cheesecake – Page 2 – Sweet Tooth Experiments

Spiked Spiced Chocolate Tofu ‘Cheesecake’

Posted on July 7, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Spiked Spiced Chocolate Tofu ‘Cheesecake’

You may recall in the past I have made the most amazing chocolate mousse tart with tofu and a cheesecake with yoghurt and milk instead of actual cheese.

On this same vein of thought I decided to experiment with a tofu ‘cheesecake’.

I am always looking for ways to incorporate unusual ingredients into my recipes as well as create healthier alternatives to the normal sweet treat version.

Once I worked up a base recipe I then came up with an interesting (but scrumptious) flavour pairing.

The end result = silky smooth filling of a low fat and high protein sweet treat.

Ingredients:

Base:

280g Nice biscuits
130g butter

Filling:

80ml milk
1 tsn coffee granules
240g sugar
240g firm tofu
40g butter
40ml orange juice
½ tsn orange zest
2 tsn vanilla essence
25ml bourbon
50g cocoa powder
½ tsn ground ginger
½ tsn ground cinnamon
1 tsn all spice

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 160c degrees and line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Melt the 130g of butter and mix through the biscuit crumbs.
Once well combine pour the mix into the cake tin and using fingers press the mix into the base and sides of the cake tin. Place tin in the fridge to firm.
To make the filling heat the milk up in the microwave until boiling.
Add the coffee granules and sugar to the milk and stir until well combine and the sugar has melted.
Place the milk mix into a food processor with all the remaining ingredients and blitz until well combine and smooth.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 1h 15mins, or until the top is set completely.
Leave in the tin to cool then allow to firm in the fridge for 3 hours.
Release from the tin, decorate with cocoa powder and enjoy.

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Fig Hazelnut and Coffee Cheesecake

Posted on May 25, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Fig Hazelnut and Coffee Cheesecake

You may have noticed across the past few months I have been baking consistently with figs.

Not until last year had I eaten one, let alone baked with this fruit.

Generally when I see fruit that I have never baked with I always like to do my research and make up a few variations of recipes (half the time they don’t make the blog…hello startfruit, dragonfruit, cantaloupe, guava cake experiments (and the list goes on).

It seems fig is one of the special fruits which seems to work so well, additionally with so many flavour pairings.

Thinking in an Italian baking head space (ricotta, espresso etc) I ended up coming up with the flavour pairing of coffee, hazelnut, fig and caramel. Which actually work a treat!

This cheesecake is very much for the sophisticated palate and is super additive!

Ingredients:

250g caramel biscuits (I used Lotus)
100g butter
250g dried figs (12)
2 tbsn orange liquor
330g cream cheese
150g sugar
500g ricotta
2 eggs
90ml espresso coffee
100g hazelnut meal

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 22cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Place the biscuits and butter in a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and press with fingers over the base of the tin until flat.
Place the tin in the fridge to harden.
Dice up the fig coarsely and place in the saucepan with the liquor and 130g of water on a medium heat.
Place a lid on the pan and let the mix boil.
Once boil remove the lid and stir constantly until the water is absorbed and the figs have started to breakdown.
Place the mix into the food processor and process until the figs are blitzed and resemble a paste.
Spoon the fig mix over the biscuit base and place back in the fridge.
Using electric beaters whisk the cream cheese and ricotta until smooth.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs and sugar until pale and creamy.
Add the egg mix, hazelmeal and coffee into the cheese mix and whisk until well combine.
Pour the mix unto the cake tin and bake for 50 minutes.
Turn off the oven and leave the door slightly open.
Once the oven is cold place the cake in the fridge to fully set for 2 hours.

Noes:

I used Lotus branded biscuits for the base. If you cannot fine caramel flavored biscuits Arnott’s Nice biscuits would be a good replacement.
I decorated the cake by scattering roasted hazelnuts and icing sugar over the top.

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Fig Hazelnut and Coffee Cheesecake recipe

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Peanut and Raspberry Ricotta Cheesecake

Posted on April 14, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Peanut and Raspberry Ricotta Cheesecake

So often when I come across ricotta cheesecake recipes they seem to have more cream cheese, mascarpone or cream than they do ricotta. So I decided to make a ricotta cheesecake with ricotta and no other cream or cheese inclusions.

For the flavour, I actually played around with many different fruits and flavors but found the texture always ended up too soft or the ricotta flavour overpowered the fruits flavors. Therefore, I ended up opting for ingredients that were thick in texture and strong in flavour. Now, you may recall in the past I have posted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich slice recipe which was one of my first experiments with the peanut and fruit flavour combo’s. This combo worked very well, was strong and as I used peanut butter and jam the mix would not thin the ricotta out too much. The outcome a very satisfying, creamy, tasty RICOTTA cheesecake! In fact, my father actually told me this was the best cake I have made! On top of this it is super easy to make with only 7 steps!

