When biting into a delicious slice of cheesecake we often wonder what makes it so, well, delicious. The answers are always the flavorings, but there’s a little more than that.
You may wonder if cheesecake has eggs in it, since it’s so creamy and well congealed. Well, if you’re in any way allergic to eggs you definitely need to find this out, don’t you ?
So this is what we’ll be talking about today, so we can understand what our favorite childhood dessert is made of.
Does cheesecake have eggs ?
Yes, baked cheesecake does contain eggs. If you look at the traditional recipes, you can find that cheesecake contains eggs. However, you can replace it with yogurt too. Conventional cheesecakes were made from ricotta and cream cheese.
When you incorporate eggs, especially the yolk, it makes the custard more velvety. As such, the cheesecake simply becomes creamy and delicious.
When there is no egg in the recipe, it means you don’t have to bake it. Most cheesecake recipes do contain eggs in them.
You may know no-egg cheesecakes as no-bake cheesecakes, and they’re a very different but still delicious dessert on their own.
baked vs no-baked cheesecake
Read Also:What Is Funfetti Cake ?
Why do you need eggs in cheesecake ?
Cheesecakes contain eggs in them because of some important reasons, chief among them being the structure of the custard and keeping everything together.
The basic recipe contains flour, sugar, vanilla, lemon peel, and cream cheese. When you add an egg to the mixture, it helps the mix to become smooth and fluffy. Cheesecake depends on eggs because they have thickening power, and they will keep the entire cheesy mix in one place.
When the egg proteins in their raw form unwind and connect together, they thicken. The whole process occurs when eggs cook. The emulsifiers contained in the egg yolk, lipoproteins and lecithin, help to give the cheesecake a rich, smooth texture.
In almost every cheesecake recipe, you may find the use of gelatin or beaten eggs intended for setting or thickening agents. If there is no egg in the mixture, the cake won’t settle nicely and you would only have a cream cheese pudding.
As great as cream cheese pudding may sound, it’s actually more of a buttercream sort of deal. Only works if very well refrigerated and becomes pretty hard.
In short, eggs are necessary to make the cheesecake:
- congeal into a nice, single item
- smooth and velvety due to the yolks
- fluffy and a bit airy due to the beaten egg whites
As for no-bake cheesecakes, those use the cream cheese ‘pudding’ discussed above, and let it set for several hours in the fridge, on a cookie base.
What happens when you add a lot of eggs in cheesecake?
Remember that eggs can add a level of smoothness up to a definite point. After attaining that level, eggs will act as a drying agent. When you use too many of them, the result would be a soufflé. If you bake it further, you will end up have something like sweet bread instead of a fluffy cake.
Eggs act as a leavening and binder agent simultaneously. And, they would cook hard making a crisp textured crumb. When you add an extra egg, it won’t make a great difference.
But, if you add two or more than that, the cheesecake may become a dense one. Also, it will smell more “eggy”, turning into more of an omelette.
Can vegans consume cheesecake?
The simple answer to this question is no. Cheesecake contains eggs and dairy products, and so it is considered a dish not to be eaten by vegans.
But, there are lots of vegan options available. Vegans can eat cheesecake made without eggs and dairy. They won’t taste like a normal cheesecake but there are many flavorings available.
Also, you can find many recipes hovering over the internet that shows how to make vegan cheesecake. All you need to do is follow the instructions, and you would have your recipe in no time.
A few common ingredients for vegan cheesecake include coconut milk, peanut butter or any other nut butter, coconut shreds, and dates.
What is the best replacement for eggs in cheesecakes?
The water that’s on canned chickpeas is the best way to replace the egg white binging agent.
If you need to keep you cheesecake together but don’t want to use egg white, use the water from chickpeas instead. It will bind everything, but you will have a higher moisture content so you may want to beat the water a little before adding it to the cheesecake.
If you’re looking for a replacement for the yolk, try condensed milk. Not only does condensed milk bring a lot of flavor, it’s rich and creamy and imitates egg yolk quite well.
Read Also:Why Is Sugar A Wet Ingredient And Salt a Dry One ?
What makes a cheesecake crack?
Now, that’s probably one of the important questions associated with the making of a cheesecake. During baking, the air present in the batter makes the cheesecake to rise. This is due to the egg white expanding and making everything fluffy.
But, after the cake is allowed to cool, the air is released and this way cracks are formed.
However, when you reduce the amount of air added to the cake and slow down the cooling process, you can have a reduced number of cracks. There are lots of ways to do this. It ensures the cheesecake remains smooth and fluffy.
You can use a water bath during baking, as it will provide moisture so the cheese cake won’t crack. Also, keep in mind not to overcook the cake or you’ll still dry it out.
You can avoid cracked cheesecakes by not using a very high temperature. A high temp will make the cheesecake rise too quickly and form air pockets that will eventually crack.
Use a lower setting, and be sure to leave the oven door closed at least 15 minutes after the cheesecake has finished baking.
A slow cooldown will ensure you don’t get as many cracks. Still, remember that a cracked cheesecake is still a good cheesecake. If you’re worried about presentation you can always add some whipped cream on top to mask the cracks. Add a couple of strawberries and it’ll be beautiful.
