Start Adding Olive Oil To Cheesecake And Thank Us Later

Though it's made with a relatively simple mix of ingredients, baking homemade cheesecake can seem a little daunting. After all, the cake's base is traditionally made with cream cheese, eggs, cream, sour cream, lemon juice, and flavorings to present a delicate canvas that's susceptible to drying out when baked. Hence, a variety of tips for cheesecake — from baking it gently in a water bath to cracking the oven door — to keep it moist. While these are great methods, you can also add one particular household ingredient to cheesecake to provide richness, moisture, and a depth of taste: olive oil.

And it makes complete sense considering all the ways to bake with olive oil, and how it adds savory notes to desserts and moisture to brownies and cakes. When used in cheesecake, the results are texturally tender and complex in flavor. Though an unexpected addition to something as classic as New York-style cheesecake, gourmet chefs, home cooks, and restaurants have been experimenting in recent years with adding flavorful olive oil to the silky, dairy-based cake.  For instance, Marmelo restaurant in Melbourne, Australia, features a wood-fired olive oil cheesecake on its menu, topped with flaky salt to enhance its savory, smoky accents. In a similar vein, you can add a bit of olive oil to traditional or Basque cheesecake to give the sweet treat more velvety depth, plus the earthy, savory, and fragrant taste of your favorite olive oil.

All you need is about a third cup of olive oil (depending on your recipe) to add big flavor and moisture. If you don't feel like adding olive oil directly into cheesecake batter, no worries. You can also experiment with mixing olive oil in place of melted butter into a cookie crust or one made of nuts. Or drizzle olive oil on top of your cake slice just before serving it. Detroit's Spanish-inspired eatery, Leña, has been known to top its cheesecake with a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Pasté Bcn in Barcelona serves its rich chocolate cheesecake with a culinary pipette of quality olive oil, along with sea salt. 

Just remember, the best type of olive oil for cake is a quality extra virgin olive oil, since its flavor is purer and more nuanced and pronounced compared to non-extra virgin varieties. A flavorful, quality olive oil is especially essential if you're drizzling it atop baked cheesecake, where its taste can shine through. Just like when pairing olive oil with cheese, you can enhance and balance the sweet, rich flavor of the cake with your favorite olive oil sensory notes — from fruity to floral, grassy, or peppery.