It has been said that a photo is worth a thousand words, and one BBQ restaurant in South Carolina has learned it’s worth 25,000 likes (and counting!). Family-owned Sweet Caroline’s posted a photo on Facebook of its seasonal Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake on November 1. It quickly went viral.
Many bakeries like The Cheesecake Girl and food bloggers have their own versions of Little Debbie cheesecakes. However, it’s Sweet Caroline’s that has the entire Internet going crazy for its whimsical Christmas tree cheesecakes. The small town restaurant isn’t sharing their Little Debbie cheesecake recipe. Read on to learn what is in this famous Christmas dessert.
What is the Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake?
The Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake is a holiday cheesecake based on McKee Foods’ Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. The Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake was invented by baker Paula Nance. Nance worked with Sweet Caroline’s manager Steven Brousseau at the now shuttered Grumpy Brothers. Grumpy Brothers was a nearby burger joint known for its burgers and cupcakes that closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nance and Brousseau now work at Sweet Caroline’s in tiny McConnells, South Caroline. The smokehouse has been making this Christmas cheesecake since 2022. The BBQ restaurant’s Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake became a viral social media sensation in late 2023. The cake went viral after Brousseau posted a photo of the red, white, and green cheesecake and announced its return on Facebook.
The $45 Christmas cheesecake is cut into 12 slices that resemble Little Debbie Christmas Tree snack cakes. The Christmas cheesecake comes in original and chocolate cheesecake. It is one of several of the restaurant’s cheesecake flavors that change weekly. The Christmas cheesecake is available until New Year’s.
The Crust
There is no crust on Sweet Caroline’s Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake. There is a super tiny crumb base that forms the foundation of this popular holiday cheesecake.
The Filling
Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecakes are mixed into Sweet Caroline’s cheesecake batter. Invented in 1985, Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecakes are individually-wrapped scalloped tree-shaped cakes.
These tri-layer yellow cakes have two golden cake layers and one layer of white creme filling. The hand-held cakes are enrobed in white frosting and decorated with red stripes and green sugar sprinkles.
The Topping
Sweet Caroline’s Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecake is topped with white icing. Each slice is hand decorated with squiggly lines of red icing that resemble Christmas tree garland. It is topped with flecks of green sugar sprinkles.
The cheesecake’s decorated slices closely resemble that of the popular boxed Christmas tree shaped snack cakes.
The Cheesecake Girl’s Christmas Tree Cheesecake
One of the most popular Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cheesecakes is that made by The Cheesecake Girl. Since 2016, Cheesecake Girl Samantha Strange has been making some of the most creative cheesecakes ever in Hilliard, Ohio.
The Cheesecake Girl’s Christmas Tree Cheesecake starts with the bakery’s signature buttery shortbread crust. It’s topped with a massive slab of creamy, dreamy cheesecake made with milk, cream, sugar, eggs, butter, and vanilla.
This cute cheesecake includes a middle layer of Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes. The colorful cheesecake is frosted with buttercream, drizzles with red icing, and topped with red, white, and green sprinkles.
This article originally appeared on Goldbelly.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
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Setting the Record Straight: Is Cheesecake a Pie, Cake or Tart?
In the second century, professional diviner Artemidorus of Daldis wrote that cheesecake signifies “trickery and ambushes.” Ambushes? Maybe not. But trickery, sure — cheesecake isn’t cheese, and it isn’t cake. Come to think of it, it’s not a pie, either. Whatever dessert it’s masquerading as, though, cheesecake sure is delicious. So let’s put an end to the questions once and for all: Is cheesecake a pie, cake, or tart — or none of them? Here’s what to know.
Arx0nt/istockphoto
OK, let’s get the actual definition out of the way. A cheesecake is a pastry where a custardy cream cheese filling — or a ricotta filling if it’s an Italian cheesecake — sits on top of (or on top of and surrounded by on the sides) a crust with a fun little crunch to it, because it’s usually made from graham crackers. Now, it’s not a typical custard filling. This one is thicker, holds up to being sliced, and has a velvety mouthfeel that lingers for a bit after your bite. You know what cheesecake isn’t? Cheese. Or cake. Or pie. So what is this mysterious genre-blending dessert?
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Before we get into specifics, let’s answer this question right away: No, and no. Cheesecake is a delicious treat all its own. Here’s why.
What is the difference between cheesecake and cake? Cake has layers. Cake has a spongy texture. Cake is frosted or iced or covered in fondant or ganache. Cheesecake has none of those things (unless it’s a super stunning layered cheesecake, which actually sounds amazing). Plus, it has a crust. What cakes do you know that have a crust?
“Aha!” you say. “Cheesecake must be a pie because it’s a filling inside a shell! It’s a custard pie!” Sorry, you’re still wrong.
Why is cheesecake not a pie? Well, for one, a cheesecake crust is pressed and most often made out of graham crackers or cookies, and a pie crust is a flaky pastry. Plus, pie can have a top crust, which cheesecake doesn’t. And some cheesecakes have a crust only on the bottom, but pie crusts go up the side as well. Cheesecake is also not baked in a pie pan, and it doesn’t have the same type of filling as pie, because it’s more custardy.
Alright then. So what actually is cheesecake?
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I’ve got news for you, cheesecake fans. If you’ve always considered cheesecake a tart, you’re absolutely correct. Even Oxford, that most prestigious of universities, defines cheesecake as a tart. (They also call it a flan, but let’s not focus on that.) It’s a thick, stable filling in a tart shell, albeit a bigger one than the small fruit tarts you’ll find at the bakery. The more you know. (Although, to be fair, Basque cheesecakes and Japanese cheesecakes don’t really fit this definition. But let’s leave that out with the flan.)
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The Nuns of New Skete Cheesecake Sampler
Just when you thought cheesecake was nothing less than heavenly, the Nuns of New Skete come along to prove it. New Skete is a small monastery in upstate New York, and in between prayers, they create these beautiful and delicious handmade cheesecakes. And they’ve been doing it for 40 years! Eat up — it’s a blessing.
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Who needs a regular pumpkin pie when you can combine the best of all worlds and have a pumpkin pie cheesecake? Eli’s Cheesecake Company, a beloved Chicago institution since 1980, serves holiday flavors on a smooth and creamy plate with this pumpkin cheesecake that also boasts a vanilla crumb crust, Chantilly cream, and praline sprinkles. Have a taste and see for yourself why Eli’s is a legendary cheesecake favorite in the Windy City.
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Fans of Little Debbie snacks, have we got a cheesecake for you. Ohio-based The Cheesecake Girl takes Little Debbie’s seasonal Christmas Tree Cakes and layers them in the middle of an incredibly creamy cheesecake. Now you don’t have to wait until the holidays to enjoy Christmas Tree treats — you can get them all year round, embedded into something equally delicious.
This article originally appeared on Goldbelly.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
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Featured Image Credit: Goldbelly.
