Who doesn’t like cheesecake? It has a decadent sweetness and is surprisingly filling. If you’ve bought a large quantity or baked an entire cake and have leftovers, how long does cheesecake last in the fridge?
According to USDA food safety recommendations, prepared cheesecake can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. So that it doesn’t pick up any refrigerator odors, we advise storage in an airtight container.
Continue reading to find out more about cheesecake’s shelf life and practical storage advice.
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Cheesecake 101
Simple cheesecake recipes can be found online. Combining softened cream cheese, eggs, sour cream, and any additional flavorings—such as lemon, vanilla, cinnamon, or peanut butter—will result in the desired flavor. Place this creamy mixture into a graham cracker crust for cookies, bake, and chill. Nobody wants watery, undercooked cheesecake, so even cooking is crucial for this decadent cake.), so it is typically cooked in the oven partially submerged in a water bath. An electric pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot, can also be used to cook cheesecake to perfection.
Unlike many other cakes, cheesecake gets better once it’s chilled. It is crucial that the cake is allowed to cool slightly on the counter after baking before being moved to the refrigerator to cool completely, a process that can take up to overnight. After being chilled, cheesecake can be decorated in countless ways. Favorite garnishes include chopped nuts, shredded coconut, chocolate ganache, fresh seasonal fruit, fruit syrups, fresh seasonal fruit, cookies, and even candies and cookies.
How To Store Cheesecake?
Since the main ingredient of cheesecake is cream cheese (or sometimes cottage cheese or ricotta), I’m fairly sure you know you should keep it refrigerated.
Obviously, you should keep it covered to prevent odor absorption from the refrigerator and drying out. To cover it, use a cake carrier, or cut the leftovers into smaller pieces and put them into airtight containers. You can also encase the cake in plastic or aluminum foil.
If you’re serving the cheesecake with a topping that doesn’t refrigerate well, it’s better if you put the cake into the fridge sans-topping and add the finishing touches right before serving.
Tips For Storing Cheesecake
You must follow a few guidelines if you want cheesecake to retain its original flavor and texture after some time in storage.
Knowing the tips will help you preserve your cheesecake more easily, in addition to picking a suitable storage method. Here are a few ways that you can apply:
- Avoid adding toppings to the cheesecake when you plan to freeze it, especially toppings like chocolate and jam. To give your cheesecake the best flavor, incorporate them right before serving.
- In the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer, cheesecake should always be kept at a constant temperature. The texture of the cake can be impacted by abrupt temperature changes, such as immediately bringing cheesecake from the freezer to room temperature.
- Purchase the remaining cheesecake when you visit the supermarket. When the cake is freshly removed from the store’s refrigerator, this will keep it cool. As a result, the cake is still cold when you get it home to preserve its quality.
- If you’re only going to use the cheesecake for a few days, don’t try to freeze it. All cheesecakes should be refrigerated because freezing is not advised.
Can You Freeze Cheesecake?
The cheesecake in the fridge only remains fresh for a few days, as you might anticipate. So it’s best to freeze it if you want to keep it around for a while. Additionally, many bakeries advise freezing the leftovers of cheesecake because it is one of the cakes that freezes quite well.
Naturally, the ingredients you use and the recipe your bakery uses will determine how your cheesecake freezes. Therefore, not all cheesecakes are created equal when it comes to freezing. However, you can generally assume that dense cheesecake without delicate toppings freeze remarkably well.
Simple steps must be taken in order to freeze the cake.
Basically, you must wrap the cake in a freezer-safe material to prevent freezer burn or drying out. Anything works, including a freezer bag, an airtight container, or two layers of aluminum foil. Just be cautious when wrapping so as not to crush the pieces.
The night before serving, place the cake in the refrigerator to thaw. Or, at the very least, a few hours ahead of time.
Finally, if the cheesecake needs to be refrozen, do so after letting it thaw in the refrigerator.
How Long Does Cheesecake Last?
