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Cheesecake is a dessert consisting of a topping made of soft, fresh cheese on a base made from biscuit, pastry or sponge.[1] The topping is frequently sweetened with sugar and flavored or topped with fruit, nuts, fruit flavored drizzle and/or chocolate. The earliest author who mentions cheesecake is Aegimus, who wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes (πλακουντοπουκόν σύγγραμμα).[2] Cato the Elder's De Agri Cultura includes recipes for two pies for religious uses: libum and placenta.[3] Of the two, placenta is most like modern cheesecakes, having a crust that is separately prepared and baked.[4] In 1872, William Lawrence from Chester, NY, along with other dairymen, came up with a way of making an "unripened cheese" that is heavier and creamier by accident, actually looking for a way to recreate the soft, French cheese, Neufchatel.[5] Lawrence distributed the cheese in foil, becoming a brand that is familiarly recognized as "Philadelphia". Later on in ...