Cheesecake is a sweet

dessert Dessert is a course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and most parts o ...

consisting of one or more layers. The main, and thickest, layer consists of a mixture of a soft, fresh cheese (typically cottage cheese, cream cheese or

ricotta Ricotta ( in Italian) is an Italian whey cheese made from sheep, cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo milk whey left over from the production of other cheeses. Like other whey cheeses, it is made by coagulating the proteins that remain after t ...

), eggs, and sugar. If there is a bottom layer, it most often consists of a crust or ''base'' made from crushed cookies (or digestive biscuits), graham crackers,

pastry Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" suggests ...

, or sometimes

sponge cake Sponge cake is a light cake made with egg whites, flour and sugar, sometimes leavened with baking powder. Some sponge cakes do not contain egg yolks, like angel food cake, but most of them do. Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated ...

. Cheesecake may be

baked Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread but many other types of foods can be baked. Heat is gradually transferred " ...

or unbaked (and is usually refrigerated). Cheesecake is usually sweetened with sugar and may be flavored in different ways.

Vanilla Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia''). Pollination is required to make the p ...

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

lemon The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...

chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec civil ...

pumpkin A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus '' Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes u ...

, or other flavors may be added to the main cheese layer. Additional flavors and visual appeal may be added by topping the finished dessert with

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...

whipped cream Whipped cream is liquid heavy cream that is whipped by a whisk or mixer until it is light and fluffy and holds its shape, or by the expansion of dissolved gas, forming a firm colloid. It is often sweetened, typically with white sugar, and ...

nuts Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed, or a collective noun for dry and edible fruits or seeds * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut or Nuts may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Com ...

, cookies,

fruit sauce The following is a list of notable Culinary art, culinary and prepared sauces used in cooking and food service. General * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * (salsa roja) * * * – a velouté sa ...

, chocolate syrup, or other ingredients.

Culinary classification

Modern cheesecake is not usually classified as an actual "

cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, ...

", despite the name (compare with Boston cream "pie"). Some people classify it as a torte due to the usage of many eggs, which are the sole source of

leavening In cooking, a leavening agent () or raising agent, also called a leaven () or leavener, is any one of a number of substances used in doughs and batters that cause a foaming action (gas bubbles) that lightens and softens the mixture. An altern ...

, as a key factor. Others find compelling evidence that it is a custard pie, based on the overall structure, with the separate crust, the soft filling, and the absence of flour. Other sources identify it as a

flan Flan may refer to: *Flan (pie), an open sweet or savoury tart, the most common UK meaning *Flan cake, a Filipino cake topped with crème caramel and caramel syrup *Flan de leche or ''crème caramel'', a custard dessert with clear caramel sauce, th ...

, or

tart A tart is a baked dish consisting of a filling over a pastry base with an open top not covered with pastry. The pastry is usually shortcrust pastry; the filling may be sweet or savoury, though modern tarts are usually fruit-based, sometimes wit ...

History

An ancient form of cheesecake may have been a popular dish in

ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

even prior to Romans' adoption of it with the conquest of Greece. The earliest attested mention of a cheesecake is by the Greek physician Aegimus (5th century BCE), who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes (—). The earliest extant cheesecake recipes are found in

Cato the Elder Marcus Porcius Cato (; 234–149 BC), also known as Cato the Censor ( la, Censorius), the Elder and the Wise, was a Roman soldier, Roman Senate, senator, and Roman historiography, historian known for his conservatism and opposition to Hellenizati ...

's , which includes recipes for three cakes for religious uses: , and . Of the three, ''placenta cake'' is the most like modern cheesecakes: having a crust that is separately prepared and baked. A more modern version called a sambocade, made with elderflower and rose water, is found in '' Forme of Cury'', an English cookbook from 1390. On this basis, chef Heston Blumenthal has argued that cheesecake is an English invention.

The modern cheesecake

The English name ''cheesecake'' has been used only since the 15th century, and the cheesecake did not evolve into its modern form until somewhere around the 18th century. Europeans began removing

yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to consti ...

and adding beaten eggs to the cheesecake instead. With the overpowering yeast flavor gone, the result tasted more like a

treat. The early 19th-century cheesecake recipes in '' A New System of Domestic Cookery'' by Maria Rundell are made with cheese curd and fresh butter. One version is thickened with blanched

almonds The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...

, eggs and cream, and the cakes may have included currants, brandy, raisin wine,

nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus '' Myristica''. '' Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, ...

and orange flower water. Modern commercial American cream cheese was developed in 1872, when William Lawrence, from Chester, New York, while looking for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese Neufchâtel, accidentally came up with a way of making an "unripened cheese" that is heavier and creamier; other dairymen came up with similar creations independently. Modern cheesecake comes in two different types. Along with the baked cheesecake, some cheesecakes are made with uncooked cream cheese on a crumbled-cookie or

graham cracker A graham cracker (pronounced or in America) is a sweet flavored cracker made with graham flour that originated in the United States in the mid-19th century, with commercial development from about 1880. It is eaten as a snack food, usually ho ...

base. This type of cheesecake was invented in the United States.

