Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does pumpkin cheesecake last in the fridge after? ›

Prepared cheesecake can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, per USDA food safety recommendations. We suggest storage in an airtight container, so it doesnt absorb any fridge odors.

When making your filling, overmixing can lead to incorporating too much air into the batter. Once baked, the air bubbles will burst, and the cheesecake will fall and crack. THE FIX: The number one reason why you'd overbeat your batter is because you're having dificulty incorporating cold ingredients.

As Bon Appétit shares, using too many eggs when making cheesecake can cause a big divot in the middle of the dessert. Because eggs add a luscious, creamy texture to custards and cheesecakes, some bakers might be tempted to fold in another yolk or two.

Eggs and milk have high protein and moisture content, and they're the primary ingredients in cheesecake, so when cheesecake is left at room temperature, conditions are ripe for bacteria to multiply. According to the USDA's Food Keeper App, cheesecake should be consumed within 5 to 7 days of refrigeration.

At room temperature, cheesecake can sit out for up to 4 hours. This is because the room temperature is usually around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the ideal temperature for cheesecake. However, if the room temperature exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit, it's best to refrigerate the cheesecake after 2 hours.

Avoid Overcooking

DON'T overbake. Overbaking a cheesecake can cause cracks on the surface. The center of the cheesecake should still be a little wobbly, the filling still pale, and the outer ring slightly puffy and firm. It will continue to cook as it cools and maintains that smooth and rich texture.

You might worry a runny middle means raw cheesecake, but it's totally safe and normal. The center will firm up as it cools on a cooling rack, resulting in the smooth surface you want. Test Kitchen Tip: Cheesecakes made with sour cream should jiggle a little more and will have a larger soft spot in the center.

If there is a large, jiggly area, or if liquid breaks the surface or sloshes over the edges of the pan, the cheesecake is not finished cooking. Bake the cheesecake for another 5 minutes or so before checking it again for doneness. Expect sour cream filling to jiggle more than cream cheese filling.

Overmixing is exactly what it sounds like: the process by which a dough or batter gets mixed too much, typically yielding dense, tough, or deflated baked goods. Overmixed doughs and batters may have an unappealing look or feel, which remain just as unappealing when they're baked.

What happens if you put too much sour cream in cheesecake? Sour cream adds tanginess and moisture, so if you use too much, it can make the cheesecake too tangy and the additional moisture can make it runny.

Why do you put sour cream in cheesecake? ›

Cheesecake is clearly a different animal from bundts or cupcakes, but sour cream has a place here too! Combined with even more densely rich cream cheese, sour cream actually tempers the star ingredient a touch, softening its texture. It also adds another layer of tangy flavor and moisture to a cheesecake.

Sour cream supports the underlying tang of the cream cheese, but, if overdone, it takes over as the dominant flavor. You need a little of each -- cream for texture and sour cream for flavor. With our ingredients settled, we focused in on how to keep the cheesecake from baking up grainy and cracked.

Eggs are responsible for giving baked goods structure, which means the amount you use directly affects the resulting texture. Using too few eggs will make your desserts dense, but using too many will make them rubbery. The explanation for this lies in the fact that eggs are made up of protein.

In the case of cheesecakes and other batters with a high fat content, adding cold eggs could re-harden the fat, making the batter appear curdled or lumpy, possibly affecting the texture of the baked product. To avoid this, make sure you use room temperature eggs for baking.

“Soft cheeses such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, shredded cheeses, and goat cheese must be refrigerated for safety,” according to the USDA. And, according to the USDA FoodKeeper chart, cheesecake should be consumed within five to seven days after baking—or opening a pre-bought cheesecake.

As with most dairy-based dishes, it is necessary to place any leftover cheesecake in the fridge so that it can stay fresh for as long as possible. If placed in the refrigerator in a timely manner, a homemade cheesecake will last anywhere from five to seven days before starting to decline in quality.

Fresh cheesecake usually has smooth, even edges and is soft. If it is stale, it will have crusty and broken edges, and if it is spoiled, the cheese filling will appear rubbery.

Many recipes say to let the cheesecake sit in the turned-off oven with the door cracked for about an hour, then let it cool completely on the counter. It also needs to spend four hours, or ideally overnight, in the fridge before slicing and eating to ensure the perfect velvety smooth texture. Speaking of slicing…