Plain cheesecake is the only good cheesecake
I have gotten into many arguments over this one
I have gotten into many arguments over this one
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/
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.
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! ;)
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 hate this opinion but you put it in the right community so I will upvote it like a decent human.
Counter-argument: Cherry topping.
Also: What kind of "plain" cheesecake? Cuz there's still variety even there. I would assume New York because it's the most common (in the US anyway).
I read this as "taint cherry pie," and I hate to admit I was intrigued and kind of excited to read someone's justification for such a controversial opinion
I can go further with my unpopular opinion on cheesecake. There is no good cheesecake.
Homemade cheesecake has lemon zest in the ingredients. The barely discernable acid taste of lemon is key to "plain" cheesecake.
I accept citrus if it's in the ingredients but in a small enough amount that it just enhances the cheesecake flavor and doesn't impart a noticeable citrus taste
I feel the same way about a good donut. Also bacon is best as just bacon and never improved by wrapping it around things and under or over cooking it. And the perfect cookie is a simple, perfectly baked, chocolate chip cookie. With so many foods, simple and perfectly prepared will always beat overly complex.
Chocolate chip is a garbage-tier cookie. I get supremely disappointed when what I thought was a delicious oatmeal raisin cookie turns out to be a lame chocolate chip. Won't eat them.
One the one hand I agree that oatmeal raisin cookies are great, but you're just wrong about chocolate chip. Sometimes my grandma would "adulterate" oatmeal raisin cookies by adding M&M's.
I feel you on donuts since my favorite donut is a plain fastnacht
I used to like bacon but then my tastebuds decided to rewire in my early 20s and now it's too salty :[
Ooh, here's another horrible opinion from me. The best chocolate chip cookie has no chips. Just give me that delicious baking soda taste yessss.
If anyone knows what planet I'm from please lmk.
I respect your opinion, but you're missing out on so much good delicious hot crispy sizzling bacon. Just by unsalted next time lol
That might be one to mention to your doctor actually. It shouldn’t be anything too concerning but it may be indicative of a deficiency in some nutrients or mineral.
My doctors got very concerned when I mentioned that I disliked the taste of salt. Not just salty foods or bacon but just the weird mineral and acrid taste of salt. Better now but still not a fan.
That your body does want a different sodium pairing is interesting.
Do you drink a lot of electrolyte drinks like Gatorade?
This is a good list. Some foods are perfect as is and trying to improve on them makes them worse. Id add chocolate to your list. Chocolate is perfect as is. I do like it with other stuff added but it doesnt need it.
I almost added chocolate and coffee, but there is just so much variety in both and I love them all. Besides, chocolate+peanut butter+pretzels is kind of my exception to the less is more argument.
So does that include toppings? I can understand cheesecake with strawberries in it not being your thing, but does that include plain cheesecake with a strawberry glaze on top? Does any sort of fruit, powdered sugar/cinnamon, or cookie ruin it?
I'm from The South so my favorite cheesecake was one that had a key lime pie on top of it, does that count?
That is the dilemma:
Why would you flavor cheesecake with something that doesn’t taste as good as cheesecake?
Hm I would argue that caramel and coffee for example are flavors that are better than cheesecake. But flavoring cheesecake with them makes the result much worse than the sum of its flavor parts.
I think vice versa too. I would not enjoy cheesecake flavored caramel nor cheesecake flavored coffee
Very light raspberry drizzle does elevate a good cheesecake. I want just the slightest sweet/tart garnish. Maybe just a whisper of a spearmint chiffonade, but that's almost decadent. Plain cheesecake is great alone though.
I agree with you.
I had had all kinds of cheesecake for a long time in my life, all kinds of different flavors.
Then at one point I had /good/ cheesecake.
And immediately realized everything up to that point was garbage. Did some research and the old stuff I had had before was not even really cheesecake, basically just a fast food level cheesecake analog.
Real cheesecake is quite good.
I don't know man I make a damn good triple chocolate cheesecake, peanut butter cheesecake, and apple pie cheesecake.
I disagree, but what this community is about. I got to admit, making a good fruit cheesecake is more difficult than making a good plain cheesecake, so I agree that often the plain one is better than the fruity one. Not always.
Is this only a cheesecake thing or do you also dislike all cheese+fruit combinations? Have you tried Mascarpone gelato?
I like cream cheese and jam on toast, I suppose, but not enough that I ever remember it's a valid combo and make it.
I have not tried mascarpone gelato but would try it. I'll keep an eye out for it