Creamy, sweet and oh-so-moreish (which, depending on your cravings and waistline, can either be a good or a bad thing), cheesecake is the definite queen of cakes. Though it does not share the dense texture of a Victoria Sponge - which defines the foundation of a traditional cake - cheesecake takes cake-making to a whole new level, one of which I'm constantly eager to explore. Within the realms of my mouth, of course.
As I licked my spoon clean after polishing off the remains of a slice of Oreo-flavoured cheesecake yesterday, I experienced what you might call an 'epiphany': what I had long assumed was a fondness suddenly transformed into a manic, relentless craving. Moments before, I had gotten myself tangled in a web of pure delight when I devoured every single bite of cheesecake (or Oreo) - the greatest position in which I'd found myself for ages. I never wanted to unstrap myself from the web because eating the cheesecake was a moment that I was desperate to prolong for as long as possible!
The pleasure was too great to define, as was the flavour of the cheesecake itself: it's like a little secret that only I wish to keep to myself. And, when I'm focusing on nothing other than the slice presented before me, nothing else really matters - I hardly engage in conversation in between mouthfuls, preferring to remain in an airtight bubble. Minutes may pass, yet I'm not aware of its fast-moving pace; in that sense, I could have been strapped in a rocket and embarked on a journey to outer space without noticing my starry whereabouts: it was all about the cheesecake and I. Nothing else!
In my opinion, cheesecake brings your fantasies of pleasure, excitement and good eating alive; if made well, it ticks all of those boxes which reality sometimes struggles to fulfill. Without intending to sound like a nutcase, there is something special about cheesecake which some of us discover, yet cannot quite put our finger on what that specialness might be. Could the creaminess be the source of our attachment to it, a texture so rich that we cannot control ourselves from tasting it? Or is it perceived as a 'naughty' food that, despite its potentially high calorie count (which I'm too terrified to even consider, let alone find out) and alarm bells that start ringing in the heart attack ward, we are drawn to?
For reasons that I'll probably never comprehend, humans are fascinated by what they are supposed to 'not' have - and, by the cream cheese content alone, cheesecake automatically falls into the 'to avoid like leather trousers' category. Even so, I still love, cherish, adore, crave, yearn for and am entirely, madly, wholly addicted to it. Yeah, maybe I am a nutcase after all - courtesy of the greatest dessert ever created on Earth.
Anyway, cheesecakes come in many forms, all of which are equally great - and spoil you rotten! From baked to fridge-set, cheesecakes can take on various and unique textures, whilst still providing the addictive taste that establishes an life-long appetite for indulgence. And fluttery panics regarding the horrendous state of your calorie intake - fear of which consumes you more than you devour a slice of cheesecake! Still, that panic dies down as quickly as it was created, and you needn't wait half an hour until you find yourself Googling 'Philadelphia' (of the soft, cheesy kind).
As a newcomer to the Cheesecake Lovers Club, my adventures have only gone as far as Oreo and chocolate-flavoured cakes - most of my experiences have been in the form of a lemon (with low fat cream cheese - hallelujah!) - cheesecake that my mum sometimes makes. However, I've now caught the bug to try more, and hope to be transported to places as great as the ones that Oreo cheesecake takes me!
Lastly, I shall leave you (and, of course, myself) with several images of cheesecakes that I wish to indulge on at this very minute, but am unable to do so because a roast dinner will be served shortly. And tonight's dessert is sadly not of the creamy sort - it will be a while until I meet my favourite cake once again! If only I could put my hand through the pictures and have a bite whilst waiting for dinner...
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