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1
The more cream cheese you use, the denser the cheesecake will be (but not dry!)
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2
The more eggs you use, the fluffier it will be.
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3
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.
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4
More eggs than 3, and you'll taste the eggs.
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5
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.
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6
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.
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7
The yogurt or sour cream adds moistness and a little bit of tang to the cake.
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8
It's not necessary, but it adds oomph to either a bland cake or a citrus-flavored cake.
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9
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.
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10
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 andgt;andandlt; your liqueur is only 1/2 cup.
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11
) 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.
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12
You can use an entire cup of puree if you eliminate the yogurt/sour cream.
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13
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.
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14
The vanilla is a must, in my opinion.
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15
Lots of times, I'll throw in an extra teaspoon for good measure.
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16
Other extracts can enhance the flavor - banana extract in a strawberry cheesecake, coconut extract or almond extract in an Amaretto cheesecake, etc.
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17
Another addition would be cocoa or chocolate.
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18
Cocoa mixes in nicely without making the cheesecake gooey - 4 to 6 tablespoon will do it.
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19
Melted chocolate or white chocolate chips shouldn't really exceed 6 oz, even 4 oz will usually do enough for the flavor.
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20
If you're doing the swirl thing, use only 2 to 3 oz melted chocolate for the batter that's being swirled in.
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21
Make sure the melted stuff is cooled before you mix it in.
