Freezing Cheesecake

[kthull]

Frozen cheesecake...yummmmmmmm.

[Wendy DeBord]

I don't beleive you can tell the difference between a cheesecake that's been frozen and a fresh one. Provided that you've got a good cake to begin with and it was wrapped well in the freezer.

[CanadianBakin']

In a thread awhile back everyone said that cheesecakes froze really well. So, to offer our slowly growing clientel more options I baked 3 flavours but only put out a third of each cake and froze the rest. So we thawed one of the frozen portions last night and the sourcream topping is all cracked and looks awful! I checked another one that's still frozen and it looks like it'll be the same when thawed. I left them in their pans, covered them with foil and put them in a freezer container for extra protection. What did I do wrong? Does cheesecake freeze well but not sour cream? Any way to "fix" the cracked top or is it pretty much a lost cause? Any help greatly appreciated.

[JSkilling]

Sour cream on its own doesn't freeze well. And I find that if I make a recipe that's higher in sour cream, that cheesecake doesn't freeze very well either. Can you scrape the topping off and then thaw? I've never tried to do that but it might work.

[chefpeon]

Ooooh yes.....sour cream topping DOESN'T freeze well......yipes.....sorry you had to find that out the hard way!

An easy fix......

whenever I have to cover something unattractive on a cheesecake (like a crack or cracks), I just put another topping on it........something that pairs well with the cheesecake.....for instance, fresh fruit or berries, jams, lemon curd, ganache (dark chocolate or white chocolate), or even a thin coat of buttercream.

That'll fix ya!

[CanadianBakin']

Thanks Anne! I can do that. What about the texture of the covered sourcream? Will it be different enough that anyone will be able to tell?

[chiantiglace]

Ha, yea....

Freezing trick only works when you freeze things in the simplest form and thaw. Now if you froze the topping and the cake seperately and thawed sepereately, then topped the cake with the sour cream then it would have been fine.

It's the same with all cakes. I would freeze a sponge Baked, cut and trimmed individually. When needing one, pull it out a day before and set the cake when needed.

[chefpeon]

What about the texture of the covered sourcream?

I would venture to say the texture is probably ok. But, since you'll be covering it up anyway,

take a bit of a taste and see what you think. If you don't like it, then just scrape it off and

cover your cheesecake with one of the other toppings I mentioned.

[JSkilling]

No, it's blech!! It curdles and becomes somewhat not grainy but textured and separates on your tongue. I'd just scrape it off and top it with a fruit glaze. Or just drizzle chocolate all over it like you meant it!

[Pam R]

Whipped cream hides a multitude of mistakes....

[CanadianBakin']

Thanks guys! I'm just gonna scrape them and put a new topping on as per your suggestions. Now, for the future, obviously we'll steer away from sourcream but how do other toppings hold up in the freezer? In this case one of them has a strained raspberry reduction swirled through it so it would make sense just to thicken it with a bit more cornstarch and use it for a topping as well. Or would I be better to add a bit of gelatin? Will it freeze and thaw ok or should I stick to adding the toppings after they thaw? This will be a bit of a pain since we are only thawing a few pieces at a time. On our plain cheesecake I liked the suggestion of a white chocolate ganache. That won't add much flavour but will finish it nicely. I believe ganache freezes well but if it doesn't please let me know. I'd rather learn from your experience than at the expense of the coffee house.

[chiantiglace]

ganache attracts moisture when thawing just like tempered chocolate confections. So it will look somewhat unappealing if used.

Most toppings will last a lot longer in the refrigerator than the actually cheesecake. So it's ok to make glazes and store them at 40degrees for a few weeks.

I would stick to topping after thawed, get used to it and it will become an automatic task.

[Wendy DeBord]

Sorry for the confusion. I don't use sour cream toppings because of that reason.

BUT in general the way to use your freezer is for partically completed work. 99% of the time you can not finish your product and expect the toppings, glaze or chocolate to remain intact thru defrosting. I put on my finishes after the cake is defrosted.

When you need just a couple slices at a time for ala carte it forces (well it doesn't force you, but we change to provide the best we can) you to work differently to maintain freshness. This is where I make individual desserts so I can take out desserts in very small quantities. It's much harder to take out of a freezer a couple slices of a cake then a couple individual desserts. Also the saving grace is how it's plated. Unlike a simple slice of cake plopped on a plate...........when it's served ala carte the line person should take a moment to nicely present that item with sauces, chocolate garnishes, sugar garnishes, tuiles or whatever you have. That presentation covers any small imperfections that happen going thru freezing and thawing.

