Cheesecake Day
Jul 30
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"🎶 My girl she's crazy, over cheesecake all the time,
so I'll bring her cheesecake, and she'll treat me mighty fine!"
~Louis Armstrong, Cheesecake, 1965
Fond of cheesecake? Do you prefer New York Style, Pennsylvania Dutch Style, Country Style (Buttermilk), or the mid-century modern flavours of the Unbaked Cheesecake? Some people, though they may like both cheese and cake, are repulsed by the dessert solely because its name inspires a revulsion from strong mental associations with the two separate foods in combination. These individuals are clearly the exception as cheesecake has been loved for centuries - so much so that the term "cheesecake," in connection with a beautiful woman has origins back to 1660! Verse published in 1662, after the death of Oliver Cromwell (whom it is supposed, did not care for such desserts), in Poems and Songs Relating to the Late Times, was used to regret the occasion of Cromwell driving certain ladies (of questionable repute) out of the town: "But ah! It goes against our hearts, To lose our cheesecake and our tarts." 🍰
A Piece of Cake
It's Cheesecake Day! This dance has figures to mimic the cutting of a cake into slices.
Depending on the type of cheese used, flavour additions, and baking techniques, a cheesecake, which has roots in ancient Rome, has many delicious variations depending on the country of origin.
In the United States:
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New York–style cheesecake relies upon heavy cream or sour cream, some with a sour cream-based topping requiring twice-baking.
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Pennsylvania Dutch-style cheesecake uses a slightly tangy type of cheese with larger curds and less water content, called pot or farmer’s cheese.
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Philadelphia-style cheesecake is lighter in texture, yet richer in flavor than New York style cheesecake.
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Country-style cheesecake uses buttermilk to produce a firm texture while increasing acidity to extend shelf life.
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An unbaked cheesecake, using flavoured uncooked cream-cheese on a crumbled-biscuit base, also became popular in the 20th century.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland:
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Cheesecake is typically made with a base of crushed, buttered biscuits and often topped with a fruit compote. The usual filling is a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, and cream, and is not baked, but refrigerated. Common fruits used are: black cherry, blackcurrant, strawberry, passionfruit, raspberry, and lemon curd.
In Scotland:
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A smoked salmon cheesecake is a savoury version of a cheesecake.
In South Africa:
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South Africa has many different varieties of cheesecake, including one made with whipped cream, cream cheese, gelatine for the filling, and a buttered digestive biscuit crust. It is not baked, and is sometimes made with Amarula liqueur, a cream liqueur made from the fruit of the African marula tree.
In Germany:
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German-style cheesecake (Käsekuchen, Quarkkuchen, Matzkuchen; Topfenkuchen in Austria) uses quark (a fresh cheese made from sour milk) . The Käsesahnetorte (cheese cream tart) adds cream and is not baked.
For an authentic Bavarian Cheesecake recipe using "quark" click the "piece of cake."
