1650 to 1799 Cake # 4

17th Century Cheesecake

Cheesecake was originated by the Romans and Greeks. It is believed that the first American colonists to make cheesecake were the Moravian settlers (a religious group exiled from the German/Austrian region) in Philadelphia. They used fresh cheese curds that were similar to cottage or ricotta cheese. The Moravians owned an Inn, in Bethlehem Pennsylvania, in 1758, where they first put cheesecake on the menu. This inn was located in a cherry orchard, so it is likely that the first American cheesecake was made with cherries!

The cake recipe in this book was discovered by historians at the Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts. It has been updated for modern use.

*Warning* This was the first cake in the book so far where I felt like I must have messed something up. The cake was pretty pale compared to the picture in the book. I am not a fan of ricotta cheese in the first place, so I wasn't sure when I tasted it if it was the cheese or if it was just that bad. My husband refused to try this one, so he was no help, haha. My mom tried it and was not impressed. Most likely, it was baker error, but sometimes recipes can just not be that great in the first place. So far, the 17th Century Cheesecake, is our least favorite.