Manalapan’s Secret Guard of Cheesecake

In a hidden neighborhood off of Route 33, Eric Nussenbaum  guards a secret. He’s never written it down, never even told his wife, and refuses to let reporters persuade him otherwise. Sure, you can taste his famous cheesecake, but he’ll never, ever tell you what’s in it.

The story went like this: an editor was eating out one night when he tasted a cheesecake that just had to have a story behind it, it was that good. When he asked, said editor found out that local baker Nussenbaum was the man responsible for the light, creamy slice of heaven at the restaurant, and was soon going to be featured on Rachel Ray . He was a local guy, who started his business out of his condominium kitchen, and now supplied restaurants throughout the area. His business started small, but it was beginning to take off.

Not to be scooped by that Food Network-Nancy, I begged Eric to share his recipe with Freehold.InJersey first. He shot me down, but instead invited me to come watch him make the famed cheesecake in the same small kitchen where he started three years ago.

Eric made two cheesecakes that day, and then 37 more for a few special orders for that night. I took some artistic license to taste each of the cakes, from his most famous glazed maraschino cherry to the tart, rich black cherry (my personal favorite.), and the verdict is in: the man’s got a gift.

The cheesecakes were as light and creamy as the best I’ve tasted, but the magic was in the secret ingredients of the crust: something sweet, slightly nutty, maybe a little aromatic. Oh, who am I kidding, I could never guess what was in it. But I’ll keep trying if it means I can keep eating those tasty creations from Eric’s kitchen.