In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question” How to know if cheesecake is spoiled?” with an in-depth analysis of signs to know if cheesecake is spoiled or not. Moreover, we are going to highlight the health risks of using expired cheesecake.
How to know if cheesecake is spoiled?
As it has a short shelf life, through which you can easily tell if cheesecake has gone bad. You can find out if cheesecake has spoiled or not by testing it, smelling it, and through its texture.
Signs to know if cheesecake has gone bad or not:
Aging:
Fresh cheesecake will usually consist of smooth, even edges and the cheese itself will be soft and mellow. The spoiled cake will have crusty and split edges. You will feel that the taste of cheesecake is rubbery, and other toppings might have an unpleasant taste too.
Discoloration:
Cheesecake that has lost its freshness will have an unpleasant yellow and may have some gray spots on its surface. Do not be tempted to expose these discolored parts and eat the rest of the cake. If you see a color change, it is often a sign of bacterial activity and you can get sick from eating such cake.
Foul Smell:
You can tell if the cheesecake is good or bad by just one look. But, for complete assurance, you can give the cake a good sniffing to check for freshness.
If the cake smells like stale dairy products, you should throw it out. The cake might also ooze liquid, which is another sign of its spoilage, it is due to bacterial activity.
Mold:
If you see any sign of mold, it means cheesecake is spoiled. Mold spores will usually form when you leave the cake at room temperature for more than the recommended two hours. If you leave the cake in the fridge and it is not covered, due to this growth of mold can occur because of exposure to moisture.
In any case, if you cannot see the mold spores does not mean that the cake is good to eat, and it is not spoiled. If you keep cheesecake outside it will attract bacteria quickly.
How to Store Cheesecake
The main ingredient of cheesecake is cream cheese (or some other ingredients such as cottage cheese or ricotta are also used). Because of this, you should keep it in the fridge.
In the fridge:
When you keep it in the fridge, you should cover it, so it doesn’t get any odor from the fridge and doesn’t dry out. For this purpose, use a cake carrier, or the other method is that you can cut the leftovers into smaller pieces and put them into airtight containers. The other method is that you can wrap the cake with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Store In An Airtight Container:
If you are storing the cheesecake in resealable bags, then remember it is not an option. Always try to preserve the cake in an airtight container. It is a good step to first wrap the slices in plastic wrap before placing them inside the container.
In the freezer:
You expect that the cheesecake in the fridge keeps fresh for only a few days. So if you want to keep it for a long time, then it’s best to freeze it. And cheesecake is known as one of the cakes that freeze quite well.
When you are going to thaw the cake, first of all, put it in the fridge the night before you want to serve it.
Shelf life of cheesecake:
As you know, cheesecake is made from dairy products, most importantly cream cheese. Eggs are also included in most recipes. These ingredients that are used in a cheesecake are quite delicate, so the cake doesn’t retain freshness for that long.
In general, the shelf life of cheesecake is 5 to 7 days in the fridge when it is bought from the stores unless the packaging label specifies a shorter period.
The Risks Of Consuming Expired Cheesecake
- Cheesecake takes just a few days to expire after its date of production.
- There is a big risk if you consume expired cheesecake. Harmful bacteria such as Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli, and Campylobacter will spoil your cake too much.
- After consuming these harmful bacteria, you can face some serious bacterial infections and symptoms such as stomach ache, vomiting, fever, nausea, and dehydration.
Here, you can find more information about cheesecake spoilage.
Conclusion:
In this brief guide, we answered the question” How to know if cheesecake is spoiled?” with an in-depth analysis of storage methods of cheesecake. Moreover, we discussed the health risks of using expired cheesecake.