I adore cheesecakes. I am not fussy i love fridge cheesecakes, with their crusty base and creamy smooth fillings. I love baked cheesecakes from the classic New York cheese that is crumbly and creamy to the sweetest caramel topped slice. Of course the Japanese cheesecake without a base, that is also known as the jiggle cake is light, crumbly and creamy all at the same time - absolute bliss. While testing out various recipes - yes and tasting them all! I kept coming across all the different types of cream cheese & creams, its so confusing when you stand in the fridge aisle and try to find the correct one for your recipe. So I thought I would share with you a quick and easy chart on what the different cream names are all about.
First cream cheese and cottage cheese, always a price difference here so what is it all about? Well cream cheese is soft, smooth and an unripened cheese made either with cream or a mixture of milk and cream. It is usually almost white and has a mild, rich flavor. It is this delectable cheese used in our bakes - full cream is my personal preference but you can use medium fat. Cottage cheese is similar to cream cheese but has a lower fat content as it is made from skim or nonfat milk. .
Now for creams. The main difference between the creams is down to their fat content. Heavy cream has a fat content between 36 - 48%. The more fat the thicker it is in the tub. Higher fat content means it is more stable for whipping, is dense and ideal for piping. Cream marked whipping cream has a lower fat content around 30% and whips into a lighter & voluminous cream, glorious spooned over desserts. Pouring cream contains the lowest fat content, and is used to enrich soups and sauces. Sour cream is a tangy cultured cream, using pouring cream as its base with a low fat content of 18% it does not whip, added to bring a tart flavor to cakes & sauces. Creme Fraiche is made from fresh cream that has been cultured to produce a slightly tart taste, it has a high fat content but cannot be whipped Adds a creamy taste to sauces and is ideal served with fruits, it is a lovely table product with a refined flavor. .
I use a ton of creams, and cream cheese in my baking. I love the richness it brings and the flavor it produces. So here is to the glorious cheesecake - the sweet, the sour, tart and the tangy!
New York Cheesecake
Salted Caramel cheesecake
Japanese cheesecake
