Desserts are an important part of our family's Christmas meal. I've made a delicious chocolate chip cheesecake the past few years but wanted to try a white chocolate berry cheesecake this year. My only problem is that I haven't been able to find a recipe that has whole fresh berries in it, most seem to put them on top. Would adding berries to a white chocolate cheesecake work ok?
Can I adapt a cheesecake recipe ok?
- Thread starter Kiwichef
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Putting whole berries inside a cheesecake usually means they are going to weep their moisture into the cake itself and affect the texture. What types of berries are you thinking of using? A better solution might be keeping the whole fresh berries for the decoration, but taking the same berry and making a simple jam out of it (see fruit "goo" in this recipe http://bakergatherer.com/fruit-goo/).
There are various types of cheesecakes, so if you could share your recipe that would help. Most traditional cheesecakes are a baked cheese custard, but they can vary in texture from there too, from the dense New York cheesecake to a whipped-egg-white Japanese cotton cheesecake and a lot in between. Also there are non-baked cheesecakes, which are more of a thickened custard (often containing gelatin rather than eggs used in the baked ones). The type and amount of berry you were planning on using would matter as well.
I did find a baked cheesecake recipe using whole blueberries in the custard. http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/the-best-blueberry-cheesecake-292007
Here's an example of making a raspberry sauce (uncooked) and marbling it into a baked cheesecake:
https://www.marthastewart.com/340227/raspberry-swirl-cheesecake
Another issue with suspending fresh fruit in the batter is that they tend to sink to the bottom. You can try taking some fresh berries and tossing them in some flour or cornstarch, which might help suspend them in the custard better.
There are various types of cheesecakes, so if you could share your recipe that would help. Most traditional cheesecakes are a baked cheese custard, but they can vary in texture from there too, from the dense New York cheesecake to a whipped-egg-white Japanese cotton cheesecake and a lot in between. Also there are non-baked cheesecakes, which are more of a thickened custard (often containing gelatin rather than eggs used in the baked ones). The type and amount of berry you were planning on using would matter as well.
I did find a baked cheesecake recipe using whole blueberries in the custard. http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/the-best-blueberry-cheesecake-292007
Here's an example of making a raspberry sauce (uncooked) and marbling it into a baked cheesecake:
https://www.marthastewart.com/340227/raspberry-swirl-cheesecake
Another issue with suspending fresh fruit in the batter is that they tend to sink to the bottom. You can try taking some fresh berries and tossing them in some flour or cornstarch, which might help suspend them in the custard better.
Whole berries in a mixture like cheesecake will usually never turn out right.
Even if the berries are dried of their moisture, they can still separate from the batter while baking and could make the whole thing unstable.
If you want to put berries in the mixture, I would suggest slightly dried out berries. Fully dried out berries will just become gummy, as there isn't enough moisture in the batter for them to pull out while baking, in order to plump up. If you use half dried berries, where half of the moisture is dried out of the berry, they should pull enough moisture from the batter while baking to make them plump enough to have berries show up in the cake.
Another trick is using fresh berries, drying them off of all external moisture, and dipping them in white chocolate.
Once they have dried, you will have "berry bombs" you can put in your mixture. I would suggest pouring a bit of batter, then place your berry bombs on top of that layer by hand, then pour another layer of batter, then hand place more berry bombs, then cover with remaining batter. Mixing them in can break the chocolate shell on the berry and cause seepage while baking. This way, the berry stays in tact while baking, doesn't loose moisture into the cake and the white chocolate merges with the batter so the berry doesn't make a gap in the cake. But again, there are no guarantees.
Your best bet would be to use berry jam or jelly and swirl it into the batter before baking, and then top with fresh glazed or sugared berries. Or you could just go with using fully dried berries in the cake, but again, you might get gummy berries that way.
Hope that helps.
Even if the berries are dried of their moisture, they can still separate from the batter while baking and could make the whole thing unstable.
If you want to put berries in the mixture, I would suggest slightly dried out berries. Fully dried out berries will just become gummy, as there isn't enough moisture in the batter for them to pull out while baking, in order to plump up. If you use half dried berries, where half of the moisture is dried out of the berry, they should pull enough moisture from the batter while baking to make them plump enough to have berries show up in the cake.
Another trick is using fresh berries, drying them off of all external moisture, and dipping them in white chocolate.
Once they have dried, you will have "berry bombs" you can put in your mixture. I would suggest pouring a bit of batter, then place your berry bombs on top of that layer by hand, then pour another layer of batter, then hand place more berry bombs, then cover with remaining batter. Mixing them in can break the chocolate shell on the berry and cause seepage while baking. This way, the berry stays in tact while baking, doesn't loose moisture into the cake and the white chocolate merges with the batter so the berry doesn't make a gap in the cake. But again, there are no guarantees.
Your best bet would be to use berry jam or jelly and swirl it into the batter before baking, and then top with fresh glazed or sugared berries. Or you could just go with using fully dried berries in the cake, but again, you might get gummy berries that way.
Hope that helps.