You guys are loving my 2-ingredient cheesecake (my take on bhapa doi) and I couldn’t be happier about it! I love seeing all of the cheesecake photos you all share!
Frequently Asked Questions about my 2-ingredient Cheesecake
Does this really taste like cheesecake?
Yes – as long as you chill it first! If you eat this cheesecake while it is warm then it will taste like custard BUT if you chill it for a few hours then the texture DRAMATICALLY changes and it tastes like cheesecake. It really, really does. Try it if you don’t believe me 😉
What size pan can I use?
You can use any oven-safe container to make this cheesecake but the size of the dish may adjust the cook time.
I’ve tried this cheesecake using the following containers:
For the cheesecake pans, I do 30 minutes with a 20 minute NPR and for the 6 ounce ramekins I do 25 minutes with a 20 minute NPR.
I would NOT suggest using a spring-form pan as those can leak.
Can I add a crust?
If you are using a cheesecake pan then yes, you can definitely add a crust! Just grease the pan well, add the crust and pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust.
If you’re using ramekins then it may be tough to unmold the cheesecake with a crust, but you can try! I have not tried it this way though.
What type of yogurt should I use?
If you’re making a plain cheesecake, you can use any whole milk (full-fat) yogurt.
If you’re adding a puree (like in my mango cheesecake recipe) then I suggest using whole milk greek yogurt rather than regular whole milk yogurt because greek is thicker. If you have regular whole milk yogurt then you can use a sieve to separate some of the whey from the yogurt before measuring.
I want to use non-fat or low-fat yogurt, can I do this?
I haven’t tried it myself (I always buy everything full-fat) but many others have said that low-fat and non-fat yogurt have worked for them. If the yogurt looks too thin, strain it to remove some of the whey. This will result in a thicker yogurt (also called hung yogurt) which works better in this dessert.
Can I use flavored yogurt?
Yes, as long as it’s full-fat it will work 🙂 People have made this cheesecake using all types of flavored yogurt!
What other flavors can I make?
Have fun with the recipe! You can try adding vanilla or cardamom or a fruit puree (strawberry, pineapple, banana, etc) or top it with some kind of jam or glaze. I have seen people in my facebook group come up with such creative flavors (including thandai, oreo, rose, saffron and more)!
Here are the flavors that you can find on my blog:
Can you freeze the cheesecake?
Yes, you can!
Why is my cheesecake watery?
This cheesecake sometimes releases a bit of whey after being cooked, just drain it out and enjoy! If it’s too watery, then try straining the yogurt next time as it may have been too thin.
Now if your cheesecake is TOO watery then you may not have properly covered the top with foil – covering the cheesecake well is very important. If too much water from steam gets into the cake, it won’t set and it also won’t look very pretty.
Can I make this in the oven?
Yes! You can make this in an oven using the bain-marie method (cook the cheesecake in a water bath by placing the cheesecake pan into a larger pan with water). Some people in my facebook group have successfully made it by baking at 350F for 30 minutes – I have yet to try it this way (the IP is just so easy for me) but I will update this with my results as soon as I do!
How can I reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe?
I have heard from people who have used evaporated milk instead of condensed milk and have had success in making a sugar-free cheesecake (update: I recently tried an all evaporated milk cheesecake and it did not turn out well for me… ). I have heard from people who made their own condensed milk and said it turned out well. I have also heard from people who used a combination of condensed milk and regular milk to reduce the amount of condensed milk and said it turned out well.
I have only tested the recipes as written but it seems like this is a surprisingly forgiving recipe.
Can I make this dairy-free?
Unfortunately, I have not been able to make this dairy-free. I have tried making this with condensed coconut milk and it did NOT work out for me, so save your money folks. I will continue to test recipes and hope to come up with something soon!
Mj says
Thanks for your response! I tried the silicone egg bite pan method today. I used the full amount of yogurt and about 3/4 of the can of sweetened condensed milk. I reduced the cook time to 19 minutes and kept the printed natural release time (20 min), and the end result looked like mini flan – tan on the outside, cream colored inside, and the texture was what I’d imagine for the child of bhapa doi and rasgulla. They weren’t custardy when I removed them, they were already semi firm and a bit spongey, so I unmolded them immediately. They became very firm once they cooled at room temperature. I put half of one in the fridge to cool further and the rest got eaten at room temp. The texture was essentially the same for the fridged and non fridged bites.
I remember reading a comment that mentioned the commenter’s attempt turning out like rasgulla, and I wonder if cooking too long for the particular vessel leads to a rasgulla type of texture.
I think I’ll experiment a bit with cook times, pressure release times and cooking vessels. I strongly suspect any way they turn out, they will be devoured and enjoyed. My spouse was a big fan of the today’s frankenmithai (doigulla?) and talked about looking forward to eating any version of them again.
In case anyone is reading all the comments and curious about specific ingredients people are using, I’ll throw this out there – I used the 5 percent fat version of Fage greek yogurt and added a generous pinch of freshly ground green cardamom.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
That’s awesome! Thanks for reporting back and letting me know how they turned out 🙂
Mj says
Hey Ashley, I have a question about the cheesecake recipe, but first I want to give a quick shout out to all the puns and asides and daydreamy ramblings. You write such enjoyable posts.
On to the question. Have you ever tried making the cheesecake in silicone, or specifically the egg bite molds (the ones used for the onion masala)? The idea came to mind when I was thinking about how I don’t know if any of my ramekins would be safe for pressure cooking – one set I feel likely wouldn’t be as they’re marked as not dishwasher safe, and I don’t know about the others.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi MJ, thank you for the kind words – I appreciate them so much! To answer your question, I haven’t tried making the cheesecake in the silicone egg bite molds but I believe I’ve seen a reader share a photo of that in my FB group (Instant Pot for Indian Food). If your ramekins are oven-safe, I would think that they would be fine to use in an instant pot. Let me know how it turns out if you try!
Holly says
Hi Ashley,I’ve read through all of your recipes for your Indian cheesecake and all the comments as well. I saw that you said you have tried unsuccessfully to make this dairy free. Do you have any idea if this would work with the dairy based sweetened condensed milk that you recommend but with full fat GOAT yogurt. It’s just a personal preference b/c I would like to cut back on as much of the dairy as I can since we don’t tolerate it well. However your cheesecake is OUR ABSOLUTE FAVORITE dessert! The goat yogurt I buy is organic and has the exact same consistency as full fat cow yogurt, it’s not watery or thin. I just wanted to know if you had any feedback about this because I’m not on Facebook so I can’t check out your Facebook page. Thanks in advance!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Holly! I haven’t tried goat yogurt so I’m not sure, I’m sorry! Hopefully, if another reader has they will comment here – or if you try, please let us know!
zoha says
hi Ashley,
will there be a problem if i make this cake with 2% greek yogurt?? (i am making a mango version of this btw)
thanks