Ingredients

Base:

210g plain sweet biscuits
85g butter

Cake:

90ml milk
1 tbsn gelatine powder
500g ricotta
90ml golden syrup
240g raspberry jam
150g peanut butter
175g condensed milk

Method:

Line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place the biscuits and butter melted in a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
Press the mix into the bottom of a cake tin and press with fingertips until the base is firm.
Place the tin in the fridge to firm.
Heat the milk in the microwave until bubbling then sprinkle the gelatine in the milk. Wisk with a small hand whisk until the gelatine is well combine and no lumps. Leave mix aside to cool slightly.
Using electric beaters whisk the ricotta with the condensed milk until; smooth and creamy.
Pour the milk mix into the ricotta mix along with the peanut butter and jam and beat to a smooth consistency. Whisk until well combine then pour the mix onto of the base and place in the fridge to set for 3 hours. Then remove the cake from the tin and serve.

Notes:

I have decorated with crushed peanuts and fresh raspberries.

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Jam Cheesecake Baked Doughnuts

Posted on February 2, 2015 Posted in Doughnuts .

Jam Cheesecake Baked Doughnuts

For a long long time I have been wanting to make doughnuts but have been a bit put off my the frying step, not being an expert in dough and how to recreate this very common (even worldwide) baking treat making it improved not inferior.

Now there are thousands and thousands of doughnut recipe versions that appear in recipe books and the internet so how do you analyze and investigate to not only find the best one but the best one and make it better.

Step 1. Find the best doughnut dough recipe. This was actually quite interesting as I then became exposed to a few ‘baked’ doughnut recipe versions. This then made me keen to do a fried v baked experiment.

Step 2. To fairly compare which makes the better doughnut fried or baked I ensured the method’s steps were identical (apart from the crucial 3 steps). These steps entailed frying the doughnuts before rolling in the cinnamon sugar or baking in the oven.

The key reviews (friends/family/me in a blind taste test) of the comparison are:

The fried version is much darker in colour and more evenly coloured.
The baked version is slightly bigger for some reason.
Both are extremely spongy and take to the sugar crumb well.

Outcome = the baked version, which was unexpected. Which leads to the questions – If baking doughnuts produce a better results then why do we bake them? Tradition? Also the baked version is so so so much more healthier why would you fry when you can bake? And baking is much easier than frying…

Regardless I still needed to put my twist on this and decided that instead of just a plain jam filling I would turn the doughnut into a ‘cheesecake’ by making a low fat ricotta and jam filling for a more fulfilling and satisfying doughnut.

Just putting it out there, I love this recipe and can guarantee you if I make doughnuts again I will for sure be baking them!

Ingredients:

Oil for frying

Dough:

5g dried yeast
225g flour
½ tsn salt
40g sugar
120ml milk
30g butter
1 egg

Filling:

180g ricotta cheese
75g raspberry jam

Sugar crumb:

190g sugar
1 tsn cinnamon

Method:

Stir the yeast with 40ml of warm water and set aside for 7 minutes or until foamy.
Dust a bench with flour.
Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and make a well in the middle of the bowl.
Place the sugar and cinnamon into a large bowl for dusting later, set side.
In a small bowl microwave the milk until it is luke warm, add the butter, whisk and place in the well.
Add the egg yolk to the well.
Using your hand massage the ingredients together until a sticky dough has formed and the mix is well combine.
Transfer the dough to the pre-floured bench and knead adding flour as you require until the dough is elastic and smooth (approx. 7 minutes).
Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with cling wrap for 1 – 1 ½ hours or until the dough is doubled in size.
Flour the bench again and transfer the dough to the bench.
Lightly give the dough a little knead then roll the dough out with a rolling pin lightly. to 1.5cm in height.
Using a cookie cutter around 7cm in radius cut out doughnuts.
Place the doughnuts onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and cover with cling wrap for 40-45 minutes of until doubled in size again.
Meanwhile to make the filling beat the cheese and jam until smooth and place in the fridge for later.
Pre-heat the oven to 180c degrees and bake the doughnuts in the oven for 12 minutes until golden brown.
Brush cooked doughnuts with butter then toss in the bowl of sugar&cinnamon.
Place the doughnut onto a cooling rack to completely cool.
Using a long tube piping nozzle pierce each doughnut, ensuring a hole through the doughnuts.
Once the doughnut is cooled spoon the cheese mix into a piping bag fitted with a long tube nozzle.
Pipe each doughnut with the cheese in the pre pierced hole until the doughnut starts to swell slightly, repeat until all doughnuts are filled.

