This is what you can expect in our article on the topic Cheesecake :
- Cheesecake has been around much longer than New York
- European cheesecake is much creamier than New York cheesecake
- There are at least 11 clearly defined and very different cheesecake variants
- Cheesecake is available both from the oven and from the refrigerator
- The USA has a National Cheesecake Day
New York Cheesecake is that American dessert par excellence and today even more internationally known and popular than many other equally delicious desserts from the USA, such as Brownies , Apple Pie or Pancakes . In our time Munich store We too have often been unable to resist the temptation and have regularly baked fresh cheesecake on site, to the delight of our customers.
But what exactly makes this fluffy cake king so unique that people of America across Europe and Africa to the Far East just can't resist?
A taste triumph with Olympic tradition
Even if the classic cheesecake , as most people would recognize it today without any problems in the bakery's display case, is virtually synonymous with the New York Cheesecake , the sweet pastry has its origin not only in a completely different place, but also in a time that goes back long before the beginnings of the United States.
The oldest known cheesecake of the world comes from the Greek island of Samos and was probably already over 4,000 years ago enjoyed by locals. The Recipe was, of course, different, but in many aspects, it differs surprisingly little from the cheesecake that is still as popular today, even thousands of years later. For the ancient Greek version, local ingredients ( flour , Grain , Honey and Cheese ) is kneaded into a mass and cooked. In fact, there is even evidence that cheesecake may be the oldest known form of doping represents, because already at the Olympic Games in the year 776 BC Cheesecake was served to the athletes at the opening of the Games, in the belief that it would Energy and performance in the coming competitions. And even in private life, cheesecake was a real feast for the Greeks and developed into a must at weddings – a tradition that has evolved over the millennia and is now indispensable Wedding cakes developed.
Like so many other things, the Romans After their successful campaigns against the Greeks, not only their gods but also many of their culinary traditions . The typical ancient Roman cheesecake – called Savillum – hardly differs from its Greek ancestor but the Romans liked to refine the dessert with an extra portion Honey and sprinkled poppy seeds about the finished cakes – the birth of the still today found in many versions of the delicious cheesecake Toppings made from chocolate, biscuits, fruits & co.
Cheesecake can also be found in the classic cookbook, popular among foodies Forme of Cury from 1390 . In fact, in this iconic reference book (known for its very simplified and imprecise recipes, often only one sentence long and without any measurements) there are 2 recipes for the popular dessert.
Despite its ancient roots, the modern cheesecake a crucial difference to its predecessors. While cheesecake in Europe today is mostly with eggs prepared, was still used in classic recipes until the 18th century instead Yeast mixed into the creamy filling. Fortunately, the bakers of their time recognized the taste advantages of eggs and so today we can a particularly sweet variant enjoy this dessert, which would probably never have been possible in ancient times, despite the Romans' well-known and often unhealthy obsession with sweets.
New York, New York!
The now iconic Original New York Cheesecake on the other hand, is a relatively new invention and actually not the oldest American version of this delicacy.
The first American Cheesecake also comes from New York (but the state) and is with just under 150 years only a little older than the New York Cheesecake, but was actually already 1872 from William Lawrence from Chester – through complete Coincidence . Actually, Lawrence had tried to French soft cheese of his day, but the result of his experiments was an “unripened cheese” of significantly creamier than normal cheese – the birth of the world-famous Philadelphia Cream Cheese , which today the main ingredient in most classic cheesecake recipes.
The Original New York Style Cheesecake, on the other hand, has an inventor who is loved by gourmets and fans of typical American cuisine will certainly recognize: the German-born Arnold Reuben . The inventor of the popular Reuben Sandwich , also a classic of American cuisine, is also responsible for what most people today imagine as a typical cheesecake. According to tradition, Reuben was invented at a dinner party A local housewife served him a cheesecake based on Philadelphia Cream Cheese and he was so impressed and fascinated by the recipe that he quickly adopted the idea and created the now world-famous New York delicacy.
In fact, it seems that in the History of Cheesecake a trend that later icons of the field get their recipes from third parties copy . The founder of the now legendary and world-famous Cheesecake Factory , Evelyn Overton, started her business in 1972 by copying a cheesecake recipe that was in the 1940s in a local Detroit Newspaper Today, the Cheesecake Factory is an internationally operating and well-known company and has over 30 different varieties of creamy cheesecake in their range. The most popular varieties include vanilla, chocolate, lemon, strawberry, Key Lime , Red Velvet or Funfetti , the birthday classic with colorful sprinkles. In fact, a cheesecake fan would have to spend over $400 to try the entire menu.
