Adam Ragusea - New York style cheesecake
The video explains how to make a New York-style cheesecake, highlighting the importance of warming cream cheese and eggs to ensure a smooth mixture. The crust is made from graham crackers, butter, and sugar, and pre-baked to prevent it from becoming too solid. The filling consists of cream cheese, eggs, sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest, mixed to create a thick batter. The cheesecake is baked at a low temperature for several hours to achieve a custardy texture, with an option to brown the top for a New York-style finish. The video also discusses using a nonstick skillet instead of a springform pan and suggests experimenting with different baking methods to achieve various textures and flavors.
Key Points:
- Warm cream cheese and eggs to ensure a smooth mixture.
- Use graham cracker crust for ease and flavor.
- Bake cheesecake at low temperature for a custardy texture.
- Experiment with baking methods for different textures.
- Ensure interior temperature reaches 165°F for safety.
Details:
1. 🥧 Cheesecake or Pie? The Delicious Debate
- Cheesecake is traditionally considered a pie due to its structure, comprising a crust and a soft filling, akin to classic pies.
- New York-style cheesecake features a browned exterior and a puffy interior, resembling a cake, which often leads to its misclassification.
- The defining pie-like elements of cheesecake include its crumbly crust and dense, creamy filling, distinguishing it from typical cakes.
2. 🧀 Crafting the Perfect Cheesecake Filling
- The filling for a cheesecake is a custard primarily composed of eggs and dairy, specifically cream cheese. Use high-quality cream cheese for best results.
- Warm up cream cheese by leaving it on the counter for a few hours or placing it in lukewarm water if pressed for time to ensure a smooth mixture and prevent lumps.
- Include eggs in the warming process to prevent them from cooling down the cream cheese during mixing, which helps maintain a consistent texture.
- Consider adding variations like vanilla extract or lemon zest for additional flavors.
3. 🍪 Building a Graham Cracker Crust with Flair
- Use nine long graham crackers, crushing them directly in their packaging to avoid mess; handle gently to prevent bag rupture.
- Incorporate half a stick (four tablespoons) of melted butter with the cracker crumbs, ensuring some larger pieces remain for a varied texture that prevents over-hardening.
- Enhance flavor with a quarter cup (50 grams) of sugar and a pinch of salt, unless salted butter is used, to avoid making the crust overly hard.
- Ensure the mixture achieves a wet-sand texture; excess butter leads to an overly hard crust when chilled.
- Focus on the balance of ingredients to maintain a crust that is firm yet not too hard, emphasizing the importance of texture management.
4. 🔄 Innovative Baking Techniques for Cheesecake
- Cheesecake is traditionally baked in a spring-form pan due to its sticky and delicate nature, which makes it difficult to turn upside down. However, there are innovative techniques to simplify this process.
- One alternative method involves lining a normal pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing the baker to lift the cheesecake out of the pan without needing to invert it. This technique maintains the cake’s structure and appearance, reducing the risk of damage during removal.
- This method not only preserves the integrity of the cheesecake but also provides flexibility in the choice of baking pans, potentially enhancing the presentation and serving process.
5. 🛏️ Mattress Ad Break
5.1. Pre-baking Preparation
5.2. Helix Mattress Promotion
5.3. Purchase Incentives
6. 🥣 Mixing a Thick, Custardy Batter
- Use two pounds (almost a kilo) of cream cheese to ensure a rich, creamy texture.
- Incorporate four eggs and a cup (240g) of warmed sour cream to loosen the custard's texture, preventing the cream cheese from becoming too hard after chilling.
- Add 1.5 cups (300g) of sugar, which may be under-sweet for some tastes, allowing for flexibility in sweetness preference.
- Stabilize the cake with a heaped tablespoon of cornstarch, which prevents separation or collapse and adds a slight cake-like texture.
- Enhance flavor with a good swig of vanilla, a pinch of salt, lemon zest, and juice, ensuring to catch any seeds to avoid texture issues.
- Utilize an electric mixer for the viscous batter to prevent chunks of cream cheese and ensure smoothness.
- Expect some cracking due to the thick batter consistency; for a flawless appearance, consider alternative recipes with a thinner batter.
7. 🔥 Baking Cheesecake: Low and Slow vs. High Heat
- Baking a cheesecake at a super low temperature of 200ºF (93ºC) for three to four hours allows the center to reach 165ºF (74ºC), resulting in a super-custardy texture typical of traditional U.S. cheesecake. This method preserves moisture and prevents cracking, creating a smooth and creamy dessert.
- Alternatively, after the low and slow baking process, increasing the oven temperature to 500ºF (260ºC) can create a New York style cheesecake characterized by a puffed and deep amber-brown top. This technique provides a contrasting texture with a denser, firmer body and a slightly caramelized flavor on the surface.
- Both methods offer distinct advantages: the low and slow method excels in creating a soft, melt-in-your-mouth experience, while the high heat finish adds a textural contrast and visual appeal. Chefs can choose based on desired texture and presentation.
8. 🍮 Finishing Touches: From Brûlée to Powdered Sugar
- Bake cheesecake using a 9-inch springform pan at 350ºF/180ºC for 45 minutes until brown and puffy, then let it cool in the oven for several hours to prevent cracking and ensure even texture.
- Chill the cakes overnight to allow them to set properly, ensuring a firm and cohesive structure.
- De-pan by gently heating the bottom layer to release the cake easily, preventing damage to its shape.
- This cheesecake recipe diverges from America's Test Kitchen's version, delivering a softer, denser, custardy texture that many find favorable.
- The brûléed top adds a flavorful contrast, while any imperfections can be masked with a dusting of powdered sugar, enhancing both taste and presentation.
9. 🎨 Exploring Cheesecake Variations and Final Thoughts
- Cheesecake can be made in various styles, including a rustic New York style, which is noted for its fluffy interior and is easily achieved using a springform pan.
- Experimenting with cheesecake recipes can involve adding extra egg yolks or milk, and baking at different temperatures to create diverse textures and flavors.
- Ensuring the interior temperature reaches 165°F is crucial for safety, regardless of recipe variations.