Leavening, An Empirical Study

[rdcast]

From my very first cheesecake to the present, I've struggled against the inevitable collapse most cheesecakes succumb to, if not during baking certainly as it cools. Trying to develop a light and airy texture that approaches a dense pound cake has proven problematic. The two most common methods used to lighten a cheesecake, I believe would be, (1) introduce air through beating the ingredients and (2) add or increase leavening components. Baking temperature and length of time under certain temperatures along with a graduated cooling procedure also greatly influences these properties.

These are some of my findings based on earlier experiments.

• Egg whites emulsify air more efficiently than egg yolks by trapping air bubbles more thoroughly.
• Both whites and yolks are similar leavening components, independent of one another.
• Both whites and yolks leavening characteristics are highly temperature sensitive, collapsing early when heated over 350 degrees.
• Both flour and cornstarch are similar leavening components with a much longer endurance when heated over 350 degrees.
• Baking soda interjects leavening effervescence to the mixture regardless of the components, providing a tenuous endurance. More study will be necessary to make use of this ingredient in cheesecakes. Without isolating it to a component with the ability of adhering to its effervescence throughout the baking and cooling process, the outcome will most certainly result in a greater than average collapse.

Sour cream may have some advantages in retaining leavening, not sure. I just know that I had better results at a time when sour cream was an ingredient.

I will do my best to formulate the optimum leavening components and procedures. Any help, provided by DC members would be greatly appreciated even if my assumptions and/or observations come into question. Favorable results are all that matters in any empirical study.

 

[Alix]

Wow rdcast. I admit that I make cheesecake only rarely, but I haven't had any issues with it falling. Rather, my issue used to be the cracking. I now use a recipe that has absolutely never failed. It is creamy, yet dense enough to satisfy all. This is the recipe I use (post #10).

 

[lulu]

LOL, and I couldn't find anything to deal with the cravings your threads are leaving me with for cheesecake. Oh well, its just as well!
Good luck!

 

[rdcast]

won't you help lulu?

 

[rdcast]

I haven't had any issues with it falling. Rather, my issue used to be the cracking.

My wife makes her cheesecakes with three ingredients plus flavorings:

1. cream cheese
2. sugar
3. egg

She puts in the same number of eggs as number of 8 oz cream cheese bars. That's a lot of eggs when you have 6 bars of cream cheese. Yet her cheesecakes never raise or collapse. In fact, the tops of her cakes retain the ridges left by the spatula while smoothing the batter. I know for certain, egg is a leavening component. Unless the sugar or the other flavorings are interfering(which they're not), the only other influence on leavening would be time and temperature. She bakes at 350 for 30 minutes, then reduces to 300 for 1 hour. It comes out cooked, but looking like when it went in. The texture is smooth and creamy.

I like the New York style cheesecake, where it is less creamy and a texture less moist and toward more bread like.

So it looks as if you can prevent eggs from rising with lower baking temperatures.

The best cheesecake chefs, surely are familiar with the information I'm struggling to learn. I'm not looking for recipes but rather a thorough understanding of everything that influences the outcome of a baked cheesecakes.

P.S. I'm convinced, the greater the cheesecake, the greater the cracks. For me, cracks serve as evidence of success.

 

[lulu]

I wuld help my dear RDCast, I would make them along side you, but I have no kitchen at the moment!

I am not familiar with the "lighter" cheesecake you aspire too, but I am a big fan of the heavy creamy ones. My mother used to sell them to smart restaurants in London but she won't give me her secret recipe yet. They are big, heavy plain ones though, so not to your taste. She makes maybe one every two years now!

What I do plan to do when I am back in Italy is investigate Italian cheeseckaes for you! I'll take pictures and get recipes for you if you like.

I wish I were a cheese cake maker, I love your threads they make me smile as I think of you churning them out, and sit here drooling wishing I were your neighbour so I could help in taste tests!

I thought the idea someone (sorry I can't remember who) came up with of thinking cake + cheese rather than cheese +flour. Have you thought about that more?

