American cheesecakes generally rely on cream cheese, invented in 1872 as an alternative to French Neufchâtel. After James L. Kraft invented pasteurized Philadelphia cream cheese in 1912, it became the top product for making cheesecakes.

French-style cheesecakes are very light, feature gelatin as a binding ingredient and are typically only 1 to 2 inches tall. This variety gets its light texture and flavor from Neufchâtel cheese and is found in outdoor markets in the South of France and fine pastry shops in Paris.

German-style cheesecake (Käsekuchen) uses quark cheese. The Käsesahnetorte (cheese cream tart) adds cream and does not get baked.

Italian-style cheesecake is a modern version of Roman cheesecake. It uses ricotta or mascarpone cheese, replaces the honey with sugar, omits the bay leaves, and adds other modern ingredients such as vanilla extract. This type of cheesecake is typically drier than American styles. Often, small bits of candied fruit are added.

Japanese-style cheesecake relies upon the emulsification of cornstarch and eggs to make a smooth flan-like texture and almost plasticine appearance. It is a very popular vending machine food in Japan because it is one of the few milk products that can easily be made shelf stable.