In the long run you do as I've described or you live with waste. A cheesecake held in a cooler by the line guys until it's gone won't be a good as a cheesecake held in the freezer and portions taken out every other day. It all kind of sucks............it's all about compromises and doing the best you can given the circumstances. In an ideal world one would do as Neil does at the hotel and assemble everything fresh everyday.

[CanadianBakin']

Thanks so much for all your suggestions. The sourcream was easy to scrape off the raspberry cheesecake. I made a white chocolate ganache and whipped it so it was opaque and was easy to spread on a partial cake. Then I brightened it up by using the same puree that's in the cake but thickened up a bit more to swirl on the top of each slice. It looks nice and no one will be the wiser. From now on, toppings to be done after thawing. Thanks again. :)

[Kim Shook]

Ok, so everyone agrees that we can freeze cheesecake, right ? I want to freeze this cheesecake. But I want to gild the lily a bit and enrobe the cheesecake in white chocolate ganache, add white jimmies around the sides and top with 6" long white chocolate curls. So my question is: do I do the ganache before freezing or after? I will save the curls for after no matter what. Thanks!

[lapasterie]

Ok, so everyone agrees that we can freeze cheesecake, right  ?  I want to freeze this cheesecake.  But I want to gild the lily a bit and enrobe the cheesecake in white chocolate ganache, add white jimmies around the sides and top with 6" long white chocolate curls.  So my question is: do I do the ganache before freezing or after?  I will save the curls for after no matter what.  Thanks!

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I bake a recipe like this one in individual 3" PANS.

I freeze the baked cheesecakes then dip the bottoms and about 3/4 way up in dark chocolate. They freeze beautifully.

[avid]

Put my name on the list of people that freeze and cut when semi-frozen.

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wanna dress up a frozen slice of cheesecake? why not batter and fry it!! had some tempura fried cheesecake at a little japanese place in lincoln, ne (take that ubiquitous fried banana!!). it was delicous - crispy on the outside, oh so warm and lusciuos on the inside...mmm...... i love dairy fat

Edited August 24, 2006 by avid (log)

[jsolomon]

What are people's experiences with this?

[K8memphis]

Zero experience with this. Freezing baked cheesecake on the other hand is widely acceptable but you probably already know that.

Freezing the batter concerns me, I just feel like it would weep and separate. Like I said I've nver done it but, I would never do it either. I'd freeze the cakes.

[miladyinsanity]

I know nothing, but I'd freeze the baked cakes like Kate said, simply because it doesn't lose much volume after baking, so you wouldn't be saving on that much freezer space anyway, right?

[scott123]

Although freezing cooked cheesecakes is 'widely accepted,' I feel very strongly that it impairs the texture/causes a slight mealiness in the final product.

As far as freezing the raw batter, I wouldn't only think it would exacerbate the problem, because of the greater percentage of water/ice crystals that could potentially rupture the casein framework.

This being said, if creamy textured cheesecakes aren't that important to you, I don't think freezing either the cooked cheesecake or the batter would be a huge impairment.

If a silky texture is your goal, though, I wouldn't involve a freezer in the process in any way.

[K8memphis]

Although freezing cooked cheesecakes is 'widely accepted,' I feel very strongly that it impairs the texture/causes a slight mealiness in the final product.

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With all due respect, not my frozen cheesecakes.

I do package very carefully and vacuum seal.

I have had mealy cheesecake and I think it is the formula more than the freezing to be at fault.

Freezing is essential to handling cheesecakes that are built into tier cakes, or that need to portioned into a hundred pretty servings quickly and efficiently.

Freezing is a tool, used properly it is a very good tool.

Edited January 23, 2007 by K8memphis (log)

[scott123]

Although freezing cooked cheesecakes is 'widely accepted,' I feel very strongly that it impairs the texture/causes a slight mealiness in the final product.

←

With all due respect, not my frozen cheesecakes.

I do package very carefully and vacuum seal.

I have had mealy cheesecake and I think it is the formula more than the freezing to be at fault.

Freezing is essential to handling cheesecakes that are built into tier cakes, or that need to portioned into a hundred pretty servings quickly and efficiently.

Freezing is a tool, used properly it is a very good tool.

