DM and I are trying to recreate the cheesecake of our youths and not quite getting the filling right. DM's aunt taught her how to make cheesecake, and she always made it from memory. But she hasn't made it for at least 20y and can't remember the recipe.
I've been using about 500g of curd cheese (not cottage or Philly) and 150-200g of cream, 175g caster sugar, 5 eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon rind. I separate the eggs and mix the yolks with all the other ingredients except the sugar. Then I beat the whites stiff with the sugar, fold into the cheese mixture, pour onto the base, and bake at 150C for 1.5h. I leave it to cool in the oven without opening the oven door.
It tastes heavenly, but the texture is wrong.
DM and I both remember that the cake would rise, and then collapse on cooling, leaving a glossy brown crust with deep creamy fissures. It was firm when cut, and stodgy when eaten.
My versions rise, fall, and crack, just like the original, but they are a paler, less glossy brown and the fissures aren't deep. More importantly they are light, crumbly, with a texture almost like a dry mousse. DM's had a firm texture - you could place something on the cake and it wouldn't squash down. If you press on my cheesecakes they give, and you can hear the crackle of time bubbles popping.
I think also DM's cheesecake would collapse more evenly across the whole cake, whereas mine tend to stay high around the rim, giving a tray-like effect.
Any suggestions where we're going wrong?