Need help with cheesecake recipe

[thejoyofcake]

Hi there, I am hoping there is a cheesecake authority out there that can assist me with this recipe. It is a pumpkin cheesecake recipe, and when I first made it, it was a creamy, lighter type of cheesecake. I wanted to make it more of a NY style, so I adapted the recipe to one I had for NY cheesecake. And this time it came out even softer than before - a far cry from my objective. Please look at this recipe and tell me what I can tweak to make the cheesecake NY style. TIA!

5 - 8 ounce packages of softened cream cheese
1 3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
3/4 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup maple syrup
pumpkin pie spice
5 eggs
2 yolks

Bake at 500 for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 225 for 90 minutes.

[momoreg]

If you want it firmer, just omit the heavy cream, and you can even substitute pure maple extract for the maple syrup. You'll get the flavor of maple, without all the liquid, and you really don't need the sweetness, since there's enough brown sugar.

[chefphilhahn]

Momoreg is right on with that change. Omit the heavy cream, maybe substitute a cottage cheese for a lite taste, but not nessesary. Cut out the maple syrup and go with a maple extract or vanilla extract.

[thejoyofcake]

Maple extract instead of Maple syrup? Okay, I'll give it a try. And I'll cut out the heavy cream, too. I'll try it out today and post back. . .

Chef Phil, where exactly in MA are you located? I'm in Worcester.

[chefphilhahn]

South coast. Mattapoisett, MA. I work in Marion. Just off cape.

[thejoyofcake]

I cut out all of the syrup, and most of the heavy cream, and it's still super soft. I suspect with this one I may not have baked it long enough, although it was in there for 100 minutes.

[panini]

find a formula with a little starch.
On the current one, delete the heavy cream and use sour cream. Go with all whole eggs. Don't use that initial punch (500). Use a water bath. I would also nix the brown for white sugar and omittt syrup.

[chefmonkey]

use a thickening agent in the mix this will firm the mixture without tainting the taste

[cheflayne]

I would try drying up the pumpkin first. You can do it in the oven or stove top.

[momoreg]

To test for doneness, gently jiggle the pan. If the center shakes, and the edges don't, it's not ready. Depending how deep the mixture was, it CAN take a long time to bake. The center and edges should not be loose, but you will see some movement when you shake it.

[thejoyofcake]

I forgot to mention that the recipe also has three tablespoons of flour.

Okay, I'll try drying out the pumpkin and adding sour cream - thanks again. By the way, if anyone has a better pumpkin cheesecake recipe than what I am using, please feel free to forward!

This forum has been such a great resource.

[panini]

We are producing them now. Our formula is for 36, but I'll scale it down when I get in, in the morning, and shoot you a copy. Look for it around 3 am
somebody will probably have one before then though.
We only use philly.

[LWP]

You can also try maple sugar for all or some of the brown sugar when eliminating the syrup. I've never used it for a pumpkin cheesecake (they're not one of my favorite things) but I have used it in place of brown sugar in other recipes or when developing ideas with good results. I also use a natural maple powder that has the power of extracts without the liquid or alcohol. The powder in combination with the sugar adds a serious maple flavor but either works great on it's own. With the powder alone you'd still have to use the brown sugar.

[OzarkRose]

Any time you add fruit without first cooking it in sugar, it will "weep" its waterweight out into whatever it is your making. So even a cheesecake made with canned pumpkin will be "heavier" and "moister" than a plain baked cheesecake. If you have time on your hands, try taking real pumpkin pieces (small), cooking them in a simple syrup and cooled, and fold into your batter. You might be able to puree after they have been cooked.

[Blade55440]

Originally Posted by thejoyofcake

I cut out all of the syrup, and most of the heavy cream, and it's still super soft. I suspect with this one I may not have baked it long enough, although it was in there for 100 minutes.

How much are you mixing it? Are you doing it at anything but a low speed?

If you overmix or do it too fast you'll aerate the mixture and it won't come out as dense as you'd like. Try your original recipe but be sure to make sure your cream cheese is good and warm (room temp that is), scrape often, and mix on low speed only and only however much you need.