The Story Behind The Best Cheesecake Duff Goldman Ever Tasted

It's safe to say that Duff Goldman is an accomplished chef. Not only has he written his own cookbooks, but Goldman has also been the star of cooking shows like "Kids Baking Championship" and "Ace of Cakes." With Goldman finding his culinary passions as a child from both his mom and watching Julia Child on TV, you might think he would credit one of them with serving him the best cheesecake he's ever had. However, the cheesecake came from a less obvious choice.

Speaking with Insider, Goldman explained, "The best cheesecake I ever had was when I was dating this girl in high school, and her mom made this cheesecake that was super dense, delicious, creamy, cool, and just amazing. I've never had one that good since, so I'm trying to figure out how to perfect the recipe."

In some way, this may explain Goldman's experience on numerous baking shows and also his own attempts at making the dessert. Finding a cheesecake that tastes just as good has been a bit of a white whale for the culinary expert. He told the outlet, "I've been doing research and I learned that some people put a little bit of flour into the mix to keep their cheesecake from cracking, which could work."

So what has all of Goldman's research taught him? The chef has tried to put all of his knowledge into his own spin on the perfect cheesecake, dubbing his recipe Bomb Cheesecake. "The 'bomb' refers to how awesome this cheesecake is, not to the old-school French domed cake called a 'bombe,'" Goldman told Today. 

Given the simplicity of the cheesecake, Goldman suggested his fans get a bit bold and creative with the formula. He said, "I've made literally thousands of these, adding everything from chocolate to nuts to spices."

While some chefs may turn their nose up at store-bought ingredients, Goldman said you can't go wrong with canned pie filling as a topping. The chef also urged his audience to pay particular attention to the pie's crust when making the dessert, pressing it tightly to the pan so it turns out like a cookie.

When it comes to making the perfect cheesecake, pay particular attention to the temperature. As Goldman told Today, you will want to make sure that all of the ingredients are at room temperature. "Because if not, it's too cold when you mix it, it mixes all this air into it, and when the air gets into it, the cheesecake will soufflé in the oven," he explained.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Goldman stressed to pay particular attention to the batter. Taking this precaution in the beginning will lead to a better final product. He wrote, "Don't overbake. [And] cool in the oven with the door open."

Are there any other kernels of wisdom that Goldman has learned over the years? For one, don't cut corners. You may be tempted to make the cheesecake batter ahead of time, but this could make for a poorer cake. According to Goldman, the texture will be all off if you wait to bake. He wrote on X, "The sugar will denature the protein in the eggs and will probably cause issues with the texture."