AMERICAN-STYLE BAKED CHEESECAKE WITH RASPBERRIES¶

Serves: 12-16 (23cm / 9-inch springform pan)

INGREDIENT GUIDE - WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY BUYING¶

CREAM CHEESE (Smetanový sýr) - Understanding what you need¶

What cream cheese actually is:

Specific type of fresh, unaged cheese made from milk + cream (not just milk)
Acidified with bacterial cultures (like yogurt), then stabilized
Minimum 33% fat by US standards (Czech/EU: 20-30% fat)
pH 4.5-5.0 (tangy, acidic flavor)
Moisture: 50-55% (not too wet, not too dry)
Homogeneous smooth texture with fat evenly distributed
Sets when baked (proteins coagulate at baking temperatures)

Why composition matters for cheesecake:

High fat (20-33%) \= creamy texture, structural integrity when baked, richness, moisture barrier
Low fat (0-9% like tvaroh) \= won't set properly, too watery, grainy texture, runny result
Smooth emulsion \= no visible curds, blends completely smooth
Proper moisture content \= filling sets to custard consistency, not runny or dry

AT THE STORE - What to look for:

LOOK FOR THESE WORDS:

Smetanový sýr \= cream cheese (THIS IS IT!)
Čerstvý smetanový sýr \= fresh cream cheese (PERFECT!)
Cream cheese (English on package)

INGREDIENT LIST SHOULD SAY:

Smetana (cream) or mléko a smetana (milk and cream) as first 1-2 ingredients
Bakteriální kultury (bacterial cultures)
Sometimes: stabilizátory (stabilizers - totally fine!)
Short, simple list

FAT CONTENT:

Look for 20%+ actual fat OR 50-65% "tuku v sušině" (fat in dry matter)
Example: Philadelphia says "61% tuku v sušině" \= excellent

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THESE (they're fine):

Termizovaný \= heat-treated (preservation method - works perfectly)
Tuk v sušině \= fat in dry matter (technical term, just tells you fat %)
Sušina \= dry matter (ignore it)

AVOID THESE - WON'T WORK:

Tavený sýr \= processed/melted cheese (already cooked, wrong texture, won't bake correctly)
Tvaroh or Tvarohový sýr \= quark (0-9% fat, grainy, too wet, won't set)
Cottage \= cottage cheese (lumpy curds, too watery)

Physical check:

Spreadable at room temp but firm when cold
Smooth, creamy (no visible grains or curds)
White to cream colored
Slightly tangy taste when sampled

Price reality check:

Good price: 25-40 Kč per 150-200g (165-265 Kč/kg)
Philadelphia at 68 Kč/125g \= 544 Kč/kg (expensive but guaranteed quality)
Arla: \~35 Kč/150g \= 233 Kč/kg (best value for quality)

BISCUITS (Sušenky) - Understanding crust ingredients¶

What makes good cheesecake crust biscuits:

Dry, crisp texture when whole (not soft or cakey)
Fine, even crumbs when crushed (not oily or clumpy)
Moderate fat content (15-25% fat) - enough to bind with butter, not so much it gets greasy
Neutral to slightly sweet flavor (shouldn't overpower filling)
No leavening or minimal (flat cookies, not puffy)
Crushes to sandy consistency that packs well

Why composition matters for crust:

Too much fat in biscuit (like some buttery cookies) + added butter \= greasy, soggy crust
Too little fat (like plain crackers) \= dry, crumbly crust that doesn't hold together
Cakey texture (leavened cookies) \= wrong texture, absorbs butter unevenly
Proper dry texture \= absorbs melted butter evenly, packs into firm base, bakes crisp

THE BUTTER RATIO RULE:

Standard butter cookies (BeBe, Zlaté): 50-55g butter per 100g crushed biscuits
Fattier cookies (Lotus Biscoff): 35-40g butter per 100g crushed biscuits (they already have more fat)
Too much butter \= greasy, soft crust
Too little butter \= crumbly crust that falls apart

AT THE STORE - What to look for:

BEST CZECH OPTIONS (in order):

1. Opavia BeBe Rodinné (Family-style butter cookies)

Fat: \~15-18%
Texture: "Dry" butter cookie (not as buttery as other BeBe varieties)
Price: 30-45 Kč per package
Why: Czech cheesecake standard - crushes perfectly, not too oily, widely available
Use: 50-55g butter per 100g biscuits
LOOK FOR: Red/yellow package, says "Rodinné"

2. Opavia BeBe Rodinné Kakaové (Chocolate version)

Same as above but cocoa flavor
Creates darker, chocolate crust
Use: 50-55g butter per 100g biscuits

3. Opavia Zlaté series (Derby, Club, Ovesné, Koka)

Fat: \~15-20%
Texture: Classic butter cookies, crisp
Price: 19-45 Kč (often on promotion)
Crush well, good flavor
Use: 50-55g butter per 100g biscuits
Zlaté Club often cheapest at Billa promotions

4. Lotus Biscoff (Premium option)

Fat: \~22-25% (FATTIER than Czech options!)
Texture: Caramelized speculoos, very crisp
Price: 57 Kč regular, 27 Kč on promotion at Albert
Flavor: Distinctive caramel-spice (not neutral)
CRITICAL: Use ONLY 35-40g butter per 100g biscuits (they're oilier)
Creates unique, special-occasion crust

5. Digestive biscuits (Limited availability)

Emco Digestive (Czech brand - health food sections)
United Biscuits Digestive (Tesco online)
Texture: Slightly grainy, whole grain
Closer to American graham crackers but not necessary
Use: 50g butter per 100g biscuits

