No Bake Cheesecake, recipe adjustments?

[BakingPNW]

Hi all,

I have a no bake cheesecake recipe that worked really well for me the first time I made it. I have a couple questions though, really curious to hear some thoughts!

1. The recipe I utilized cream cheese, sugar, and heavy cream. Cream cheese was mixed with the sugar, the heavy cream was whipped in a separate bowl, and then the two mixtures were combined. What might be the reason for this? If I add the heavy cream to the cream cheese mixture directly and then whip it (without using a separate bowl), will the cheesecake still set properly? Just curious as this saves me a bowl, and can be helpful in making a last minute dessert!

2. Is it possible to over mix this batter? The recipe said to whip the heavy cream to soft peaks, but what might happen if I whip it to stiff peaks instead (or basically just before turning into butter)? The recipe mentioned adding more cream or milk if it gets too thick, but I definitely don’t have any issue with the mixture being more thick if it makes the final product more firm.

3. Will the cheesecake still set/hold if I add in some chocolate chips, or candy bar pieces, etc?

Thanks so much!!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Cream cheese is very dense. By whipping the heavy cream separately, it traps air that in turn acts as a form of leavening.

If you over whip the cream it will begin to separate The water from the milk fat. At first it will be a bit grainy, and if you keep whipping it you’ll actually make butter. Once the water and milk fat begins to separate, the trapped air is lost.

So whipping to soft peaks ensures you do not separate the milk fat and water.

Mixing the cream cheese with the sugar separately is a form of mechanical leavening known as creaming. It’s the same as creaming butter and sugar for cake or cookies. The sugar crystals will cut through the density of the cream cheese and creates air pockets.

For optimal rise, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and do not over mix. Overmixing will deflate the air trapped in the whipped cream.


Likewise, if you mix everything together, rather than whip the heavy cream separately and cream the cream cheese and sugar separately as instructed, you will end up with a very dense heavy cheesecake.


Regarding add-ins, yes you can add chocolate chips or chopped candy bar to the cheesecake no problem.

Baking is all science. Unlike cooking it requires precision in the ratio of ingredients, the method and order of mixing, and the temperature and time of the bake. There’s little room for improvisation. Last week I attended a cheesemaking class at a CIA. The chef and I spoke about the differences in baking versus cooking. He said one of the reasons he doesn’t bake is it requires exacting precision. Which is the very reason I bake. I love the the challenge of working with the rigid confines of science m.