A couple weeks ago I enjoyed a great night out with some girlfriends. And where did we go? Well, Cheesecake Factory of course! I was reminded that it has been a long while since I have written a cheesecake review, and we've sampled several since my last one, so I have lots to catch up on! In fact, we also observed National Cheesecake Day on July 30 and thanks to a half-off deal at the Factory two nights in a row, we had a double face-off: Hershey vs. Godiva and the War of the Citrus. I'll tell you about those, then add some previously un-reviewed cheesecakes. (Remember, overall scores are composed of a rating out of 4 stars, and a richness factor of 1-3, 1 being the lightest)
We are long time fans of the Godiva Cheesecake. It has no frills, layers, or culinary accessories, but who needs 'em when you have chocolate perfection? The Godiva Cheesecake is one solid slice of rich chocolate heaven, just the perfect amount of bitter-sweetness and richness through and through. I still don't recommend it as a meal finial unless you can share it because it is a lot of chocolate for one sitting.
The Hershey's on the other hand had some nice layers to it, a little sample of various forms of chocolate: there was a layer of mousse, cheesecake, chocolate cake, and a frosting like layer, with a nice crust of chocolate chips on the outside edge. The quality of the chocolate was a little better than I expected from a "grocery store brand" of chocolate, but this is Cheesecake Factory after all, and they stepped it up enough to compete with its gourmet sister.
The victor? Well, I think it more depends on what you like: bite after bite of the same chocolate perfection, or a strata of good chocolate in all its varieties. Still, I'd say the Godiva is the superior dessert. (Score: Godiva still at **** 3, Hershey's *** 3)
On the second night of National Cheesecake observance, I arrived at the Factory to discover a new friend waiting for me in the display case like a puppy at the pet store. I saw what looked like lemon curd beneath a smear of marshmallow creme and just had to ask the server, "Is that one new?" It was indeed just added that day. Lemon Merengue Cheesecake. Dallyn and I had already decided it was time to try the Key Lime, but this couldn't be passed up. Thanks to the half-off deal, we brought home both for the price of one.
This face off was another case of pure flavor vs layers. The Key Lime Cheesecake was exactly the way I like my key lime pie: tart and sweet, a little dense and custardy, and more creamy than fluffy. It had the classic graham crust and whip cream garnish like a regular key lime pie, but the filling was more than twice as thick. It didn't taste much like a cheesecake, but the tartness of the lime easily overpowered any hint of cream cheese sourness. Perfectly luscious. If you are a key lime fan like me, I highly recommend this one.
The new pie on the block was also stupendous, and a happy addition to the menu. The first pie I ever baked was a lemon merengue, and I've been partial to them my whole life. The Lemon Merengue Cheesecake featured a few layers with different textures: a fairly thick one of lemony cheesecake, topped with a nice spread of lemon curd. The layer above that of marshmallow creme was lightly toasted to resemble merengue, but obviously had a more creamy consistency than a true egg-white merengue. Add to that the whip cream and some candied lemon zest and you had a lovely combination. This one was less tart and a little lighter than the key lime with more variety of textures and flavors.
Our favorite: the lemon merengue, but not by much, just for the lovely assembly of its parts.
(Score: Lemon Merengue **** 1, Key Lime **** 2)
On my girls night out I tried one my husband hadn't shown much interest in, the Fresh Banana Cream. It was really good, especially if you like banana cream pie. It was certainly a lighter cheesecake, and I could have easily finished it off myself, especially since I hadn't just eaten dinner but I wanted to share a couple bites with Dallyn despite his lack of interest. There wasn't much fancy about it, pretty simple flavors, not super sweet. I'm not likely to try it again. If you really like banana cream pie, like it's your favorite pie in the world, I'd say go for it, but there are so many other amazing items on the menu so honestly, this one is more of a toss-out for me. My score: ** 1
Now for some more reviews from cheesecakes past:
(New Review!) Dulce de Leche **** 1
I was surprised how much I loved this one! It is a perfect choice for when you want something a little lighter, not fruity or chocolatey, just creamy and delicious. It has a little more oomph to it than just a plain cheesecake because it has that lovely touch of carmel goodness. With a dusting of chopped nuts to add some texture, this is one of my very top picks.
(New Review!) Wild Blueberry White Chocolate *** 2
I was not a fan of blueberry flavor growing up, and even though I now love good fresh blueberries, I am still a little less enamored of traditional "blueberry" flavor. Nevertheless, I was surprised how much I liked this one. There was just the right amount of sweet blueberries and a lovely creaminess to the white-chocolate enriched cheesecake. It was overall a very light, flavorful dessert.
(New Review!) White Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut * 2/3
This one is a rare case of "not so impressive." It sounded pretty good. I like all the parts, but the sum total was disappointing. While the flavors were good, there was a problem with overall distribution of the nut and caramel clusters. It was too much and too clumpy. Some bites were just too heavy with dry, pasty macadamia nuts and sticky sweet caramel, and others had hardly any substance to them. I think they need to work on the assembly of this one to make it a more pleasant experience.
(New Review!) Mango Key Lime *** 2
For some reason we tried the Mango Key Lime long before we ever did the regular Key Lime. I guess we just wanted a little something different. That little something was awesome. The thin juicy mango puree layered over a perfect key lime filling adds the perfect extra kick of flavor! It was a beautiful pairing for the tartness of the lime.
