Basic Cheesecake Filling

Here’s where it gets fun. The more cream cheese you use, the denser the
cheesecake will be (but not dry!) The more eggs you use, the fluffier it
will be. There’s a delicate balance here – 1 lb cheese and 3 eggs will
give you a fluffy cheesecake, but if you use 2 lbs cheese, 3 eggs is an
absolute must if you don’t want it to be flat. More eggs than 3, and you’ll
taste the eggs. 1 lb cheese and 2 eggs is a nice balance, too, but going
any lower than that you’ll just end up with something flat.

The powdered sugar works best for two reasons – number one, powdered sugar
contains corn starch, which acts as a thickener, and number two, you don’t
have to worry about the grittiness of undissolved sugar in your cake. The
yogurt or sour cream adds moistness and a little bit of tang to the cake.
It’s not necessary, but it adds oomph to either a bland cake or a
citrus-flavored cake. For liqueur, add no more than 1/2 cup if you’re
using the yogurt or sour cream, and make sure you’re using the three eggs.
If you eliminate the yogurt/sour cream, you can increase the liqueur to 3/4
cup, and 2 eggs will work (but three is still better – two works best only
if you’re not using the yogurt/sour cream and your liqueur is only 1/2
cup.) A fruit or vegetable puree should be relatively dry – drain off the
liquid in a sieve, or put it in a saucepan, mix in some cornstarch, and
heat it until it’s thick. You can use an entire cup of puree if you
eliminate the yogurt/sour cream. Either mix in the puree with the batter,
or reserve a cup or so of batter, mix it with the puree, then swirl it into
the cheesecake.

The vanilla is a must, in my opinion. Lots of times, I’ll throw in an
extra teaspoon for good measure. Other extracts can enhance the flavor –
banana extract in a strawberry cheesecake, coconut extract or almond
extract in an Amaretto cheesecake, etc.

Another addition would be cocoa or chocolate. Cocoa mixes in nicely
without making the cheesecake gooey – 4-6 Tbsp will do it. Melted
chocolate or white chocolate chips shouldn’t really exceed 6 oz, even 4 oz
will usually do enough for the flavor. If you’re doing the swirl thing,
use only 2-3 oz melted chocolate for the batter that’s being swirled in.
Make sure the melted stuff is cooled before you mix it in.

(see also Basic Cheesecake Crust and Basic Cheesecake Method & Toppings)