Different Types Of Cheesecake For You To Try
What’s not to love about cheesecakes? They are sweet and luxuriously creamy. Some would even describe them as heaven on a plate, with the cloud-like texture and decadent flavours. Many consider cheesecakes to be a modern invention, but did you know that they go all the way back in ancient Greece? When you think of a cheesecake, you usually picture a buttery graham cracker crust topped with a thick layer of baked cream cheese and egg custard. Even though this is among the simplest types of cheesecake, the best type of cheesecakeis the one that keeps you coming back for more. There is a plethora of a different types of cheesecakesthat you should know about that are unique and equally delicious as the classic.
New York cheesecake: This is a classic cheesecake that you can top up with a berry compote to cut through the creaminess of the cream cheese. Besides the cream cheese, it contains eggs to create a custard that will set once it’s baked in the oven. And of course, another key ingredient is a generous amount of sugar to sweeten it. Some cheesecakes also use sour cream or heavy cream for a smoother, creamier texture, but Theobroma’s choice of is cream cheese. Theobroma’s New York style Baked Cheesecake is a signature recipe, topped with a layer of fluffy meringue that is crisped to perfection. You can either order by kg or purchase a slice of this delightful treat to go with a fresh cup of coffee brewed in-house.
No-bake cheesecake: Among the different cheesecakes you should know of, is this no-bake, no frills cheesecake. It’s easy to make because all you need to do is make the biscuit base and set it in a baking tin and mix all the wet ingredients before refrigerating. This cheesecake is ideal when you want to whip up a quick dessert for a dinner party or when you just don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. For a healthier spin, you can use hung curd or blitz a slab of cottage cheese with some milk in a food processor. The taste remains the same, and with the added benefit of eating a relatively low-calorie dessert.
Japanese cheesecake: Japanese cheesecake is spongy, jiggly, and fluffy, and very unlike the dense and creamy New York style cheesecake we know. Think of it as something between a sponge cake and a souffle. It’s lighter because it’s aerated with meringue, which is why it’s also known as a “cotton cheesecake” or a “souffle cheesecake.” The Japanese version is also less sweet than its American counterpart.
Swedish cheesecake: Ostkaka, a traditional Swedish treat, is not to be confused with the popular American version of the dessert. It is typically made with rennet, a milk clotting enzyme. Flour, eggs, sugar, cream, almonds, bitter almonds, saffron are then added, and the dish is baked till it reaches a lightly brown stage. Ostkaka is usually eaten lukewarm with a berry jam or sauce, and occasionally with ice cream.
Fruit cheesecake: Fruit and cheesecake are a delectable combination because the natural sugars from the fruit can cut through the richness of the cream cheese filling. Out of all the different kinds of cheesecake out there, this is among the most popular. At Theobroma, we love to use fresh seasonal produce in our cheesecakes to give you the freshest and most delicious food possible. In the warm summer months, you can find a delicious mango cheesecake on our menu. As for the colder months, you can check out our strawberry cheesecake for a taste of heaven. If you’re on the go, you can pick up a seasonal Strawberry Cheesecake jar from Theobroma to take with you to work or out and about.
Russian cheesecake: Vatrushka is a common Russian pastry that is shaped like a ring. It is filled with sweetened cottage cheese and topped with raisins or other types of fruit. Vatrushka can also be made savoury with meat or onion. The filling is encased in a sweetened yeast dough and traditionally baked in firewood furnaces. The pastry is readily available in a wide variety of bakeries and shops in Belarus and Ukraine.
Basque cheesecake: This is a crustless cheesecake, just like a Japanese one, but it has a burnt top layer that adds a distinctive caramel note. The cheesecake, which has the usual suspects like eggs, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla essence, is intentionally left in the oven for the top layer to scorch. Meanwhile, the inner layer is deliciously gooey and mousse like. This dessert was born in La Via, a café in the tourist destination of San Sebastian in Spain's Basque Country. The cafe's chef Santiago Rivera vowed to bake a different kind of cake every day, and he eventually created the Basque cheesecake recipe.
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Ube cheesecake: The Philippines has its own spin on the cheesecake which has ube, a purple yam that gives the dessert its signature purple hue. Sometimes, food colouring is also added to deepen the purple colour, but that really does not change the overall taste of the cake. Ube is so ubiquitous that it can be used in any type of the aforementioned cheesecakes.
German cheesecake: Known as käsekuchen, this German dessert foregoes the use of cream cheese. Instead, it uses quark or quarg, a type of cottage cheese and is reminiscent of ricotta. The recipe also does not use a biscuit base, but a mix of flour and butter (akin to a cookie), and sometimes even a sponge cake. Citrus flavouring like mandarin oranges or lemon zest are also incorporated sometimes for a refreshing tang.
Austrian cheesecake: Known as topfentorte, this traditional Austrian cake is light, fluffy, and less sweet than most cheesecakes. It has layers of light, airy sponge cake sandwiched together by a chilled, mousse-like cream that is like a no-bake cheesecake. This cheesecake is also made with fresh quark cheese or topfen. The cake is typically refrigerated after baking before being served. Before eating, topfentorte can be dusted with powdered sugar.
Vegan cheesecake: With more and more people switching to a plant-based diet, vegan desserts are taking the baking world by a storm. Silken tofu, nut cheese, coconut cream are popular vegan alternatives to dairy cheeses that can be used in cheesecakes. In place of eggs, flax, or chia seeds, and aquafaba (made from chickpea water) are used. Sceptics may wonder whether plant-based variations can replicate the taste of the original. Fret not, there has been enough culinary experimentation in this domain to ensure that there is no compromise in taste. Vegan cheesecakes not only are lighter on the stomach, but they also have more nutritional value. If you are looking for a switch, or just want to experiment, be sure to give vegan desserts a chance. Vegan cheesecakes are also ideal for people who have lactose intolerance or a dairy allergy.