Even though the shape and appearance of the classic cheesecake today is clearly three-layer Following the approach of the Original New York Cheesecake, the taste experience in the USA is quite different than, for example, the cheesecake from our local bakers. The reason for this lies in the different preparation . In fact, American Cheesecake namely, as one would expect from cake, baked in the oven , while most European variants of the recipe today (unlike the ancient Greeks and Romans) is not baked, but in the fridge cooled to achieve their shape and consistency. This ensures that European cheesecakes usually significantly creamier while the classic New York Cheesecake is a firmer consistency which is almost a little bit like pudding remembers.
A World of Cheesecake
Even if the Original New York Cheesecake Today it is not only the most popular form of cheesecake, but also the most popular form of cheesecake. synonym with the idea of the cheesecake itself, there is also in the world of cheesecake Diversity and variation . Of course there are many different Flavors like Red Velvet, Key Lime, Blueberry etc. but also national variants that sometimes differ drastically in shape and taste from the classic American cheesecake.
But let's first look at the classic as a basis. The typical New York Cheesecake consists of 3 clearly defined layers . The basis is a dough base, usually made of crushed Graham Crackers . This is followed by the main layer of the cake with a thick layer of classic Philadelphia Cream Cheese . The cake is topped with another layer of, usually sweetened, sour cream . The cake is also often served garnished with fruits such as blueberries or dessert sauces.
The classic German cheesecake Although it looks similar to its American cousin, it traditionally differs in some crucial aspects. Instead of the typical American graham cracker, the base consists of shortcrust pastry (similar to the dough for Shortbread ) and instead of cream cheese it gets its creamy texture from Quark and eggs . This mixture makes the typical German cheesecake much drier than the American Cheesecake based on Philadelphia Cream Cheese .
The Belgian or Dutch This version of the cheesecake is apparently similar to our cheesecake, but thanks to the absence of eggs, not baked and mixes clear Chocolate notes and fruity accents in the Quark . There are also clear differences in the pastry base and our western neighbors prefer leaves- or even classic Cookie dough .
The typical Spanish Basque Cheesecake is similar to ours in its list of ingredients, but is presented in a very special way. The mixture of eggs, sugar, cream, and cream cheese has, unlike most cheesecakes, no soil crust . Instead, the aptly named Burnt Basque Cheesecake at so high temperatures baked so that the outer layer literally burns and thus forms its own crust.
The Irish cheesecake follows a different principle. The crust of crushed Biscuits is served with quark or cream cheese instead of Fruit compote filled, usually raspberry, strawberry, lemon or passion fruit. As you would expect from the Irish, they usually refine these fruity delicacies with their classic Irish Cream or stout Beer.
Bulgarian cheesecake or Banitsa Although it is similar to the three-layer approach of the classic cheesecake, the taste significantly more sour . The reason for this is the mixture of cheese (usually Bulgarian feta cheese ), eggs and Yogurt , which replaces the classic cream cheese. For the pastry crust, the Bulgarians use a classic Turkish recipe in the form of Filo dough , as most people probably know it from Baklava know.
Swedish cheesecake or East Kaka However, it does not have the classic layers of our previous cheesecake recipes and is also produced differently. The milk is rennet to curdle and thicken the casein in the unpasteurized milk. This mixture is then, similar to Basque Cheesecake, baked without a pastry crust and served warm.
Russian Cheesecake, called Zapekanka , in appearance, is more reminiscent of another American classic: Donuts . The dough crust made of quark, eggs, semolina and raisins is baked in the shape of a donut and served with quark or Cottage Cheese filled.
There are also exciting cheesecake creations beyond Europe and America. Indian Cheesecakes, or Chhena Poda , are also reminiscent of donuts Dough balls made from sugar, nuts and Henna (a form of cottage cheese), which are baked like the Basque Cheesecake until the dough is high heat forms a defined outer layer.
In South Africa The typical cheesecake is much more reminiscent of the American classic, but thanks to a filling made from Cream Cheese , whipped cream and gelatin much firmer and is often flavored with Amarula refined.