FRYING METHOD (replace steps 15-17 with the below):

15. Heat oil in a saucepan until the temperature hits 170c degrees.
16. Add the doughnuts 3 at a time to the oil and fry for approx. 4 mins, turning the doughnut after a few minutes to ensure the doughnut gets fully cooked and golden.
17. Once completely golden in colour place the doughnut into the sugar&cinnamon bowl, toss and place the doughnut onto a cooling rack to completely cool.

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Jam Cheesecake Baked Doughnuts recipe

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Bubblegum Cheesecake

Posted on January 21, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Bubblegum Cheesecake

As you will be well aware by now I am always asking people and on the lookout for baking flavor ideas.

I had a friend recently suggest to me bubblegum flavored cheesecake. Interesting…this could turn out to be amazing or so so wrong. Now it did actually take me two attempts to get this cake right, however the reason I even bothered a second attempt was due to the fillings taste sensation. I felt attempt one could have had a firmer filling so I re-did the cake with a much more satisfactory outcome.

After a solid taste testing session the consensus was that this cheesecake is a big winner.

Now, I must say, I’m not a massive fan of cheesecake but this one (a) is not sickly sweet (even with the white chocolate topping), (b) has a perfect consistency and (c) actually taste exactly like I remember bubblegum tasting as a kid!

Ingredients:

Base:

375g butternut snap biscuits
100g butter

Filling:

120g bubblegum flavored jelly crystals
500g cream cheese
175ml thickened cream
100g sugar

Topping:

150g white chocolate
70ml thickened cream

Method:

Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Place crumbs in a bowl with melted butter and mix until well combine.
Spoon the mix into a 23cm spring form cake tin, covering both the base and sides of the tin.
Once the biscuit base is complete place in the fridge for later.
Boil 60ml of water and add 55g of the jelly crystals. Stir until well combine.
Using electric beaters beat the cheese, cream, sugar and 65g of the jelly crystals until combine.
Add the just cooled jelly water mix to the cheese mix and beat until just combine with no lumps.
Pour the cheese mix into the prepared biscuit base and leave in the fridge for 3 hours to set.
To make the topping place the 70ml of cream in a bowl in the microwave and heat until the cream boils.
Add the white chocolate to the cream, wait a minute, then stir until the mix is well combine. Place the chocolate mix aside until cooled.
Pour the chocolate mix over the cheesecake and place back in the fridge for 2 hours+ to set.

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Decorate!

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Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Posted on February 18, 2014 Posted in Cakes .

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

So Lemon Meringue Pie is a classic ultimate favorite of mine. Cheesecake can also be unbelievable if the right recipe and ingredient combination is used. Both these 2 sweet indulgent treats are very popular to both the sweet and more savory taste buds.

As I am always asked to bake cheesecake and lemon pie I decided the only way I would make these is to incorporate them together. This way if the outcome is incredible I can post the recipe on this blog and share the awesomeness for others to bake and experience.

So introducing the Lemon Meringue Cheesecake. Now let me pre-warn you, once I put this cake out it was gone in 10 minutes, the quickest of my cakes to disappear. Many people missed out and I am told this is my best cake yet…

Ingredients:

Base:

375g butternut snap biscuits
100g butter

Filling:

¼ cup water
4 tsn powered gelatin
280g jar lemon butter
500g cream cheese
¾ cup thickened cream
110g white sugar
½ lemon zest

Meringue:

Extra 80g water
Extra ¾ cup white sugar
3 egg whites

Method:

Line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Add the biscuits and butter into a food processor and process until well combined.
Spoon mix into the cake tin and line the walls and base with the biscuit mix. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
Put the water and gelatin into a bowl and whish with a fork until well combined.
Microwave for 30 seconds or until dissolved, cool.
Whisk lemon butter until smooth. Add 4 tsn of the gelatin mix to the lemon butter and whisk.
Beat together the cream, cheese, sugar and zest into a bowl with an electric whisk for 5 minutes until smooth.
Pour cheese mix over the base.
Spoon the lemon mix over the cheese layer.
Place cake in the fridge for 3 hours minimum.
Put extra water and sugar into a saucepan on medium heat cook stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Increase to high and place a candy thermometer in the sugar mix. Cook until the temperate hits 120 degrees then remove off the heat.
With electric beaters whisk the egg whites on medium until soft peaks form.
Increase speed to high, while beating in the sugar syrup in a steady stream. Beat for 10 minutes or until thick and glossy.
Remove the cake from the tin and place onto a plate.
Spoon the meringue onto the cake and blow torch the meringue until golden brown on top, serve.

Notes:

If in a hurry place the cake in the freezer for 45 minutes instead of 3+ hours in the fridge to set quickly.

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Sweet Tooth Experiments

Tag Archives: cheesecake

Spiked Spiced Chocolate Tofu ‘Cheesecake’

Fig Hazelnut and Coffee Cheesecake

Peanut and Raspberry Ricotta Cheesecake

Jam Cheesecake Baked Doughnuts

Bubblegum Cheesecake

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

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