Technique For The Perfect Cheesecake

Originally published August 28, 2005




I know what you are thinking, "Has Tabacco gone crazy?" What has cheesecake got to do with “political malfeasance, big business depravity & social inequity”? The answer is, “nothing”. But among my other talents is cooking. I am not a “natural” cook, but a “stubborn” one. Once I get my teeth in a recipe, I don’t give up until I perfect it. So the following technique is based on 25 years of research, study and experimentation. I have had marvelous results with my cheesecakes over the years. And, yes, I have made perfect cheesecakes!

This is NOT a recipe, but a technique to be used with any cheesecake. If you follow this technique, you will make a better cheesecake, regardless of what recipe you use.

I do have personal favorite recipes. If anyone needs a recipe suggestion, email me

scobrax@optonline.net

And I will see that you get what you need, if I can.




Tabacco's Cheesecake Principia


My Essentials List

1- Never make cheesecake in a pressure cooker! I have a pressure cooker & recipe book. But cheesecake must be refrigerated overnight after cooling for hours; so what’s the hurry? Why save 40 minutes on baking time when refrigeration lasts overnight?

2- Never use Philadelphia Cream cheese; I did once and made a mediocre cheesecake. I use a 3-pound loaf of cream cheese, which has an unappetizing liquid around it inside of the plastic wrap inside of the cardboard box. I purchase mine at a meat market on the west side of 9th Avenue between 43rd & 44th Streets. If you don’t live in New York, you will have to do some searching. The key, I think, is the 3-pound loaf. I can’t testify to the quality versus Philadelphia’s when eaten as is. But in cheesecake, it is supreme!

3- I never had a problem with leakage from the Bain Marie (water bath) into the cheesecake, but insulating the springform pan with aluminum foil for insurance sounds like a great idea to me. I always use springform pans, a water bath and a crust. If your recipe doesn’t include a crust, I suggest you find another recipe.


Cheesecake can be high, light & elegant or compact, dense & creamy. Perfect cheesecake has smooth top, slightly convex, gently rounded around edge and no center cracks.


CHEESES Almost any soft, white cheese can be used.
I. CREAM CHEESE: taste- bland to tangy texture- stiff to naturally creamy
Connoisseurs prefer tangy & soft, natural textured cream cheese
Leave cream cheese at room temperature 2 hours before usage
Cold cream cheese leads to lumpy batter, slow absorption of cream & eggs
II. COTTAGE CHEESE: small curd, creamed (4% minimum butterfat) yields superb
Cheesecake; curds must be either a) puréed or b) pressed through medium mesh
Sieve to yield smooth texture
III. RICOTTA CHEESE: part skim milk yields excellent cheesecake…sweet tasting,
fluffy-textured & creamy…it must be kneaded in linen dishtowel until it holds
together like dough while removing excess moisture to prevent watery results..
Avoid flavorless, grainy or gelatinous textured brands of Ricotta
IV. FARMER CHEESE, POT CHEESE, etc: or combinations of any of the above


OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
A. Liqueurs, fruits, candied fruits, raisins, spices,
chocolate, toasted nuts, vanilla extract, grated lemon or orange peel, juice > Flavor

B. Sour cream, yogurt or buttermilk, instead of heavy cream >Sharper Taste

C. Toasted nuts, cookie crumb crusts or short crusts >Contrasting Texture


EQUIPMENT SPRINGFORM PAN: if deep pastry crust used, partial pre-baking of shell base essential due to moist filling…base is most vulnerable part of shell…


PRE-BAKING
1. Butter entire springform inside, setting ring aside
2. Prepare short crust dough, divide in half, rollout half on pan bottom to form circle fitting bottom, 1/8-inch thickness; cover dough with waxed paper circle
3. Pierce dough with fork, bake at 400ºF. (PHO), prick any bubbles (PHO: Preheated Oven)
4. While pre-baked bottom cools, separate other half of dough into 3 equal parts, roll out each between 2 sheets of waxed paper into 3-inch wide strips (a long single strip would break easily)
5. After re-coupling springform, remove waxed paper and place overlapping strips around inside of ring; press bottom edges of strips onto pre-baked pastry bottom


MIXING
1. Beat softened cheese until smooth
2. Add sugar, flour + any other dry ingredients, and mix well
3. Beat in whole eggs + any extra yolks, one at a time, to incorporate
4. Stir in heavy cream by hand or at low speed until smooth & satiny
5. Pour mixture into prepared shell


BAKING
1. 10-15 minutes @450º F. (PHO) sets side crust & gives filling top that golden color
2. Reduce to 200-250º F. and continue baking per recipe
3. Near end of baking, Check every 3 Minutes
4. Remove cake by sliding out rack; turn off oven, allow cake to rest on rack for 2 hours (baking continues early in cooling process)………..
2-3 inch band set at rim, center still giggly > soft, sensuous center…. allowing center to just set before turning off oven > firmer cheesecake.. “Soufflé Effect” sometimes occurs, but usually settles during cooling

Baking cheesecakes in a water bath counteracts surface drying out and cracking!


COOLING
1. Cool on oven rack with door open (NO DRAFTS!). If filling pulls away from crust*, gently loosen crust edges from ring with knife tip
2. Refrigerate (DO NOT WRAP DURING 1ST 24 HOURS)…thereafter, cake should be loosely wrapped with plastic..flavor peaks 24-36 hours after baking
FREEZING NOT RECOMMENDED


SERVING
1. Leave cake on pan bottom but remove ring after thorough chilling… Fruit glazes or sour cream toppings can be applied before serving
2. Use thin-bladed knife to loosen bottom and rinse in hot water after each wedge is cut to remove all traces of cheesecake from knife




CAUSES OF CHEESECAKE CRACKS
A. Overbaking
B. Too-hot oven > great shrinkage*
C. Overbeating
D. Beating at too high speed
E. Vibration or jarring during baking or cooling
F. Cold draft
G. Refrigerating before completely cooled
H. Wrong sized pan
I. Uneven baking




HOLEY MOSES TECHNIQUE

I have left this addendum here, in case anyone cares. I have never tried a Holey Moses Cheesecake or their technique. But it sounds very reasonable to me. Since the article was written in 1989, I guess they must be doing something right. One day I will try their method, if not their cheesecake.

I. Blender or process all ingredients until a light, chiffon-like texture achieved
II. Bake in tube pan creating center hole whereby cake bakes more evenly

Source: Daily News “Good Living”, 5-24-89
Holey Moses Cheesecake Westhampton Beach, LI 631-288-8088

My Sources for Cheesecake Technique:
Joy of Cooking, pg 659
The Perfect Cheesecake, pgs 1-3
Pie & Pastry, Time-Life, pgs 40-41
McCall's Cooking School, Vol. 14, pgs 80-81



T.A.B.A.C.C.O. (Truth About Business And Congressional Crimes Organization)

tags: cuisine  cheesecake  technique  gourmet  instructional  food  recipe  eats  good eats  baking