(New Review!) Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake **** 3
Of the two peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake offerings at the Factory, this is our favorite. It is definitely in the "rich" category. The thick peanut butter flavors mix like old friends with the moist chocolate cake and the creamy cheesecake, complete with chunks of classic Reese's cups. The flavor ratios are nicely balanced, and I have a slight weakness for the dollop of peanut butter ganache frosting on top. Don't forget to have some milk on hand!
(New Review!) Oreo Dream Extreme * 2
I was so excited to try this cake. My love affair with Oreos goes way back. I didn't know this was a well known fact, but apparently it is because I have had unexpected friends gift a package to me on a couple occasions (for future reference, I like the mint ones best). Cookies and Cream continues to be one of my favorite ice cream flavors, and the bigger the chunks of cookie, the better (PS my favorite brand is actually Trader Joe's "Jo Jo's and Cream", which I realize is technically not Oreo, but it is awesome!) So needless to say, this was on my short list of flavors to try. Sadly, I was disappointed. While the big chunks of Oreo hidden in the cheesecake filling looked inviting, we found that the sourness of the cream cheese flavor was not a good compliment. I was a little puzzled by that, and there may be those that would totally disagree with me. But when I eat an Oreo, I expect a sweet filling, and the milk I dip it in has to be cold and fresh. Maybe the sourness made me think of sour milk, which is never cool. So while it looks very pretty (the cross section full of Oreos is fun, and I especially like the oversized Oreo branded cookies they stick in the top) this is not likely one I will order again. It wasn't horrible, it just wasn't the Oreo-like experience I was hoping for.
Chocolate Tuxedo Cream **** 1
This is a lighter more mousse-like cheesecake, perfect for when you don't have room for one of the knock-you-out rich plates, but hey, you're at the Cheesecake Factory, and how can you leave without dessert? Layers of cream and chocolate mousse topped with a super thin ganache.
Chocolate Raspberry Truffle **** 3
Ready for some rich chocolate paired with the perfect complement of tart raspberry? In my opinion, chocolate and raspberries were meant to go together, and this dessert is the perfect marriage. On the richer side, with just the right amount of fruity tartness. Make sure you scoop some of the whip cream to lighten it up.
Godiva Chocolate **** 3
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| Yes, you can get them mail order, complete with fun dry ice to play with. This was my birthday cake in 2008. |
Dallyn and I are huge fans of Godiva chocolate. In our less lean years (I mean financially, but I guess I could mean the other thing...), no special occasion was complete without a small box of Godiva, and we would stretch the joy out as long as possible by sharing one piece only per day. We would tease our children that Hersheys is for kids, Godiva is for grownups and is wasted on the young, and would point them to the stash of kisses in the pantry. (They did challenge us once to a taste test to prove their palates were sophisticated enough to tell the difference, and they sort of passed, so sometimes we are gracious and will share, but mostly we hide it.) Yes, we're obsessed. So it is no surprise that this cheesecake makes our top 3 list. It is rich. It is basic, but basically beautiful in its chocolate perfection. No fancy layers or trappings, it's just the most exquisite pure silky chocolate experience available. Definitely utilize the whip cream.
Toasted Marshmallow S'mores Galore **** 3
Oh, wow. This was a surprise. We tried this one on a recommendation from a friend. Having seen it in the case, it looked like just another chocolatey one, and I wasn't really in the mood for that, but when I saw a picture the way it would be served with a perfectly toasted marshmallow melting all over the top, I knew I had to partake. Toasted marshmallows are my very favorite treat. Ever. We knew we had to have it on a plate at a table rather than the to-go boxes we typically grab (since presentation seemed pretty important), so it was a little while before we actually got to try it, but it was well worth the wait! The marshmallow turned out to be marshmallow creme rather than an actual marshmallow (the photo was a little deceptive), but it was still nicely toasted and tasty. The chocolate cheesecake was delicious and creamy, with little chunks of harder chocolate hidden near the base that added a scrumptious texture. Crunchy bits of graham were scattered over the lot, with a full square of graham cracker balanced attractively on top. The traditional graham crust was a perfect fit. This one is rather rich, so definitely grab a cheesecake buddy to share. I can't recommend saving the leftovers unless you first eat all the graham cracker parts, as those will get soggy in the fridge (as we sadly discovered).
Original ** 2
Several people said I had to try this one. I was skeptical. I'm picky about the consistency of my "plain" cheesecake. It has to be perfectly creamy and moist throughout, no dry cakeyness, and I especially love a sour cream topping. I usually like cherry pie filling on top, but in order to get the pure experience, I had it plain. It was good. Pretty basic. It was creamy enough, but not the to-die-for creamiest I've ever had. The best plain cheesecake I've had was at Junior's in NYC. There are so many other awesome options for cheesecake at The Factory that I'm not likely to have this one again, but if you really want one, go for it.
30th Anniversary Chocolate Cake Cheesecake *** 2
This was my desert of choice for my recent birthday. It seemed a nice compromise between cake (for my husband) and cheesecake (for me), and truly it was delightful! The cake was moist and flavorful, the cheesecake creamy, and the moussey layers in between were luscious. The big ganache swirl on top was a bit much to get through, but a little bit with each bite was a nice addition.
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