Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Say Cheese ~~~


  

A good friend of mine asked for my help in baking cakes for her colleagues as her internship is coming to an end. So I asked her what type of cakes she would like me to do. She replied cheesecakes and so the order is firmd up. I needed to bake 27 slices of New York cheesecakes and that would mean a total of three 9-inch round  cheesecake.



The baking of these cheesecakes would take a total of two days. Why two days? I only have one 9-inch springform pan, meaning only one cheesecake can be done at a time. The first and second cheesecake each took me about 9 hours including 45 minutes of preparation time, 1 hr 40 minutes of baking, approximately 1 and half hours or cooling and 4-6 hours of chilling in the refrigerator. It may sound daunting but do not be fooled by the long period of time needed to complete one cheesecake, most of it is actually waiting time. As I am writing this post, my third cheesecake is waiting in the oven.

When it comes to cheesecakes, I totally adore New York style cheesecakes. These baked goods are dense, creamy and vanilla scented flourless cakes. A good cheesecake needs to be baked in a water bath as the water bath helps to keep the baking environment moist and allow an even distribution of heat. The resulting cheesecakes would then not turn out dry at the top and sides, develop sunken centres or run risks of cracking while cooling off. As vanilla is the main flavour here, it is imperative to use a trusted brand of vanilla extract to give that rich full-bodied aroma.

New York Cheesecake
Serving size: 12 slices
Equipment and materials:
1) Stand electric beater/ handheld electric beater
2) Measuring spoon set
3) Spatula
4) Mixing bowls
5) Wire rack
6) 9 inch springform tin
7) Baking tray larger than springform tin
8) Aluminium foil

Biscuit base:
200g digestive biscuit
2 1/2 tbs brown sugar
90g butter, melted

Cheesecake filling:
500g cream cheese, softened
40g butter, softened
140g sugar
280g sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten

Method:
1) Prepare biscuit base as mentioned in Preparing a Cheesecake Tin.
2) Preheat oven to 160 degrees C
3) Beat cream cheese and butter untill creamy on medium speed. Add sugar and beat until combined.
4) Add sour cream and vanilla extract to cream cheese mixture on medium low speed. Beat until smooth and incorporated.
5) Lastly, add the eggs and beat until combined on low speed. Use a spatula to run through the filling in a zig zag manner to eliminate air bubbles.
6) Pour filling onto biscuit base.
7) Wrap top and sides of spring form tin with aluminium foil as mentioned in Preparing a Cheesecake Tin. Bake at 160 degrees C for 1 hr 40 minutes in a water bath.
8) When baked, allow cheesecake to cool in the oven with oven door ajar for 30 minutes.
9) Remove the tin from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
10) Place cooled cheesecake tin in the refrigerator and chill for 4-6 hours. Dislodge cheesecake from cheesecake tin. Serve cheesecakes chilled.

Note:
1) To slice cheesecake nicely, wipe the knife after each slice with kitchen towel/s.
2) To smooth the sides of the cheesecake, dip a knife in hot water. Wipe the knife dry and run it around the perimeter of the cheesecake. Repeat the step if necessary.
3) This recipe uses only 2 eggs and it easily yields a denser cheesecake using a shorter baking time. Some cheesecake recipes with the same amount of cream cheese use up to 4 eggs and generally yield softer creamier cheesecakes.

16 comments:

  1. I have a strong liking for creamy cheesecakes lightened with beaten egg whites, something like Coffee Bean's Chicago Cheesecake. Unfortunately American styled cheesecakes that is dense with little eggs is not a favourite with me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oooh! Sooo rich, sooo creamy! Wow! You certainly make good cheese cake. I can't eat much at one sitting. I usually nibble just like eating a slice of cheddar! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Wendy,

    I have tried an american cheesecake recipe that is lightened with 5 egg whites. Cant really recall the texture though. Should be creamy like what you said.

    I like my cheesecakes dense. I did notice that recipes with more eggs usually yield a creamier and softer cheesecake. What I will do is bake the cheesecake longer to get a denser, creamy texture.

    Hi busygran,

    Thanks for the encouragement, I can finish one whole cheesecake by myself in 2 days sometimes. Usually I have have 2 slice at one go.

    Hi Jess,

    Thanks for the kind words. Quite a pity it was baked for a friend, not for me. So i didnt really get to savour my hardwork...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey, your cheesecake looks delectable! Your friends and her co-workers are damn lucky to have you bake for them. Wondering when we all can taste your cheesecake ...

    It's impressive how you could have the cakes uniformly sliced/divided. I can't! Haha! Also, I usually press the digestive biscuit mixture with hands. So, I'm a bit sloppy/messy here. =P You even took step-by-step pics ... Kudos to you! I only do that when I have the mood to do so ... Haha! It ain't easy you know ...

    As a glutton, I don't really fuss over cheesecake. As long as it tastes good, I'm happy. I love both chilled and baked ones; both dense and creamy, as well as the light, melt-in-your-mouth type. Hmmm ... Maybe I should talk about the last cheesecake I made, which was a few weeks back. Still in my pile of backlogs. Haha! You probably wouldn't like that particular cheesecake though.

