Definition
Cheesecake can be described as a dessert that is made from soft cheese, eggs and sugar on a baked shell of biscuit, pastry or sponge. Cheesecakes can be baked or not and is mostly sugar sweetened and popularly flavored with fruit, nut, chocolate or fruit pulp syrup toppings.
Cheesecake is mostly served as the sweet last course of a meal but in some cultures it is served as an additional dish that is served as an appetizer, usually before the main meal. These however are not sweet and are usually served with additional salads.
Their name is interesting because they are just pastries that have no top crusts that are topped with sweeteners. The word cake originally referred to a wider range of food items than is in modern definition.
Some ancient cultures thought of it as a cake while some modern ones consider it as a torte because of the presence of eggs, while others think of it as a custard pie because of the soft lining, lack of flour and the separate crust.
There are many variations in the composition of the main ingredient with United States and Canada using cream cheese, Italians use a soft white unsalted cheese from sheep’s milk while those from Poland, Germany and Netherlands use a form of soft low fat cheese.
The most common form of its preparation is by easily baking them in a springform pan that cannot leak with the use of a water bath to distribute the heat evenly. Baking continues after their removal from the oven because of their high density.
Origin of cheesecake
There is credible evidence to suggest that cheesecake may have originated in ancient Greece as there are cheese mold excavations that date back to 2,000 BC which proves that cheesecake servings were given to athletes in 776BC Olympic games which were the first in the world.
This demystifies the common myths that they originated from Philadelphia or New York because many people associate the Philadelphia cheesecakes and New York cheesecakes to mean that these were the origins.
Further evidence is found in the book wrote about the art of making cheesecakes by a physician known as Aegimus from ancient Greece. This is well before the Greek conquest by the Romans who took with them cheesecake recipes and modified them by including eggs to them and by baking them under hot bricks.
Ancient cheesecake makers used yeast to make it rise because they had no alternative means of doing so. It is in the 18th century that this was stopped after the discovery of the use of eggs to make it rise. The inclusion of cream cheese resulted from William Lawrence a New York resident in 1872 who was trying to produce a French cheese that is made from soft creamy whole milk cheese but instead ended up producing cream cheese.
Many other people produced the same cream cheese with James Kraft came up with a pasteurized form of cream cheese in 1912 which he later patented in 1928 as Philadelphia. Pasteurized cream cheese has from then been the most common cheese used to make cheesecake.
Making the most memorable cheesecake
The use of springform pan is easy as all one needs to do is apply oil. It does not require baking paper making it convenient. The use of a slice tin however makes it possible to make the most presentable cheesecakes because they are rectangular.
Cheesecakes that are made from baking are often smooth because of the use of eggs as opposed from those made from refrigeration which result in excessively sweet cheesecakes that are weary.
When baking it is advised to leave it shaky in the middle with slight coloring at the top so as to have a cheesecake with a softer and creamier central part that does not have cracks forming. This is best achieved by baking for 30 minutes then leaving the oven door for 30 minutes.
Baked cheesecake is best removed from a springform pan or tin cans by refrigeration for prolonged hours with a minimum of 4 and a maximum being leaving it in there overnight. 
Cutting the cheesecakes is best done by a cook’s knife that has been dipped in hot water. Smooth finishes are best achieved by using the same to smooth the sides.
Cracks on the cheesecake could mean that the oven is overheated or the mixture was overbeaten. This is best resolved by covering the cheesecake in a fruit garnish.
Top international varieties of cheesecakes
United States/New York- these use heavy cream, cream, sour cream and eggs. They are dense and rich with a smooth creamy consistency. Sour cream makes it recover quickly from freezing making it popular for most frozen cheesecakes. The most common toppings are chocolate or strawberry sauce.
Swedish-these offer the highest variations from the rest because they are not layered and are produced by adding enzymes to milk to coagulate it. They are then oven baked and served warm. Other variants use the much simpler cottage cheese as a base to simulate the dessert’s texture. Popular servings are ice cream, whipped cream or jam.
Italian-where honey, a soft unsalted cheese made from sheep’s milk and flour are used. These are then shaped into loaves with bay leaves been added to preserve the cheesecakes. Toppings are mainly sugar, vanilla extracts or barley flakes.
French-these are lighter than the rest and feature the use of a soft creamy whole milk cheese that is similar to cream cheese to give it a distinctive texture and flavor.
United Kingdom-these are made from refrigeration cream cheese fillings on a biscuit base like in many other countries. The most common topping being a fruit pulp syrup.
German-these use a type of soft low fat cheese. One type known as the cream cheese tart has cream added and is not baked. Some of their cheesecakes use sour milk. They are usually made from refrigeration which results in a firm, smooth texture that melts easily in the mouth.
Japanese-they make cheesecakes that are different I texture form many other variants found in other countries. They use eggs and cornstarch to achieve a dense but smooth consistency that gives it a distinct soft colored metal appearance.
Cheesecakes in Singapore. Obolo’s Cheescakes are a slice of life that melts in your mouth & touches your heart. Obolo produces award winning cheesecakes in Singapore.
