Name: Cheddar and Beer Cheesecake
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup Gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 20 snaps); 1 cup Plus 2 tablespoons sugar divided; 1 tsp Ground ginger; 1/4 cup Unsalted butter or margarine, melted (1/2 stick); 24 oz Cream cheese, at room temperature (3 packages); 1 cup Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (4 ounces); 5 large Eggs, at room temperature; 1/4 cup Non-alcoholic beer; 1/4 cup Heavy cream

Why it works: Cream cheese and cheddar cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 467 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Cheddar and Beer Cheesecake

Oven300°F

Time1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup Gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 20 snaps)
1 cup Plus 2 tablespoons sugar divided
1 tsp Ground ginger
1/4 cup Unsalted butter or margarine, melted (1/2 stick)
24 oz Cream cheese, at room temperature (3 packages)
1 cup Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
5 large Eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup Non-alcoholic beer
1/4 cup Heavy cream

Directions

Prepare the crust

Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Lightly butter the bottom only of a 9‑inch spring form pan with removable side.
In a medium‑size bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the ginger, and butter.
Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Chill while making the filling.

Make the filling

In a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat both cheeses just until smooth.
Gradually add the remaining 1 cup of sugar, beating just until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until each is combined.
At low speed, beat in the beer and heavy cream.
Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake and chill

Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the center is set and the top is lightly golden, but do not brown.
Turn off the oven and place a wooden spoon in the door to hold it slightly ajar; let the cake sit in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the cake to a wire rack and cool completely.
Chill for several hours or overnight.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

537Calories

16 gProtein

41 gFat

20 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Cream Cheese	1 oz (28g)	99
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Beer	1/4 cup (60ml) for cooking	43
Ginger	1 tsp grated fresh (2g)	2

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cream cheese + cheddar cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together467 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Cheddar cheese + beertop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together148 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together41,516 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Butter + cream cheesetop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,747 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
Butter + cheddar cheesetop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,436 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cream cheese: Provides the dense, smooth, rich body that defines the cheesecake's texture.
Eggs: Set during baking to give the filling its structure and firm, sliceable body.
Cheddar cheese: Adds sharp savory flavor and contributes fat for a richer, creamy filling.
Gingersnap cookie crumbs: Form the crisp, sweet, spiced base that holds the crust together.
Sugar: Sweetens the filling and helps make it light and fluffy when beaten.
Heavy cream: Adds fat and moisture, making the filling silkier and more tender.

The step that matters

Bake low and do not brown the top. Baking at 300°F with eggs set gently; overbaking or high heat causes cracks and browning. Cooling slowly in the oven further reduces cracking from temperature shock.

Swap the ginger

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, butter, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, beer, cream):

Nutmegfits better
Cinnamonfits better
Garlicfits about as well
Gingerthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, butter, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, beer, cream. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Cheddar and Beer Cheesecake