AVOID THESE:

BeBe Dobré Ráno (Good Morning) \= too buttery, makes greasy crust
Soft cookies or cakey cookies \= wrong texture, won't crush properly
Crackers (krekry) \= savory, wrong flavor
Wafers (oplatky) \= too light, won't create structure

What you're checking:

1. Ingredient list:

Should start with: mouka (flour), máslo or tuk (butter/fat), cukr (sugar)
Short list \= better (fewer additives)

2. Physical texture:

Pick up package and feel - should be firm, crisp cookies (not soft)
Not puffy or thick (want flat, dense cookies)

3. Fat content (if listed):

15-20% fat \= perfect for standard ratio
20-25% fat \= reduce butter in recipe
Under 15% \= might be too dry

4. Cookie type identification:

Butter cookies (máslové sušenky) \= best choice (recommended)
Digestive \= works well (recommended)
Caramelized/speculoos \= works but different flavor (recommended)
Sponge/soft cookies \= avoid (not recommended)

Crushing test (at home):

Good biscuits crush to fine, even crumbs (like wet sand texture)
Should not turn oily or clumpy when crushed
Should not stay in large chunks (too hard) or turn to powder immediately (too dry)

Price reality check:

BeBe Rodinné: 30-45 Kč per package (need 2 packages)
Zlaté series: 19-45 Kč per package (watch for promotions)
Lotus Biscoff: 27-57 Kč per 250g (only need 1 package)
Budget total for crust: 40-90 Kč depending on choice

Why Americans use graham crackers:

Graham crackers don't exist in Czech Republic
They're slightly sweet, whole wheat crackers with honey flavor
Czech bakers successfully adapted using butter cookies instead
BeBe Rodinné creates equally good (some say better) crust texture

SHOPPING LIST¶

Crust (Korpus):

240g (8.5 oz) biscuits - BeBe Rodinné, Zlaté, or Lotus Biscoff
120g (½ cup / 1 stick) butter, melted (máslo) - OR 80-90g if using Lotus

Filling (Náplň):

800g (28 oz) cream cheese, full-fat (smetanový sýr) - room temperature
240g (1 cup + 3 tbsp) granulated sugar (cukr krupice)
400g (14 oz / 1⅔ cups) sour cream (zakysaná smetana)
300ml (1¼ cups) heavy cream (smetana na šlehání)
4 large eggs
4 tbsp (32g) corn starch (kukuřičný škrob)
3 tbsp (45ml) vanilla extract (vanilkový extrakt)
Juice from ½ lemon (citron)

Raspberry Topping (Malinová poleva):

400g (14 oz) raspberries, fresh or frozen (maliny)
80g (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) granulated sugar (cukr krupice)
2 tbsp (30ml) water (voda)

INSTRUCTIONS¶

PREP WORK (30 minutes ahead):

Take 800g (28 oz) cream cheese (smetanový sýr) out of fridge - needs to be room temperature
Take 4 eggs out of fridge - room temperature eggs mix better
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F)
Grease 23cm springform pan with butter and line bottom with parchment paper

CRUST:

Crush 240g (8.5 oz) biscuits into fine crumbs using food processor or put in plastic bag and crush with rolling pin
Melt 120g (½ cup) butter (OR 80-90g if using Lotus Biscoff - they're fattier)
Mix crushed biscuits with melted butter until texture looks like wet sand
Press mixture firmly into bottom of prepared 23cm pan - use bottom of glass to pack it down evenly
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes
Remove and let cool while making filling

FILLING:

In large bowl, beat 800g (28 oz) room-temperature cream cheese (smetanový sýr) with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy - about 2 minutes
Add 240g (1 cup + 3 tbsp) granulated sugar (cukr krupice) - beat until well combined, scraping down sides
Add 400g (14 oz) sour cream (zakysaná smetana) - mix until smooth
Add 300ml (1¼ cups) heavy cream (smetana na šlehání) - mix until combined
In small bowl, whisk together 4 tbsp (32g) corn starch (kukuřičný škrob) and 3 tbsp (45ml) vanilla extract (vanilkový extrakt) until smooth paste
Add corn starch mixture to cream cheese mixture - beat until smooth
Add juice from ½ lemon (citron) - mix briefly
Add 4 eggs ONE AT A TIME, mixing on low speed after each addition just until incorporated - don't overmix or you'll get air bubbles
Pour filling over cooled crust in pan
Tap pan gently on counter 5-10 times to release air bubbles

BAKING:

Place springform pan on baking sheet (catches any leaks)
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30 minutes
WITHOUT opening oven, reduce temperature to 150°C (300°F)
Continue baking for 50-60 minutes - center should still jiggle slightly when gently shaken
Turn off oven, crack oven door open about 5cm (2 inches)
Leave cheesecake in oven for 60 minutes to cool slowly - this prevents cracking
Remove from oven, let cool to room temperature on counter - about 2 hours
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate minimum 4 hours, preferably overnight

RASPBERRY TOPPING:

In small saucepan, combine 400g (14 oz) raspberries (maliny), 80g (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) sugar (cukr krupice), and 2 tbsp (30ml) water (voda)
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until raspberries break down and mixture thickens - about 8-10 minutes
Mash berries with fork while cooking for smoother sauce
Let cool to room temperature
Spread over chilled cheesecake before serving OR serve sauce on the side

SERVING:

Run thin knife around edge of pan before removing springform ring
Slice with hot knife (dip in hot water, wipe dry between cuts) for clean slices
Store covered in refrigerator up to 5 days