Cheesecake

We don’t ordinarily think of cheesecake as a custard, probably because the presence of eggs is masked by the richness of the filling they bind together, which is some combination of ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, heavy cream, and butter. The proportions for cheesecake are similar to those for other custards, approaching 1 egg per cup/250 ml of filling, though the greater richness and tartness of the filling demand more sugar for balance, around 4 tablespoons per cup (60 gm per 250 ml) instead of 2. Flour or cornstarch is sometimes included to stabilize the gel and, in the case of ricotta cheese-cakes, to absorb water that may be released from the fresh cheese.