I lived in NYC for a few years and tried a wide range of cheesecakes both in restaurants and homemade by talented bakers. Good or bad what they all had in common was that plain was best, and flavored were always disappointing and unenjoyable.
Off the top of my head I can remember trying: chocolate, raspberry, cherry, peanut butter, coffee, salted caramel, coconut, red velvet, and yuzu. Disliked all of them because they all tasted like:
[how good the base cheesecake is] - [how good a cake of this flavor in not cheesecake form would be]
So basically the stronger the flavor the worse it’d be, even though I like all those flavors very much (hence having a list that long before figuring out I just don’t like flavored cheesecake)
Sounds like the flavors were too strong, possibly using flavorants rather than (or in addition to) the real thing. Peanut butter cheesecake with an Oreo crust, for example, has an amazing but subtle flavor.
Flavored is bad, but toppings can be good. Adulterating the actual body of the cheesecake is wrong. I do like some goopy cherries on top though, the tartness offsets the sweet, creaminess of the cheesecake.
ITT: people who haven’t had good cheesecake
I lived in NYC for a few years and tried a wide range of cheesecakes both in restaurants and homemade by talented bakers. Good or bad what they all had in common was that plain was best, and flavored were always disappointing and unenjoyable.
You’re always disappointing and unenjoyable!
Sorry. Don’t know what came over me. Maybe it was thinking about how good key lime cheesecake is.
Great now I’m going to be dreaming about key lime cheesecake until I can get one again.
It’s surprisingly easier to make than you might think: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/key-lime-cheesecake/
Key lime cheesecake is so fucking good.
It sounds super good but unless it’s an anomaly I’d probably hate it 😭
I always try bites of flavored cheesecake hoping I’ll find an exception but I am always severely disappointed
I invite you to try my cheesecake. Which is really just any cheesecake recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
What sort of flavors are we talking? What was it about them that you didn’t enjoy?
All of the cheesecakes I make are “flavored” in some way, but I go out of my way to use real ingredients, not just “X flavoring.”
Off the top of my head I can remember trying: chocolate, raspberry, cherry, peanut butter, coffee, salted caramel, coconut, red velvet, and yuzu. Disliked all of them because they all tasted like:
[how good the base cheesecake is] - [how good a cake of this flavor in not cheesecake form would be]
So basically the stronger the flavor the worse it’d be, even though I like all those flavors very much (hence having a list that long before figuring out I just don’t like flavored cheesecake)
Sounds like the flavors were too strong, possibly using flavorants rather than (or in addition to) the real thing. Peanut butter cheesecake with an Oreo crust, for example, has an amazing but subtle flavor.
That’s your problem. You didn’t try lemon, which is the best of the flavors.
Flavored is bad, but toppings can be good. Adulterating the actual body of the cheesecake is wrong. I do like some goopy cherries on top though, the tartness offsets the sweet, creaminess of the cheesecake.
Disappointing and unenjoyable? Man that can’t possibly be. Nothing like a good chocolate rum cheesecake or something.
Plain old cheesecake is the best, though. Can’t argue there.
I mean I feel a similar way about pizza - you need just a plain slice with no toppings to truly judge its merit.
If by plain you mean with red sauce and mozzarella, agree
If by plain you mean none pizza (without left beef), no! ;)
No no. The former not the latter!
A “plain” slice of pizza has pepperoni on it, IMO. It’s the basic topping of pizza. Comparing plain just cheese pizza is worthless.
I completely disagree but you do you boo.
I’m glad we could disagree
Naw man, pepperoni.
It’s possible to have had good plain cheesecake and still like other flavors.
I never claimed it wasn’t.