Cream cheese cheesecake is a rich, sweet dessert that can be served plain or with whipped cream, fruit, or chocolate toppings. A graham cracker crust is typically used for this type of cheesecake, and additional ingredients can be added to enhance the flavor. Cheesecake can be made with a variety of cheeses, but cream cheese cheesecake is the most popular in North America. There are a variety of cheesecake recipes available, some of which require baking and others which only require the cake to be chilled.
Depending on the recipe, a cream cheese cheesecake can be baked or chilled. Cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract are the main ingredients in both types. No-bake cheesecakes do not contain flour or eggs, whereas baked cheesecakes do.
The cream cheese filling is usually held in place by a crust on a cheesecake. A graham cracker crust is made by mixing finely crushed graham crackers with melted butter and pressing it into a cake pan. Pastry, crushed cookies, or shortbread can all be used to make crusts.
A cheesecake takes about an hour to bake. A water bath is frequently used to keep the cheesecake’s surface from cracking during baking. A baked cheesecake must be allowed to cool before being topped or eaten. The texture of a baked cheesecake is usually firm, but the creaminess of the cheese is retained.
Softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and heavy whipping cream are typically used to make a no-bake cheesecake. Heavy cream is usually whipped separately from the other ingredients until stiff peaks form, then folded into the cream cheese mixture for the best results. The mixture is then poured into a pan with a crushed graham cracker or cookie crust. Before a no-bake cheesecake is fully set and ready to serve, it may need to be refrigerated for one hour to several hours. The texture of this cheesecake is softer and creamier than that of a baked cheesecake.
A cream cheese cheesecake comes in a variety of flavors. Before baking or chilling, add ingredients like fruit, candy, or chocolate to the cream cheese mixture. Another option is to make a dessert topping with various flavors. Many different fruits pair well with sweetened whipped cream, which is often served atop cream cheese cheesecake. Fresh fruit or a fruit puree or even canned fruit pie filling can be spooned over the cake. If melted chocolate or chocolate syrup is drizzled over a cheesecake before serving, it can easily enhance the dessert.