    Actually, I dunno why leh ... As I bake, I started to develop a dislike for imitation vanilla. It tastes like medicine to me! So, I use vanilla beans, vanilla bean paste and pure vanilla extract now. Have you tried using vanilla beans? VERY good. I throw the pods into my sugar. I think you'd like Mexican vanilla beans better than the Tahitian ones. Madagascar-Bourbon ones aren't bad, too.

    Keep it up! You're getting better!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Pei-Lin,

    Maybe I can bring one along to the meetup? haha.

    Slicing the cake is easy actually. just need to repeat wiping the knife. pressing the biscuits by hand will result in them getting oily, so i avoid that. As for the pictures, I suddenly got the mood to do so. thought it would be good to include step by step pictures.

    I do fuss over cheesecakes. Some store bought cheesecakes have that watery feel, perhaps due to underbaking. Its totally not worth the money spent. I dont do chilled cheesecakes these days. maybe i will do a chilled layered cheesecake (with sponge) soon. feel that baked cheesecakes are so much better. light cheesecakes are good as well, just that no. 1 priority goes to dense american styled cheesecakes.

    my vanilla extract smells like medicine actually. but when added to baked goods the taste is fine. mine is a budget 500ml bottle which can last me for a year or more. haven tried using vanilla beans and vanilla bean paste yet. I am pretty budget when it comes to baking. Will only use the best ingredients for special occasion on recipes I have already tried out. Read somewhere that mexican vanilla beans are the best. So far, the best vanilla extract I have tried is virginia dare's Madagascar-Bourbon vanilla extract.

    ReplyDelete
  6. congrats on your order! judging from the photos, the cheesecakes look great and of commercial standard hehe ... regarding vanilla extract, I made my own using vanilla beans and vodka, stored in a glass bottle. I bought my vanilla beans from amazon and had them shipped to Singapore. I think 100% home made vanilla extract is unbeatable ^^

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Wiffy,

    Thanks for the kind words =]. I thought of making my own vanilla extract too. But it is kinda hard to get the best quality vanilla beans. and i dont feel certain about shipping in the beans too.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Bakertan,

    The texture of your cheesecake looks really good! No wonder your friend could confidently order a huge batch from you.

    Have you ever tried making cheesecake without sour cream? Or if it's possible to substitute it with cream and lemon juice?

    Look forward to your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi NEL,

    Thanks! Yes, I have made cheesecakes without sour cream. If you look at my blueberry cheesecake recipe, it calls for whipping cream and lemon juice. You can make a New York cheesecake using whipping cream using of sour cream. Some New York cheesecake recipes call for vanilla and abit lemon juice (no lemon zest)while others just require vanilla.

    Try searching New York cheesecake on allrecipes.com. They have tons of recipe there. Most New York cheesecakes require 1 egg for 250g of cream cheese according to my observation. Baking times varies for different temperatures, recipes and depends on whether a water bath is used.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi... i try using your recipe to make new york cheesecake for my cousin..
    it taste a bit sour.. is it meant to be?? how does it taste like for yours??

    Adeline

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Adeline,

    Did you follow the exact amount of ingredients? The amount of sugar is quite low already,so it is not recommended to cut dow on it.

    Sour cream contributes a slight tang to the cheesecake, but it is mellowed down by the sugar, vanilla and cream cheese. Was the slight sour taste an unpleasant one?

    The cheesecake is supposed to be dense, creamy dairy-sweet and vanilla-ish, perhaps with a slight pleasant tang that is supposed to complement the taste of vanilla (unlike that of lemon juice which can be overpowering). If you taste the uncooked batter, it should be pleasant to the palate.

    Did you like the taste and texture overall?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for the reply..:)
    actually i follow your ingredients exactly,
    is my first attempt to make new york cheesecake..and i gave it to my cousin for his birthday.. i cut off the sides.. then i try it.. is a bit sour..maybe is due to the cream cheese and sour cream, taste a bit like lemon,hmm.. not bad.. but i dun know whether my cousin they all love it..:)

    Adeline

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Adeline,

    My version of new york cheesecake is the sourcream version. The usual version uses whipped cream instead and may or may not include lemon juice. Btw, alot of cheesecakes I came across usually calls for a bit of lemon juice. So most of these cheesecakes are tangy or 'a bit sour' in taste.

    Yeah, cream cheese is slightly tangy also.My friend and her colleagues gave positive feedback regarding the cheesecake. Hope your cousin/s will like it. I suppose the cheesecake base will add some buttery and nutty fragrance to the overall taste.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks bakertan:)
    i will let u know once my cousin try it..
    even if i fail this time.. i will not give up..

    Adeline

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Adeline,

    yup dun give up =]. Thats not considered a failure. Cheesecakes fail only when they do not set well. taste wise, it is hard to go wrong. If you find it not bad, they shouldnt have any problems with the cheesecake. Have more confidence in yourself ya.

    cheers =]

    ReplyDelete

Dear readers, thanks for visiting my humble little blog. Feel free to leave a message so that I can learn and be a better baker. Its a great feeling to share our culinary experience and adventures in the kitchen.

Thank you and have a nice day! Cheers =]

Related Posts with Thumbnails