TBB: Marble White & Dark Chocolate Cheesecake (p164)

I had no intention of baking till end October, but as I was clearing my freezer space to make space for my upcoming big project, I realised I had some biscuit crust and pastry tart crust all rolled out nicely in the pan waiting to be baked... But I tried to do too much... even now that I am typing this...I'm also at the same time multi-tasking other things.. because I want to get things done asap and there seems to be not enough time... Why time flies so quickly... or is it because I am getting older or what?

Anyway... because when I tried to do too much things at limited time, I made many mistakes too also because I wasn't feeling very well either.. my stomach was acting up.. I think maybe gastric from all the stress!  

As you can see, I baked the Araxi Lemon Cream tart too... 

I used the leftover cookie crust (instead of baking the sponge cake).

Mix the melted chocolate into half the cheese batter... 

I ran out of white chocolate..left with 60g and I made up the rest of the weight with Dulce de Leche... (I boiled the can for 3 hours in water....didn't explode..if you are wondering.. if it did, I won't be here typing this..lol!)

All ready to be baked...

I tried to save time and transferred the cheesecake to the toaster oven to cool down..but forgot to turn off the toaster oven..and in the end, the top of the cheesecake was burnt!  

Under the burnt skin..not too bad isn't it?  

The disaster part after this...I didn't record any photos..as I was busy 'firefighting'... I thought I could cover the top of the cake with sour cream. So I poured the sour cream over and as it was baking..the sour cream turned into liquid and leaked..and I realised I poured heavy cream instead!?!?!?  I tried to tilt the cheesecake and pour out the heavy cream and the cheesecake almost fell out. I had to use a spoon and scoop every drop out!  I gave up for the night (midnight...!) and place in the fridge to set.

The next morning, wide awake, I finally had a great idea! Just cover the top with ganache. Why didn't I think of that that night before!!

Very very good cheesecake. Super delicious and very rich! Just the way I like it. Actually, it is like saying the obvious! All Rose's cheesecake recipes are very good..no fail.  All creamy, smooth and deliciously melt in mouth and this is no exception.  

TBB: 4th July Cheesecake - US Independence Day

After being sick for 2 weeks and eating nothing except plain white rice porridge (ok.. with a bit of pickled radish and maggie seasoning + soya sauce), I really wanted to eat something sweet..  and the photo in the book looked so pretty.

I baked on Friday night... 

I figured I'll used the red food coloring this time round since it's only a tiny flat 10" round cake. :)  - What can I say... this is the best red velvet cake texture I have tasted so far.. so moist and soft and light!!  Ok, if red velvet taste like this, then I can eat the whole bottle of red food coloring..lol!  This cake is different in texture from the other rose red velvet cake.  I really like this cake texture.  

Just out of the oven so nice and flat. :) 

Wrapped it up and refrigerate for tomorrow. 

I put a layer of parchment paper on top, you will find out why later. :)

Made the cheesecake as per recipe. Juice of 1 lemon is slightly more than the required in recipe ..so I just throw in all the juice into the batter. No harm I figured.  Because the sour cream I used was not the liquid type..I had to beat a considerably longer time towards the end for the sour cream to be fully incorporated into the batter.  I was worried if it will affect the cheesecake later, but it didn't. Oh..ya.. I didn't notice I was supposed to use the whisk attachment until my cheesecake was done! :p 

Just out of the oven.. all jiggly.  

(Please ignore the cough mixtures in the background.  

Not all mine... ok..the last 3 bottles mine..the rest is not..)

Saturday AM 

The top layer came off with the parchment..:)

I don't need to do anything...

The cheesecake shrank after resting a night in the fridge.

Oh..the red velvet is slightly bigger than the cheesecake. 

Have to trim the red velvet.

I used strawberry jam to 'glue' the 2 cakes together instead of raspberry preserves.

I forgot to take photos of White Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting..but you can see the back - right - the handheld blender and empty bowl used to  make frosting.  I find the frosting a bit sweet and too rich, worried that it will be too rich so I used it to crumb coat the sides only.  

The red velvet cake is very crumbly..so when I tried to crumb coat, the crumbs were merciless - all over.. but I noticed it created a nice gradient color.. so I just left it as it is.  I used my blueberry sauce in the fridge as topping..and a bit on the sides to add the 3 layer color effect.  Turned out looking better than I expected. :)  Back in the fridge it went...

Saturday PM

I brought my son out as usual on Saturday..and went supermarket to buy the blueberries. So glad that the blueberries were on sale - 4 packs for $9.90 (125g per pack).  Got home and prepared the glaze. 