 

[Chef_Jen]

well. im gonna just stick to commenting on your wifes... the reason hers does nothing is because shes making basically a baked custard. hence why you can see the spatula marks.

she needs the flour in there.. and IMO shes using alright amounts of eggs

 

[Gretchen]

From Cook's Thesaurus A leaven is anything that produces bubbles in dough or batter, causing baked goods to rise. Most breads rise because of yeast, which works by fermenting sugar, which in turn produces carbon dioxide. Baking soda and baking powder are used to leaven quick breads, cookies, and muffins. Baking soda is alkaline and reacts with acid to create carbon dioxide bubbles that become trapped within the batter. It's sometimes used in batters that contain acidic ingredients, like buttermilk or molasses. If there's not enough acid in the batter, the recipe will instead call for baking powder, which combines baking soda with one or more acidic salts. When the baking powder becomes wet or sufficiently hot, the soda reacts with the salts and releases bubbles. Air bubbles can also be trapped in beaten egg whites, a technique used to leaven angel food or sponge cakes.

I do not believe flour and cornstarch qualify as leavening agents.

"From my very first cheesecake to the present, I've struggled against the inevitable collapse most cheesecakes succumb to, if not during baking certainly as it cools. Trying to develop a light and airy texture that approaches a dense pound cake has proven problematic. The two most common methods used to lighten a cheesecake, I believe would be, (1) introduce air through beating the ingredients and (2) add or increase leavening components"

I know of few cheesecake recipes that call for leavening other than beating the ingredients.
My cheesecakes don't exactly "fall" as much as have the top collapse onto the cake.
"light and airy texture that approaches a dense pound cake" seems VERY much to me to be an oxymoron.

I guess I have only one question for you on this quest--have you tried actual recipes to achieve the results you desire?

http://www.foodsubs.com/Leaven.html#baker's ammonia

 

[jennyema]

These are some of my findings based on earlier experiments.

• Egg whites emulsify air more efficiently than egg yolks by trapping air bubbles more thoroughly.
• Both whites and yolks are similar leavening components, independent of one another.
• Both whites and yolks leavening characteristics are highly temperature sensitive, collapsing early when heated over 350 degrees.
• Both flour and cornstarch are similar leavening components with a much longer endurance when heated over 350 degrees.
• Baking soda interjects leavening effervescence to the mixture regardless of the components, providing a tenuous endurance. More study will be necessary to make use of this ingredient in cheesecakes. Without isolating it to a component with the ability of adhering to its effervescence throughout the baking and cooling process, the outcome will most certainly result in a greater than average collapse.

Sour cream may have some advantages in retaining leavening, not sure. I just know that I had better results at a time when sour cream was an ingredient..

My advice is to perhaps read up on the science of baking, perhaps by someone like Harold McGee, or perhaps just by perusing Baking911.com. You seem to have some of your concepts a bit mixed up, IMO.

"Egg whites emulsify air more efficiently than egg yolks by trapping air bubbles more thoroughly." Emulsification occurs between two liquids when they are combined, like oil and water in a salad dressing. You don't emulsify air. An emulsified combination of liquids may hold air bubbles better, though, which can add leavening.

"Both flour and cornstarch are similar leavening components with a much longer endurance when heated over 350 degrees." Neither flour, nor cornstarch is a leavinging agent, as far as I know. Think flatbread.

"Baking soda interjects leavening effervescence to the mixture regardless of the components, providing a tenuous endurance." Baking soda does not work "regardless of" other ingredients. It only works when there is an acid present in the batter. Without an acid baking soda doesn't do anything.

"Sour cream may have some advantages in retaining leavening, not sure." Sour cream is an acid. If you are using baking soda, then the acid in the sour cream is what creates the bubbles that leaven the mixture.

Again, I cannot imagine either wanting or needing to add baking soda to a cheesecake. A cheesecake shouldn't have a light moussy texture. Mechanical leavening is all it needs, IMO.

 

[rdcast]

Thanks lulu, I knew I could count on you !!!

 

[rdcast]

she needs the flour in there.. and IMO shes using alright amounts of eggs

Thanks Jen, I agree.

