Cheese cake - cream cheese vs. sour cream, and how much?

[Sr. Christina Neumann]

I am going to be making cheese cake for the first time and see recipes with varying amounts of cream cheese also some that use sour cream, or a combination of the two. What difference does it make which you use and how much?
I am also interested in the most economical choice.
Thanks.

 

[CoolCat]

My mom's recipe contains 16 oz of cream cheese and 10 oz of sour cream. Most of the flavor is going to be coming from the cream cheese and that also gives you a dense but creamy texture.

Which ratio is most economical is going to depend on where you are. I'm sure ingredient prices vary quite a bit depending on what is used extensively in the local area and what is produced locally. You will want to take a quick trip to the grocery store for that side.

 

[Sr. Christina Neumann]

I found that the sour cream looks cheaper. The above-mentioned amounts seem large - maybe that is for a double batch, or a very large cake.
Any other thoughts regarding how the products effect baking, consistancy, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Trellum]

I am going to be making cheese cake for the first time and see recipes with varying amounts of cream cheese also some that use sour cream, or a combination of the two. What difference does it make which you use and how much?
I am also interested in the most economical choice.
Thanks.

Just use the cream cheese, no need to use sour cream at all for a good cheesecake. I make mine with only cream cheese (190 g), some lemon juice, condensed milk, vanilla extract, one egg, baking powder or hydrated gelatin if I'm going to make the no bake version. I end up getting a really nice cheesecake/pie using only those ingredients. If you got more questions regarding to the gelatin then let me know.

bBy the way, the no bake with gelatin in it is delicious, more light and fresh than the baked version. Perfect if you are in a rush.

 

[Sr. Christina Neumann]

Only one egg?

 

[CoolCat]

I found that the sour cream looks cheaper. The above-mentioned amounts seem large - maybe that is for a double batch, or a very large cake.
Any other thoughts regarding how the products effect baking, consistancy, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks.

It's not a double batch or a particularly large cheesecake. The filling fits is a standard store-bought graham cracker crust. For reference, the other ingredients are 3 eggs, a cup of sugar, and a tsp of vanilla. It's the only cheesecake recipe that I've ever baked from, so I can't speak to how it compares to other recipes. I do prefer it over other cheesecakes I've eaten from restaurants or that friends have made, but that may be because I grew up on it.

 

[Sr. Christina Neumann]

Thank you.

 

[Trellum]

Only one egg?

Yes, I use only one large egg for the baked version and it turns out great. Is not a really large cheese pie/cake I use a premade graham crust sometimes, sometimes I make my own with digestive biscuits.