In what century did the English name cheesecake emerge?

The English name “cheesecake” emerged in the 15th century. That date refers to the use of the English word, not to the invention of the dessert itself.

Cheesecake-like foods are much older. Ancient Greek writers described cheese-based cakes, and the Roman writer Cato the Elder recorded recipes for cheese cakes in the second century BCE. Medieval European cooks also prepared cheese-based tarts, including sambocade, a 14th-century English recipe made with soft cheese, elderflower, and rose water.

The dessert changed substantially over time. Earlier versions could be savory or lightly sweetened, and some were closer to enriched cheese tarts than to modern baked cheesecake. Recipes gradually adopted ingredients and techniques associated with contemporary desserts. The modern form developed much later, around the 18th century, so the name’s 15th-century appearance should not be mistaken for the birth of New York-style cheesecake or today’s cream-cheese varieties.