Cheesecake help...PLEASE

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SixSix210

Senior Cook
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Feb 9, 2008
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Ok kids. I need help here. I attempted to make a cheesecake last week, and it was a miserable failure. I am not new to the world of cheesecake, it's one of my favorites, so I've been making them for a long long time now. This has me stumped however. I wanted to make a no bake cheesecake this time, and this is the recipe I came up with. I made one alteration to an old recipe that cant have caused the problem. The only difference is that I divided the batter to flavor one part of it so I could make a layered cheesecake. The problem with it is that this refused to set. I gave it 6 hours in the fridge and...nothing. Just mush. So I stuck it in the freezer overnight, and nothing. This would not set, it wouldn't freeze. WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY?????? AAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!:censored::unhappy::bash::cry:

I'd appreciate any help I can get...before I give myself a stroke. :LOL:

1 (1/4-ounce) package unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks, beaten
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
2 tblspoons Maraschino cherry juice
1/2 cup chopped marschino cherries
4 large egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar

I softened the gelatin in the milk, then tempered the yolks in.
I creamed the cream cheese, then added the gelatin mix, and blended them together. I beat the whites to stiff peak whle adding the sugar. I beat it stiff peaks. I was trying for a layered top and use 3/4 for of the mix for the bottom, and added the cocoa and cherry to the 1/4 that was left and put it on top.
 
You said you softened the gelatin in milk. Did you let it soak in the milk at room temp (softening gelatin), then heat the milk gently while stirring to dissolve the gelatin?

You might want to try to get your hands on a sizeable quantity of pre-activated cornstarch. I forget what the brand name is. It's a restaurant commercial product. It has the ability to thicken liquids without being boiled, whereas regular cornstarch has to be boiled. I can't give you the exact ratios of this product to liquid, so you'll have to experiment with it.

I mention this, because if you'll read the ingredients of custard-like foods that set without cooking (Jell-O no-bake cheesecake, "instant" puddings, etc.), you'll see "pre-activated cornstarch" listed as an ingredient.
 
interesting idea...gonna have to track some down.

and yeah, I let the gelatin sit in the milk first, had no choice, the phone was ringing. :LOL: and then heated it up nice and slow, then added the yolks....

I'm thinking I may replace the whites with heavy cream, but I'm afraid to change the flavor... we shall see...
 
interesting idea...gonna have to track some down.

and yeah, I let the gelatin sit in the milk first, had no choice, the phone was ringing. and then heated it up nice and slow, then added the yolks....

I'm thinking I may replace the whites with heavy cream, but I'm afraid to change the flavor... we shall see...


Thick-It Instant Food Thickener is the product.
 
Last edited:
I remembered it!

"Thicken-Up" is the brand-name I used. This is a commercial product. I'm not even sure if you can get anything similar to this at a grocery store.
 
You didn't, by any chance, use one of those organic or natural brands of cream cheese, did you?

I'm told that the standard stuff has certain gums and other chemicals in it that help set the cake and hold it together. The natural stuff lacks this. Maybe one of the rare instances where the mainstream mass market product is more suitable than the fancy organic stuff.

I've used the organic stuff successfully in cheesecakes, despite the above. But I never tried a no-bake cheesecake. Maybe it requires that stuff?
 

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