At Room Temperature
Cheesecake should not be left for more than 2 hours at room temperature, whether homemade or purchased. All cheesecake recipes from around the world share one thing in common: their ingredients are all fairly simple to melt. As a result, your cheesecake will turn out deformed and unappealing.
The typical setting also raises the possibility of bacteria getting inside the cheesecake and hastening spoilage. Therefore, I advise keeping the cake in the refrigerator for all cheesecakes or the freezer for some special recipes.
In The Refrigerator
The refrigerator can help keep homemade cheesecake for 3 to 4 days. This period will be more extended, up to 5 to 7 days for cakes purchased from the store.
This discrepancy results from the more complex production procedures and better-processed ingredients used in commercial cakes, which enable them to last for a long time.
In The Freezer
Most cheesecakes shouldn’t be kept in freezers because essential ingredients like cream cheese and whipped cream change texture when frozen. Your cheesecake won’t maintain its original creamy texture even after defrosting.
Only use this method to store cheesecake in the freezer if the cake’s storage instructions allow it. Otherwise, avoid using the freezer at all. The freezer can keep them for up to 8 months.
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How To Tell If Cheesecake Has Gone Bad?
1. Aging
Smooth, even edges and mellow cheese are hallmarks of freshly made cheesecake. On the other hand, stale cake will have cracked and crusty edges. Other toppings may also have an off flavor in addition to the cheese feeling and tasting rubbery.
2. Discoloration
A cheesecake’s freshness has been compromised when it turns an unpleasant yellow and may have some gray spotting. Resist the urge to remove these stained areas and continue eating the cake. You can get sick from eating such a cake because a color change is frequently a sign of bacterial activity.
3. Foul Smell
Usually, all it takes is one glance to determine whether cheesecake has gone bad. To be absolutely certain, however, you can check the cake’s freshness by giving it a good sniff.
Throw the cake out immediately if it smells like stale dairy products. As another indication of bacterial activity, the cake may also ooze liquid.
4. Mold
Mold is a sure sign that something has spoiled. The cake that has been out at room temperature for longer than the advised two hours will typically develop mold spores. Due to exposure to moisture, leaving the cake unattended in the refrigerator can also encourage the growth of mold.
The cake may not be safe to eat even though you cannot see the mold spores. Unrefrigerated cheesecake will quickly attract bacteria, so it is best to just toss it out of caution.
Keep a record of when the cake was made and how long it was left out of the fridge. Cheesecake should not be eaten after spending more than two hours sitting out on the counter.
Risks When Eating Expired Cheesecake
If you’re still not sure whether to throw away the spoiled cheesecakes, think about how bad they are for your health. I believe that the typical harms listed below—while not all of them are—should be sufficient to help you decide.
Food Poisoning
When you consume foods that are contaminated with bacteria, viruses that spread illness or have strong toxins, or when you consume stale or moldy foods, you develop food poisoning.
When the condition is mild, people typically recover on their own after a few days. However, patients with severe poisoning who exhibit more severe symptoms must be hospitalized for care and observation.
Stomach Pain
The term “gastritis” describes the damage and inflammation that occur inside the stomach. Pain in the epigastrium that manifests along with nausea, heartburn, and appetite loss is the disease’s defining symptom.
The main factor causing stomach ulcers is irrational eating habits. Bad eaters frequently experience diseases of the stomach. Anyone can experience stomach pain, including young children and the elderly.
Therefore, being proactive in learning about the disease’s causes, symptoms, and manifestations will help you prevent it effectively and recognize it as soon as you do.
Summary
Eggs, cream, cheese, and flavorings, all of which have a short shelf life, are abundant in cheesecake. Your preferred dessert will quickly go bad because it is susceptible to bacterial activity.
However, you should eat the cake within a week or toss it. Refrigeration will help to keep the cake fresh for a little while longer. The cake that has been left out at room temperature for longer than two hours and displays obvious signs of spoilage should not be eaten.
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