 

[rdcast]

From Cook's Thesaurus A leaven is anything that produces bubbles in dough or batter, causing baked goods to rise. Most breads rise because of yeast, which works by fermenting sugar, which in turn produces carbon dioxide. Baking soda and baking powder are used to leaven quick breads, cookies, and muffins. Baking soda is alkaline and reacts with acid to create carbon dioxide bubbles that become trapped within the batter. It's sometimes used in batters that contain acidic ingredients, like buttermilk or molasses. If there's not enough acid in the batter, the recipe will instead call for baking powder, which combines baking soda with one or more acidic salts. When the baking powder becomes wet or sufficiently hot, the soda reacts with the salts and releases bubbles. Air bubbles can also be trapped in beaten egg whites, a technique used to leaven angel food or sponge cakes.

I do not believe flour and cornstarch qualify as leavening agents.

"From my very first cheesecake to the present, I've struggled against the inevitable collapse most cheesecakes succumb to, if not during baking certainly as it cools. Trying to develop a light and airy texture that approaches a dense pound cake has proven problematic. The two most common methods used to lighten a cheesecake, I believe would be, (1) introduce air through beating the ingredients and (2) add or increase leavening components"

I know of few cheesecake recipes that call for leavening other than beating the ingredients.
My cheesecakes don't exactly "fall" as much as have the top collapse onto the cake.
"light and airy texture that approaches a dense pound cake" seems VERY much to me to be an oxymoron.

I guess I have only one question for you on this quest--have you tried actual recipes to achieve the results you desire?

This is most informative.
So you agree with my observation that egg white is a good stable medium for emulsifying air. Your belief that flour and cornstarch are not leavening agents could mean that my experiments for both of them rose only due to the fact both contain 1 egg each. So now I must surmise that the flour and cornstarch served only to preserve the leavening provided by the single egg. A most useful quality. Two other experiments, one with yolk and the other with egg white, both without flour or cornstarch, rose the same as the ones with flour and another with cornstarch except the egg alone collapsed far greater and shortly after they rose. Whereas the flour and cornstarch maintained most of its rise, even through cooling.

As I've said before, I'm not looking for recipes but the best understanding of the topic I can gain. Keep in mind that I said, "approaches a dense pound cake", approaches being the key word and no, I've never had the quality of texture I'm seeking. But I've come very close with the help of Jen and some of the others whom I will mention later.

I am very grateful for your involvement and wont forget it.

P.S. WOW, Gretchen !!! That was your 888th post, I'm most religious if that means anything to you.

 

[jennyema]

Like I said above, you emulsify liquids, not air.

Flour and cornstarch are thickeners and the gluten in flour provides structure to baked goods.

HOW BAKING WORKS is a good start to understanding the topic.

There are also loads of other technical resources on the science of baking.

 

[rdcast]

I'll do my best to be more clear in the future jennyema, Thank you !

All the best,
Robert

 

[rdcast]

Flour and cornstarch are thickeners and the gluten in flour provides structure to baked goods.

I use Gold Medal All-Purpose flour. Would there be a better brand and what would be the effect if I sift ?

As for other resources, there's also culinary school but I'm enjoying learning this way, trial and error, with the heartfelt advice from friends.

 

[rdcast]

What do you think ???

Prepare a spring form pan with your favorite coating and bottom crust.
Ingredients

1. 4 cream cheese bars
2. 1 cup sour cream
3. 4 egg whites
4. 1/2 cup flour
5. 2 tbsp powdered buttermilk
6. 1 tbsp vanilla
7. 2 cups sugar

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes then reduce to 300 for 1 hour.

You know what I'm aiming for. Can you analyze my reasoning ???

 

[jasonr]

Have you tried using a bicycle pump, or one of those hydrogen tanks clowns use to make their voices high?

 

[rdcast]

HAHA That was funny Jason !

 

[marmalady]

"Trying to develop a light and airy texture that approaches a dense pound cake has proven problematic"

The above was in your original post - I'm confused as to what you are trying to achieve here. A light airy cheesecake that resembles a dense pound cake????

There are so many 'tried and true' pound cake recipes, I'm not even sure what it is you're trying to 'perfect'. I think you're working too hard at reinventing the wheel!

 

[Chef_Jen]

..........using a bundt pan i think you will be disappointed