←

K8memphis, the chemistry is basic. The fat is emulsified by milk protein (casein) into tiny globules. When the water in the cheesecake freezes, it expands, rupturing these globules/breaking the emulsion. This alters the texture. The salt and sugar in cheesecake act as freezing point depressors and the cheese particles/proteins (and in a fluffy cheese cake, air) encourage small ice crystal development, so the damage is minimal, but, it's still ever so slightly impaired. Anything that's dairy based will be impaired by freezing. Cheesecake is no exception.

Your cheesecakes, when frozen, are slightly impaired texturally. If you want to argue that this impairment is indetectable, that's your perogative. I can taste the difference, though.

If I had to place the textural impairment of freezing on a scale of 0 to 10, I'd probably place it around .5. Overcooking cheesecake, though, is about a 10. Overcooked cheesecakes are exceptionally mealy.

[K8memphis]

Although freezing cooked cheesecakes is 'widely accepted,' I feel very strongly that it impairs the texture/causes a slight mealiness in the final product.

←

With all due respect, not my frozen cheesecakes.

I do package very carefully and vacuum seal.

I have had mealy cheesecake and I think it is the formula more than the freezing to be at fault.

Freezing is essential to handling cheesecakes that are built into tier cakes, or that need to portioned into a hundred pretty servings quickly and efficiently.

Freezing is a tool, used properly it is a very good tool.

←

K8memphis, the chemistry is basic. The fat is emulsified by milk protein (casein) into tiny globules. When the water in the cheesecake freezes, it expands, rupturing these globules/breaking the emulsion. This alters the texture. The salt and sugar in cheesecake act as freezing point depressors and the cheese particles/proteins (and in a fluffy cheese cake, air) encourage small ice crystal development, so the damage is minimal, but, it's still ever so slightly impaired. Anything that's dairy based will be impaired by freezing. Cheesecake is no exception.

Your cheesecakes, when frozen, are slightly impaired texturally. If you want to argue that this impairment is indetectable, that's your perogative. I can taste the difference, though.

If I had to place the textural impairment of freezing on a scale of 0 to 10, I'd probably place it around .5. Overcooking cheesecake, though, is about a 10. Overcooked cheesecakes are exceptionally mealy.

←

I think one of the single greatest misconceptions about baking is that anything about it is absolute. Those types of statements do a genuine disservice to all bakers.

Nonetheless, my friend, there is no argument because you've never had my cheesecake...and at this rate...

Edited January 23, 2007 by K8memphis (log)

[scott123]

Although freezing cooked cheesecakes is 'widely accepted,' I feel very strongly that it impairs the texture/causes a slight mealiness in the final product.

←

With all due respect, not my frozen cheesecakes.

I do package very carefully and vacuum seal.

I have had mealy cheesecake and I think it is the formula more than the freezing to be at fault.

Freezing is essential to handling cheesecakes that are built into tier cakes, or that need to portioned into a hundred pretty servings quickly and efficiently.

Freezing is a tool, used properly it is a very good tool.

←

K8memphis, the chemistry is basic. The fat is emulsified by milk protein (casein) into tiny globules. When the water in the cheesecake freezes, it expands, rupturing these globules/breaking the emulsion. This alters the texture. The salt and sugar in cheesecake act as freezing point depressors and the cheese particles/proteins (and in a fluffy cheese cake, air) encourage small ice crystal development, so the damage is minimal, but, it's still ever so slightly impaired. Anything that's dairy based will be impaired by freezing. Cheesecake is no exception.

Your cheesecakes, when frozen, are slightly impaired texturally. If you want to argue that this impairment is indetectable, that's your perogative. I can taste the difference, though.

If I had to place the textural impairment of freezing on a scale of 0 to 10, I'd probably place it around .5. Overcooking cheesecake, though, is about a 10. Overcooked cheesecakes are exceptionally mealy.

←

I think one of the single greatest misconceptions about baking is that anything about it is absolute. Those types of statements do a genuine disservice to all bakers.

Nonetheless, my friend, there is no argument because you've never had my cheesecake...and at this rate...

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Ummmm... just about everything relating to baking is absolute. It's chemistry. If you add an acid to an alkali, carbon dioxide is formed. It's physics. It's thermodynamics. This isn't like stew where you throw in a little bit of this and a little bit of that and everything magically turns out wonderful.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. I don't think you can get any more absolute than that.

Science and the 'absolute' laws it is ruled by has been a 'service' to bakers since the age of reason. If you want to go around saying that 2 + 2 can equal 5, hey, go for it. Be aware, though, that there are those of us that approach these matters a little more empirically.