On the fifth day of our 12 Days of Christmas Desserts, 
we are featuring Decadent Cheesecake!

Cheesecake from The SweetSpot Bakehouse

Looking for a holiday dessert that will satisfy everyone in your family? Look no further than a rich and decadent cheesecake! This treat is so versatile, you can turn combine almost any of your favorite ingredients to make a delicious delicacy. Around the holidays, you could have gingerbread, candy cane, eggnog, red velvet or chocolate cranberry cheesecakes! The possibilities are endless! So sit back, grab a creamy slice of cheesecake and learn all about this dessert’s rich history!

The first “cheese cake” was most likely created during the time of the ancient Greeks. Anthropologists have excavated cheese molds in Greece which were dated around 2,000 B.C.! In Greece, cheesecake was considered to be a good source of energy, and was also a popular dish to serve at weddings. The simple ingredients of flour, wheat, honey and cheese were formed into a cake and baked – a far cry from the more complicated and flavorful recipes available today!

Cheesecake from Sweet Perfections Bake Shoppe

When the Romans conquered Greece, the cheesecake recipe was modified by including crushed cheese and eggs. The Romans called their cheesecake “libuma” and it was also served on special occasions.

As the Romans expanded their empire, they brought cheesecake recipes to the Europeans. Great Britain and Eastern Europe began experimenting with ways to put their own unique spin on cheesecake. It was not until the 18th century, however, that cheesecake would start to look like something we recognize in the United States today. Around this time, Europeans began to use beaten eggs instead of yeast to make their breads and cakes rise. Removing the yeast flavor made cheesecake taste more like a dessert treat. When Europeans immigrated to America, the settlers brought their cheesecake recipes along with them.

Cheesecake from Tamara's the Cake Guru

The cream cheese found in most cheesecakes today was an American addition. In 1872, a New York dairy farmer was attempting to replicate a French version of cheesecake; instead, he accidentally created cream cheese. Three years later, cream cheese was packaged and distributed to local stores and it soon became a staple ingredient in the United States.

Each region of the world also has its own take on the best way to make the dessert. Italians use ricotta cheese, while the Greeks use feta. Germans prefer cottage cheese, while the Japanese use a combination of cornstarch and egg whites. There are specialty cheesecakes that include blue cheese, seafood, spicy chilies and even tofu! In spite of all the variations, the popular dessert’s main ingredients – cheese, wheat and a sweetener –remain the same.

Cheesecake from Sally's Sweet Shoppe

No matter how you slice it, cheesecake is truly a dessert that has stood the test of time. So as you start breaking out the cookbooks or researching bakeries, consider adding a crowd-pleasing cheesecake to your holiday feast!

Find Decadent Cheesecake at one of these WBA member bakeries:

Clasen's European Bakery

Manderfield's Home Bakery

Monzu Bakery & Custom Cakes

O&H Danish Bakery

Sally's Sweet Shoppe

Sweet Perfections Bake Shoppe

Tamara's the Cake Guru

The SweetSpot Bakehouse

To find a WBA Member bakery near you, click here.

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