Cheesecake in a Jar Recipe | My Baking Addiction (2024)

FAQs

What happens when you overbeat cheesecake batter? ›

Overmixing may lead to cracks and a grainy texture

With a batter mainly composed of cream cheese, sugar, and egg yolks, you can quickly form cracks in your cheesecake with the excess air that comes from overmixing (via Cheesecakes World).

Thickener. In a no-bake cheesecake, there are three typical ways that you create structure: folding in stiffly whipped heavy cream, folding in an alternative stabilizer like Cool Whip, or gelatin.

Flour or cornstarch is sometimes included in cheesecake recipes to preventing cracks. If you find that you always have problems with cracking and your cheesecake recipe does not call for any flour or cornstarch, it's ok to experiment and add some cornstarch (one to two tablespoons) to the batter when you add the sugar.

You can mix a tablespoon or two of cornstarch into your cheesecake filling mixture before baking. Another option is to use a little bit of flour or arrowroot powder. These ingredients will also help to thicken your filling and give it a more consistent texture.

Overmixing is exactly what it sounds like: the process by which a dough or batter gets mixed too much, typically yielding dense, tough, or deflated baked goods. Overmixed doughs and batters may have an unappealing look or feel, which remain just as unappealing when they're baked.

Over mixing a cheesecake filling incorporates too much air, which the heavy base can't hold. That may make if rise and fall and change the texture. The bigger issue, I think, is the water in the cream cheese comes out and that makes for a grainy texture and possibly wet, broken cake filling.

Avoid Overmixing: Unlike other cakes, where beating air into the batter is key, overmixed cheesecake can rise, fall and then crack from that excess air. Keeping ingredients (cheese, eggs, liquids and flavorings) at room temperature can help.

Nigella found that adding just 1 teaspoon of lemon juice gave the right balance. You could add a few drops extra if you wish but be careful as too much acid could start to curdle the other ingredients.

Almost every cheesecake recipe calls either gelatin or beaten eggs, which are used as a setting or thickening agents. The cake will not set properly if there is no egg in the preparation, and you will just have a cream cheese pudding.

Eggs: Three whole eggs hold the cheesecake together. I also add an extra yolk, which enhances the cake's velvety texture. (Whites tend to lighten the cake, which is actually fine — if you don't feel like separating that fourth egg and don't mind some extra airiness in the texture, just add in the whole egg.)

Is sour cream or heavy cream better for cheesecake? ›

Sour cream supports the underlying tang of the cream cheese, but, if overdone, it takes over as the dominant flavor. You need a little of each -- cream for texture and sour cream for flavor. With our ingredients settled, we focused in on how to keep the cheesecake from baking up grainy and cracked.

Cheesecake is clearly a different animal from bundts or cupcakes, but sour cream has a place here too! Combined with even more densely rich cream cheese, sour cream actually tempers the star ingredient a touch, softening its texture. It also adds another layer of tangy flavor and moisture to a cheesecake.

If you've ever made cheesecake that was runny, it's very likely that low-fat ingredients are to blame. Full fat sour cream adds extra moisture and a tangy flavor to the cake. However, you can swap out the sour cream for heavy cream or even full fat Greek yogurt.

Liquid can also come out of a cheesecake if it is overbaked as the proteins in the cream cheese mixture start to tighten too much and squeeze out the water. The cheesecake should still be quite jiggly when it comes out of the oven, even though it will have risen and formed a crust on the surface.

Don't overmix ingredients.

You want to start with room temperature cream cheese. This way you will be able to blend your ingredients very easily without overmixing. When the batter is overmixed, too much air is added and will cause your cake to rise in the oven and then collapse and crack when being removed.

Runny Cheesecake mixtures

Sometimes, you can simply over whisk, or under whisk a mixture. I cannot explain the differences, as it can vary as to why! You need to make sure when whisking a no-bake cheesecake mixture that you keep an eye on the mixture constantly so you can see when it thickens up!

Resolving lumpy cheesecake batter isn't easy. I can't promise that you'll turn your lumpy batter into a velvet, silk mixture, but, let's give it a go! Firstly, don't over-whisk the batter as this can cause more problems and make the batter even lumpier.

There's a fine line between perfectly cooked and overcooked, and every unnecessary minute in the oven makes a difference. Overcooked cheesecake will be dry and grainy instead of silky and smooth, which nobody wants to serve their diners.