National varieties

Cheesecakes can be broadly categorized into two basic types:

and unbaked. Some do not have a crust or base. Cheesecake comes in a variety of styles based on region:

Africa

South Africa

One popular variant of cheesecake in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

is made with whipped cream, cream cheese,

gelatin Gelatin or gelatine (from la, gelatus meaning "stiff" or "frozen") is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. It is brittle when dry and rubbery when moist. It may also ...

for the filling, and a buttered digestive biscuit crust. It is not baked, and is sometimes made with Amarula liqueur. This variant is very similar to British cheesecake. This cheesecake is more common in British South African communities.

Asia

Japan

Japanese cheesecake, or soufflé-style or cotton cheesecake, is made with cream cheese, butter, sugar, and eggs, and has a characteristically wobbly, airy texture, similar to

chiffon cake A chiffon cake is a very light cake made with vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and flavorings. Being made with vegetable oil, instead of a traditional solid fat such as butter or shortening, it is easier to beat air into the b ...

. No-bake cheesecakes are known as ''rare cheesecake'' (Japanese: レアチーズケーキ).

Philippines

The most prominent version of cheesecake in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

is ube cheesecake. It is made with a base of crushed

s and an upper layer of cream cheese and '' ube halaya'' (mashed purple yam with milk, sugar, and butter). It can be prepared baked or simply refrigerated. Like other ube desserts in the Philippines, it is characteristically purple in color.

Europe

Spain

The Basque cheesecake was created in 1990 by Santiago Rivera of the La Viña restaurant in the

Basque Country Basque Country may refer to: * Basque Country (autonomous community), as used in Spain ( es, País Vasco, link=no), also called , an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Spain (shown in pink on the map) * French Basque Country o ...

, Spain. It achieved popularity online in the 2010s, helped by a recipe published by the British food writer Nigella Lawson. The Basque cheesecake is composed of burnt custard and no crust.

Russia

Russian-style cheesecake (''

Vatrushka Vatrushka () is an Eastern European pastry (pirog) formed as a ring of dough with Tvorog in the middle, sometimes with the addition of raisins or bits of fruit. The most common size is about 5–10 cm (2–4 in) in diameter, but larger ...

'') is in the form of a dough ring and filled with quark or cottage cheese. 0stkaka

North America

United States

The United States has several different recipes for cheesecake and this usually depends on the region in which the cake is baked, as well as the cultural background of the person baking it.

= Chicago

= Chicago-style cheesecake is a baked cream cheese version that is firm on the outside with a soft and creamy texture on the inside. These cheesecakes are often made in a greased cake pan and are relatively fluffy in texture. The crust used with this style of cheesecake is most commonly made from shortbread that is crushed and mixed with sugar and butter. Some frozen cheesecakes are Chicago-style.

=New York

New York–style cheesecake uses a cream cheese base, also incorporating heavy cream or

sour cream Sour cream (in North American English, Australian English and New Zealand English) or soured cream (British English) is a dairy product obtained by fermenting regular cream with certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, w ...

. The typical New York cheesecake is rich and has a dense, smooth, and creamy consistency.NY Cheese Cake Recipe & Video – Joyofbaking.com *Video Recipe*
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Galleries

Cheesecakes from around the world

File:Bavarian-Cheesecake.png, Bavarian baked cheesecake File:Quarktorte.jpg, Thuringian Quarktorte from Germany File:Tarte au fromage blanc.png, French cheesecake (''tarte au fromage'') File:Oberkrämer 23.05.2015 13-21-03.JPG, German cheesecake (''Käsekuchen'') File:Plăcintă cu brânză.jpg, Romanian cheesecake File:Carnegie Deli Strawberry Cheesecake.jpg, New York–style cheesecake with strawberries File:Japanese no-bake cheesecake.jpg, Japanese no-bake cheesecake with strawberry sauce

Fruit cheesecakes

File:Blueberry rare cheesecake.jpg, Blueberry and mixed-fruit cheesecake File:Cheesecake mit Beeren.jpg, New York–style cheesecake with berries File:Orange cheesecake.jpg, No-bake cheesecake with orange jelly File:Manga Basil Cheese Cake with Mango Ravioli3.jpg, Cheesecake with mango File:Lemon Cheesecake Fontanella Tea Garden.jpg, Lemon cheesecake File:Raw Strawberry Shortcake at Loving Hut Vegan Restaurant.jpg, Raw-food strawberry cheesecake

References

{{Authority control Ancient Greek cuisine Articles containing video clips British cakes Custard desserts English cuisine Jewish baked goods German cakes Israeli cuisine Types of food World cuisine Cheesecakes American cakes