The Philippine This version combines aspects of the original New York cheesecake with influences from the Irish version. On the typically American Graham cracker base Here we have a mixture of classic Cream Cheese and Philippine jam based on ube (or water yam), which gives it its typical deep purple color. This version is served both baked and chilled as non-bake version consumed.
Last but not least, of course, we cannot forget the Far Eastern rival, which in recent years has begun to compete with the original New York Cheesecake, and not only among gourmets. Japanese Soufflé Cheesecake is a chiffon cake that is characterized by its particularly airy structure It consists of cream cheese, butter, eggs and sugar and was originally a variation of the German cheesecake .
As you can see, the definition of cheesecake hardly any limits And that is already reflected in the name. Because the classic New York “cake” is, strictly speaking, not a real cake at all and is reminiscent in structure and form of the classic French tarts . Why exactly this popular snack is still called a "cake" is a mystery.
Non-baked instead of half-baked
As you can see from the many different variants, there are 2 classic options to prepare the cheesecake. Versions without a crust , like the Basque Cheesecake or the Indian Chhena Poda, but also the classic New York Cheesecake become baked in the oven and usually served warm.
Other variants, especially most cheesecakes from the supermarket, are non-baked Cakes, popular thanks to their easy preparation . Instead of long baking, the filled tarts are simply in the refrigerator until the classic creamy texture of the cheesecake is reached. This also avoids the dangers of burning or due to the heat burst dough crusts , which can quickly spoil the taste experience (unless they are explicitly desired, as in the case of Basque Cheesecake).
When it comes to baking, cheesecake is all or nothing and no half-baked items.
And the Americans see it the same way when it comes to their American Cheesecake and have not just one but a whole range of Commemoration days for their New York delicacy, a total of 5 pieces, with 4 of them celebrating a popular (and often promoted by companies) flavor. The official National Cheesecake Day but every year on July 30. It is also probably not surprising that the most expensive cheesecake in the world was invented in New York. The almost $5,000 expensive delicacies instead of classic Philadelphia Cream Cheese used such extravagant ingredients as white truffles , gold leaf and Buffalo ricotta and took almost 5 days to prepare.
But even outside the USA, sweet tooths love their cheesecake. So it may come as a surprise that the record for the world's largest cheesecake not in the USA but in Russia , but not that the world champion bakers 2017 a more than 4,000 kg heavy cheesecake. The final cake was just one meter high and reached almost three meters in diameter .
An average Original New York Cheesecake can there, with his only 1.2 kg , although not able to keep up, it still contains over 300 g of carbohydrates, 67 g of protein and 274 g of fat, in addition to many useful ingredients such as vitamin D, calcium, potassium and iron.
Also the Austrians did not miss the opportunity to create a monument to their love for cheesecake and actually brought out a series of stamps on the market, the while licking tasted like classic cheesecake flavors like strawberry or cookie and cream.
And because cheesecake fans, as already mentioned, do not do things by halves, it should also be said that the typical American delicacy is also available as vegan version without any milk or eggs. Skyr and similar vegan cream cheese alternatives together with Coconut oil or vegan margarine produce exactly the same creamy texture that is a must for classic cheesecake like those from New York.
If you have now acquired a taste for cheesecake and your desire not half-baked want to check off, then we recommend our authentic American baking aid for cheesecake and pies of all kinds. The authentic Graham Cracker Pie Crust is not just a authentic cake base but comes oven-ready for filling with homemade cream. If you also bake the dough in the DIY style want to make, then it is best to layer your cheesecake in one of our Pie dishes from Anchor Hocking – also ideal for other American baking classics such as Apple or Pumpkin Pie . If you want to open your own little Cheesecake Factory in your home kitchen, then refine the taste of your homemade treats with the Baking extracts from Nielsen Massey for notes of lemon, orange, coffee or vanilla. For a particularly refined taste, we recommend our own Ryan's Bourbon Vanilla Extract based on particularly exquisite vanilla pods from Madagascar and completely without alcohol (and therefore also suitable for recipes without baking , such as coffee, tea or cocktails). And to serve, in the best New York tradition, we recommend the fruity Blackberry Patch syrups in varieties such as Raspberry , Blackberry or Peach .
