingredient differences. I have also heard speculation that the 'difference' that caused the grittiness was just that one ingredient or another may have been previously frozen (either in transit or in the store - who knows).

 

As I said, I don't unfortunately have that Great Dinners recipe any more but it may also have used a bit of cornstarch. I had to make a cake years ago for a friend who had celiac disease so my modification for her was to leave out anything I was not sure would meet her dietary needs - so I made the nut crust and left out the cornstarch - and it turned out so well that I no longer use cornstarch, if I ever did. I have made this cake from ice cold (though of course it is easier to mix cream cheese when it is warmer) ingredients and from room temperature ingredients too - never have been really consistent about ensuring all ingredients were the same temperature - and haven't really noticed that this made any real difference in this 'recipe'.

 

I have found 'cheesecake' to be one of the most flexible and forgiving 'cakes' I have ever made. I know however that people are very finicky sometimes about what, for them, constitutes the 'perfect cheesecake'. I say ... experiment till you find a recipe you like and stick with it whatever it may be!

 

 

I just happen to have the book, Great Dinners from Life.  I checked it when I got home tonight and the recipe is on page 29.  You are right - there is no mention of a water bath.  It is baked for 1 hour and ten minutes or until firm around the edges, the oven is turned off and it stays in the oven for two hours.  Remove and cool for at least two hours, then refrigerate for three.

[Deryn]

Thank you, Elsie! I wish I still had mine. Perhaps one day I will succumb and buy another used copy if I run across one. That book was the start of my amazing (haha) culinary career - and I got it via a cookbook of the month club when I was just a new wife (a little over 18 years old) in the Yukon. Over several years I think I made almost everything in that book though getting all the ingredients for some of them was tough up there back then. I used to beg my mother-in-law to please bring me back various 'groceries' when she went to Vancouver on vacation (as she and my father-in-law seemed to do quite often).

 

I guess I remembered a few small details incorrectly or I morphed them slightly over the years but darn that is/was a great recipe (at least in my estimation) - and its memory is still the basis for cheesecakes I make today - over 45 years later. If you haven't tried it, I hope you will sometime. I think I have measured every cheesecake I have consumed in my life since against that first one I made from that book. It was such a revelation because till then I had never had cheesecake that didn't come from a box (and wasn't baked). People I had over for dinner parties raved about it - I guess I was not the only one who had never tasted 'real cheesecake' before!

 

p.s. Is there a recipe for pickled shrimp in that book too? If so, that is another I probably make slightly differently now, but it was a hit back then and I still make it from 'memory' so to speak. If not, it probably came from another one of the 'book of the month club' books - but not one as memorable as Great Dinners from Life.

[ElsieD]

There are four recipes for shrimp:  deviled, cold;  grilled scampi style;  in mustard sauce;  and shrimp and scallop seviche .   The deviled shrimp has black olives and pimento in it, among other things.  If you want any of these recipes let me know and I will send you a PM.  I too got this book when it first came out and I have purchased many others over the years and gotten rid of many, but this one will have to be pried from my cold dead fingers.  For some reason, I love this book.  I especially liked some of the photography, do you remember the picture of the roast beef pictured in a wine glass?  I still make the Cannelloni  recipe from that book.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

15 hours ago, Shel_B said:

 

About how many people does this recipe serve?  My cheesecake (lemon goat cheese, based on a Food & Wine recipe - no water bath), made with 11-oz of cheese and six eggs, serves about 8 people, maybe more ... it's been a while since I made it for a crowd.

 

 

Shel, It produces a cheescake 10" diameter and about 1-1/4" tall, and Joy suggests 12-16 servings. Obviously, it will depend on how many slices are cut. I can't indulge very often, but am personally not a fan of stingy cheesecake slices. 

 

Remember you can freeze Cheesecake like Sara Lee and Trader Joe's do if you are serving fewer people than the recipe makes. I would not freeze the sour cream topping. I have had sour cream accidentally freeze in a too cold fridge, and it wasn't pretty.

[EsaK]

Big fan of cheesecakes here too. Someone mentioned freezing them, and I was wondering if there was some knowledge I'm lacking on that front. I've tried freezing them several times but seem to always end up with soggyness after de-frosted. Hate to have a great cheesecake frozen and then swimming in liquid when I take it out and want to eat it. 

 

What kind of cheesecakes have you managed to freeze without the liquid seeping out (egg-based or something else, some binder added?), and how have you actually done it (de-frosted in fridge, room-temp etc)? Thanks for all the help!

[Thanks for the Crepes]

18 minutes ago, EsaK said:

Big fan of cheesecakes here too. Someone mentioned freezing them, and I was wondering if there was some knowledge I'm lacking on that front. I've tried freezing them several times but seem to always end up with soggyness after de-frosted. Hate to have a great cheesecake frozen and then swimming in liquid when I take it out and want to eat it. 

 

What kind of cheesecakes have you managed to freeze without the liquid seeping out (egg-based or something else, some binder added?), and how have you actually done it (de-frosted in fridge, room-temp etc)? Thanks for all the help!

 

I didn't think of freezing cheesecakes or many other things either, so I wasted or gorged more than was to my liking. Then one day I had an epiphany of sorts. It just seemed clear to me that if companies that freeze foods for commercial sale successfully could do it, I could do it better.

 

I started freezing lasagna, cheesecake, you name it. It reduced waste and saved my waistline.

 

I already cautioned about freezing the sour cream topping in the recipe I posted, but I have successfully frozen and defrosted many traditional cheesecakes which call for cheese, eggs, sugar and little else baked in a crust. Now, I will say, that if I am going to freeze it, I'd steer away from the shortbread crust and go with a crumb crust.

 

Even a crumb crust will get a little soggy due to osmosis even under refrigeration, but holds up and sort of "melds" better in my estimation under freezing and defrosting, and that, I would think, is why most commercial purveyors of frozen cheesecakes use it.

 

Always defrost under refrigeration.

 

If you are in a small household, like I am, slice the cheesecake before freezing. Place cut-to-size waxed paper pieces between the slices, and wrap very well and freeze. You can take out even an individual slice to thaw if you want.

 

I don't know if you have commercially frozen cheesecakes in Finland, but they are all over the place where I live. If they can do it, we can do it better.