On Food and Cooking

Cheesecake We don’t ordinarily think of
cheesecake as a custard, probably because the
presence of eggs is masked by the richness of
the filling they bind together, which is some
combination of ricotta cheese, cream cheese,
sour cream, heavy cream, and butter. The
proportions for cheesecake are similar to
those for other custards, approaching 1 egg
per cup/250 ml of filling, though the greater
richness and tartness of the filling demand
more sugar for balance, around 4 tablespoons
per cup (60 gm per 250 ml) instead of 2. Flour
or cornstarch is sometimes included to
stabilize the gel and, in the case of ricotta
cheesecakes, to absorb water that may be
released from the fresh cheese.
The thick texture and high fat content of
cheesecake filling necessitate more delicate
treatment than a standard custard. Instead of a
preliminary cooking on the stovetop, the sugar
is first mixed into the cream ingredients, and
the eggs then incorporated along with other