What makes a good blueberry cheesecake

There has been a lot of talk about cheesecake lately. Basque, that is, that delicious summer trend where cheesecake is crustless and cooked at high temperatures. If you didn’t already get it from its name, this cheesecake originated from Spain. It is mouthwateringly rustic, with imperfect edges and a top surface that’s very nearly burned. Inside, it’s solid yet soft, not quite as dense as the New York variety but not fluffy the way the Japanese like it. It has somehow found the perfect in between, plus a bit more. 

The burnt Basque cheesecake is only the latest cheesecake to be put under the spotlight. Though it may be dressed differently every now and then, cheesecake is just one of those things that never go out of style: New York, Japanese, no-bake, ricotta, and, finally, the OG, blueberry cheesecake.  

Blueberry cheesecake was once the quintessential dessert in the Philippines. It was just ideal: not a lightweight, it can keep up with the heft of Filipino food, but with that tartish finish that brightens up the palate. Ironically, blueberries aren’t endemic in the country – but that just added to its appeal.

“Blueberry cheesecakes were popular in the ’80s when we first started Sugarhouse,” said Ginny Roces-de Guzman, who opened the iconic café in 1983. “American-inspired pastries were popular then.”

Though blueberry cheesecake continues to hold a place on most café menus, like Starbucks, where it continues to be a bestseller, it has somehow taken a backseat to the more, shall we say, photogenic options. But for Instagram bakeshop Fedici.ph, there’s no putting down a classic. 

Launched just last June, their menu comprises a couple of classic cheesecakes, including blueberry, reviving interest in this timeless treat for the social media generation. Of course, it does help that Fedici cakes are absolutely picture-perfect.

“It’s always nice to go back to something people will always have memories of,” said Fedici owner Meriel Faye Acaba. “We all probably have shared a slice of blueberry cheesecake in our lifetime with our loved ones. The memories make it sweeter than any other flavor.” Acaba recalled that she and her sister would always enjoy cheesecake on bad days. 

The name Fedici is, moreover, is a tribute to her other sister, Fides, who passed away. “A classic never gets old,” she added. 

Banapple owner Maricel Jimenez agreed. “Blueberry cheesecake has already joined the ranks of desserts that are here to stay for good, like apple pie, chocolate cake. It’s a staple for most dessert lovers. It’s not a fad.” 

The secret to cheesecake

Roces-de Guzman, who sold Sugarhouse in 2008, no longer offers blueberry cheesecake in her current restaurant, Tilde in Makati. Instead she has variations like carrot and lychee cheesecakes. But the flavors of her beloved blueberry are hard to forget. 

“A good cheesecake starts with good ingredients,” she explained, holding nothing back. “Full fat cream cheese and good cream. It must be baked in a water bath or bain-marie, long and slow. Cheesecake is essentially a custard and must be cooked gently.” 

Fedici’s secret is in their homemade jams, driving home that sentimentality that seasons their cakes. The jam is made by their mother using only quality fresh blueberries. “We have always believed that freshness makes a cheesecake topnotch,” Acaba said. The luscious jam, made with only the best hand-picked blueberries, bridges the equally toothsome cake with the fresh fruit topping.

Acaba’s personal favorite cheesecake is from Starbucks, and she seems to be taking her cue from the coffee chain’s emphasis on quality ingredients. The Blueberry-licious, which is satisfying with or without a cup of coffee, only uses top quality cream cheese and blueberries. Everything else would follow. 

“What makes a classic blueberry cheesecake delicious is its deep, smooth and tangy base that balances with the sweetness of an oozing blueberry compote topping,” a Starbucks rep told Rappler. 

Balance, it seems obvious, but hard to achieve with only three major components; one can easily overpower the others. Jimenez makes sure that every bit is working its part: Banapple’s rendition is, after all, as classic as it could get: a sturdy graham platform for a rich, custard-like cake; on top a sweet-and-tart jam with whole blueberries that pop in one’s mouth with every forkful. 

She’s not shy about it either: Banapple uses half a kilo of cream cheese per cheesecake to really highlight that beautiful, slightly tangy mouthful. 

A cheesecake memory

Jimenez can’t forget her first blueberry cheesecake. It was at Mario’s. The cake was nothing like she’d ever tried before: her fork sinking through the blueberry sank and past the pillowy dense filling before slicing through the crumbly crust. It is, until now, her favorite cheesecake—that is, after Banapple’s.

“Just like anything that stays in your life, blueberry cheesecake is dependable, reliable, and consistent,” said Jimenez. “[Blueberry cheesecake] just hits all the cravings of sweetness, sourness, crunchiness, softness, creaminess.” One single forkful just gives you everything you need.  

“People tend to go back to their first love,” said Acaba. It’s true. Despite every dish that’s been created during the quarantine, when Fedici began selling blueberry cheesecakes in November, they flew off the proverbial shelves. After being known in social media circles for strawberry cheesecakes, she actually developed her blueberry recipe by her sister’s request—but only after she sourced fresh blueberries. 

There just something about this dessert that is resilient. We can go ahead trying all the newfangled dessert concoctions, but there will always be days for blueberry cheesecake.

Roces-de Guzman puts it in more technical terms. “Blueberry cheesecake will always be around. It has the best combination of texture, crumbly and crisp crust, creamy and dense cheese filling offset by the tartness of blueberries.” – Rappler.com

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