Cheesecake Is it Cake or Pie? «123...Next Go

temerald7667

I live in Valdez Alaska and a local ice cream shop had a discussion on cheesecake.
Is Cheesecake, Cake or Pie

I personally feel it's a cake.
However, there were some pretty convincing comments as to why it's a pie

What do you think?

Cake or Pie

cheesecake


cake


pie

mintycupcake

Cheesecake is cheesecake.

kaitlyn0

It's a cake. End of discussion.

takenbysheep

pie
/pī/
noun
a baked dish of fruit, or meat and vegetables, typically with a top and base of pastry.
synonyms: pastry, tart, turnover
"the enticing aroma of fresh-baked pies"

cake
/kāk/
noun
an item of soft, sweet food made from a mixture of flour, shortening, eggs, sugar, and other ingredients, baked and often decorated.
"a carrot cake"

cheese·cake
/ˈCHēzˌkāk/
noun
a kind of rich dessert cake made with cream and soft cheese on a graham cracker, cookie, or pastry crust, typically topped with a fruit sauce.

I don't think cheesecake falls under the definition of either pie nor cake, and deserves its own category. It probably falls closer to cake on the spectrum between the two desserts, partly because it has cake in its name and because the definition for cake is a bit more open ended than the definition for pie.

mintycupcake

kaitlyn0 wrote: »

It's a cake. End of discussion.

While I would be outraged if someone brought me cheesecake when I'd asked for cake, the dictionary would agree with you:

—noun

Also, cheese cake. a cake having a firm custardlike texture, made with cream cheese, cottage cheese, or both, and sometimes topped with a jamlike fruit mixture.

icmnfrsh

I was thinking it was pie-ish at first, but the only crust it has is the graham underside. The rest of it isn't covered in a pie crust. So it's a lot closer to cake than pie.

the_greenplumbob

I'd say it's probably closer to cake. Pies normally consist of something that covers the main flavour; such as pastry covering apples in an Apple Pie, or mashed potatoes covering mince in a Shepherd's Pie. In a cheesecake, the main flavour is the cream ontop - this isn't covered by anything, so it's not really a pie.

That does raise the question as to whether 'crumble' counts as a pie then, because you have "breadcrumbs" covering the fruit underneath, which is the main flavour.

Cupid

I feel like it's just its own thing. There are cakes, there are pies, and there are Cheesecakes.

Shadyboop

It is on a different spectrum

the_greenplumbob

I think it would be better if we stopped using labels

citysimmer

Don't box it in, let cheesecake be cheesecake

temerald7667

mintycupcake wrote: »

Cheesecake is cheesecake.

Yes, I agree. Can it just be in its own category?

temerald7667

kaitlyn0 wrote: »

It's a cake. End of discussion.

Simple to the point! Cake is in its name!

temerald7667

takenbysheep wrote: »

pie
/pī/
noun
a baked dish of fruit, or meat and vegetables, typically with a top and base of pastry.
synonyms: pastry, tart, turnover
"the enticing aroma of fresh-baked pies"

cake
/kāk/
noun
an item of soft, sweet food made from a mixture of flour, shortening, eggs, sugar, and other ingredients, baked and often decorated.
"a carrot cake"

cheese·cake
/ˈCHēzˌkāk/
noun
a kind of rich dessert cake made with cream and soft cheese on a graham cracker, cookie, or pastry crust, typically topped with a fruit sauce.

I don't think cheesecake falls under the definition of either pie nor cake, and deserves its own category. It probably falls closer to cake on the spectrum between the two desserts, partly because it has cake in its name and because the definition for cake is a bit more open ended than the definition for pie.

This is great, thanks!

temerald7667

mintycupcake wrote: »

kaitlyn0 wrote: »

It's a cake. End of discussion.

While I would be outraged if someone brought me cheesecake when I'd asked for cake, the dictionary would agree with you:

—noun

Also, cheese cake. a cake having a firm custardlike texture, made with cream cheese, cottage cheese, or both, and sometimes topped with a jamlike fruit mixture.

This is great!

temerald7667

icmnfrsh wrote: »

I was thinking it was pie-ish at first, but the only crust it has is the graham underside. The rest of it isn't covered in a pie crust. So it's a lot closer to cake than pie.

I really hadn't thought about this and really didn't care to until the local ice cream shop began asking questions about it. It's always been cheesecake and I just didn't question it.

temerald7667

Cupid wrote: »

I feel like it's just its own thing. There are cakes, there are pies, and there are Cheesecakes.

Yes I agree

temerald7667

Shadyboop wrote: »

It is on a different spectrum

I agree

temerald7667

citysimmer wrote: »

Don't box it in, let cheesecake be cheesecake

Yes, let it be!

Idontrcall

I put 3 tablespoons of flour in my cheesecake -- it's a cake to me. Plus I think the graham (or whatever you use) crust is not a very important part of the whole equation.

And look at pound cake ... it can look just like bread -- but it's cake. So appearance isn't all that important to me.

And those people who claim the crust and filling make the pie -- what about cobbler? Certainly cobbler is pie enough but the crust doesn't go on the bottom, it's typically spooned on top.


In short: If cheesecake must be a cake or pie -- it's a cake. If it can be its own delicious thing it should be allowed to be.

mintycupcake

Idontrcall wrote: »

I put 3 tablespoons of flour in my cheesecake -- it's a cake to me. Plus I think the graham (or whatever you use) crust is not a very important part of the whole equation.

And look at pound cake ... it can look just like bread -- but it's cake. So appearance isn't all that important to me.

And those people who claim the crust and filling make the pie -- what about cobbler? Certainly cobbler is pie enough but the crust doesn't go on the bottom, it's typically spooned on top.


In short: If cheesecake must be a cake or pie -- it's a cake. If it can be its own delicious thing it should be allowed to be.

Yes, that's what I was thinking. A crust doesn't automatically make something a pie.

DeKay

Neither cuz the crust isn't pastry. And it's not totally a cake either unless you are talking about a cotton cheesecake.

dreamerz13

Okay but are pancakes also cake? They have cake in the name. I doubt very many people would call them cake

Cheesecake is cheesecake it's neither cake nor pie. It's it's own thing.

DeKay

dreamerz13 wrote: »

Okay but are pancakes also cake? They have cake in the name. I doubt very many people would call them cake

Cheesecake is cheesecake it's neither cake nor pie. It's it's own thing.

Yeah, pancakes are not cakes.

temerald7667

Idontrcall wrote: »

I put 3 tablespoons of flour in my cheesecake -- it's a cake to me. Plus I think the graham (or whatever you use) crust is not a very important part of the whole equation.

And look at pound cake ... it can look just like bread -- but it's cake. So appearance isn't all that important to me.

And those people who claim the crust and filling make the pie -- what about cobbler? Certainly cobbler is pie enough but the crust doesn't go on the bottom, it's typically spooned on top.


In short: If cheesecake must be a cake or pie -- it's a cake. If it can be its own delicious thing it should be allowed to be.

Cheesecake needs to be its own delicious thing, I agree!

temerald7667

DeKay wrote: »

dreamerz13 wrote: »

Okay but are pancakes also cake? They have cake in the name. I doubt very many people would call them cake

Cheesecake is cheesecake it's neither cake nor pie. It's it's own thing.

Yeah, pancakes are not cakes.

I'm with you, pancakes are not cakes!