Cheesecake Texture

Asked by bekahbarnwell. Answered on 8th May 2014

Full question

Hi Team Nigella, I recently made a couple of no-bake cheesecakes but I've found the texture to be very soft and lacking in density. I was just wondering if there would be a particular reason that this happened? Did I perhaps not beat the mixture for long enough or is this the normal consistency for a no-bake cheesecake? Thanks very much Bekah

Our answer

We doubt that there was any problem in the preparation of your cheesecake, it is more a case that no-bake cheesecakes, such as Nigella's Cherry Cheesecake (from Nigella Express and on the Nigella website) will not have the same texture and density as a baked cheesecake. The baked cheesecakes have a fairly dense, sometimes "squeaky" texture as they have been set with a combination of eggs and heat.

The exact texture of a no-bake cheesecake will depend on the ingredients used in the filling. Those which are made from just cream cheese (soft white cheese) or mascarpone will have a rich, fairly thick texture. Those that are a mixture of cream cheese and whipped cream will have a lighter texture but will be slightly soft. The cheesecakes that are set with gelatine may have a fairly smooth texture or a very mousse-like texture but will not be dense.