I wanted the blueberries to be as fresh as possible with a crunch (since I have the blueberry sauce as a base already), and I worried that the hot glaze will cook the blueberries, so I waited for the glaze to cool off a bit and pour into bowl of blueberries. I realised that after the glaze cool off, it is impossible to drain off using strainer!  Anyway, so after, I just lined up the blueberries on paper towel to absorb the excess. :)

Felt like forever lining the blueberries one by one..esp. when I'm fighting with the heat and worrying the cheesecake will melt soon. But I managed to get it done.  Then I piled up the balance blueberries in the centre...

Saturday Night

After dinner, my husband came to me and asked if I made that pretty cake in the fridge.  I said yes.  He asked if we can eat it later.. I think he can't wait to try it.. hahaha 

Time to taste test!  

I posted this photo on FB hoping to tempt all our fellow bakers who haven't been baking with us for a while to bake this. We miss you! Hurry back and back with us! Don't know if it worked or not.. but I sure hope it did.  (Update: I'm sorry to report that it didn't work.. but instead 3 of our alpha-bakers stepped down!?! :o  So sad ... )

WOW! I'm so impressed with this cake! So good!

Not sure if it is because I hadn't had any desserts for 2 weeks or what (but I think I did steal a bite of banana cake), but this is just WOW!

The cheesecake melts in the mouth and pairs perfectly well with the red velvet which also melts in the mouth. Blueberries 'cleans' richness off the cheese and refreshes the tastebuds.   (I clearly forgotten about the red food coloring in the red velvet...I ate up every last crumb!) 

Everyone in my family said it is so good. A clear winner!

I'm going to bake it often - even when it is not 4th July. :D 

The cheesecake alone is awesome and I can see myself using it with other types cookie & cake base..

Rose, how do you create such perfect cheesecake?

I wonder if you had to taste test a lot of cheesecakes before you came out with this recipe?  :)

Now I can't wait to try all the other cheesecakes in the book.

TBB: Stilton Baby Blue Cheesecakes

I think I have an acute sense of smell, or heightened sense of smell. I can smell everything from a distance.  So this week's baking with blue cheese worried me a little.  Blue cheese is known for it's pungent smell.  I can't even tolerate strong perfumes, they make me feel dizzy and nausea. I forbid my mom to wear perfume when she goes out with me..esp. when we have to be seated next to each other in enclosed area like in a car.  

However durians smell equally bad but I still like to eat durians. Perhaps it is an acquired taste?  I just need to get used to the smell? Then again, I don't like durian after-smell..it last forever even on your hands and when you burp.  Now that I have tasted blue-cheese,  it smells like smelly tofu. 

Chatted on FB with other fellow Alpha Bakers, I learnt a lot more about blue cheese and their green/blue veins...and pasteurised and unpasteurised makes difference to the smell too. 

Finally, I saw a tiny piece of Blue Stilton (actually looks green to me!) for sale and I thought for $6.90, I can take a chance to try it out.  Also I found out I have a few friends who loves Stilton. Well, I can make and give to them too for taste testing! :D  

Toast the walnuts and grind coarsely..

Place 1 Tbsp in cupcake cups. 

I decided to use these cups for easy handling. 

I baked 2x recipe so I can use up all the Stilton Cheese. 

Mix the Stilton with Sour Cream.  

The sour cream (import from Australia) is very thick & creamy..just like the heavy cream.

Very thick and creamy.. thicker than Greek yogurt texture. 

Blend the mixture till smooth.

Then it became quite liquid after I add the eggs, even though I didn't over-mix. 

Surely doesn't look like sour cream texture to me! The cream cheese above looks more like sour cream to me.

Pour/Measure into cups.

All Ready to be baked...Oh..I have left over Stilton so I put all into the batter for strong flavor..didn't taste very strong with the cream cheese mixture.  Oh..yes, I was brave enough to try some Stilton with slice of bread. Not bad actually, taste good except for the smell takes a bit of getting use to. 

All Baked!! When I opened the oven door, the smell hit me without warning!  It was like WOW - what was that?!  It smell stronger after baked. 

Put in disposable containers and into fridge. 

Easier for storage in fridge and transport as give aways to my taste testers. :)

After 4 hours later. Cut the case and peel off sides 

Lift and place on plate.

Sliced a ripe pear to go with it. 

Verdict:  Taste very good. Rich and Creamy.  But I can still smell the Stilton. It aint' going away just because I thought it has been diluted with lots of cream cheese.  This is not something I can eat everyday.  Only for special occasion like Mother's Day.  

My daughter and helper felt the same too.  And we never had any blue cheese of any kind before. Only Rose's desserts we are willing to go the extra-mile. :)  That said, I think my helper secretly like blue-cheese because she is willing to eat my husband's share.. when I asked her "you want this last one?" And she said "Yes" without hesitation. Before she was like "eww..So smelly!" lol!

Of course my husband stayed far away as possible...he was hiding in the room when we ate our share.  

One complain though.. I don't like the green color!! I should bought blue vein cheese instead of green. Or maybe I should use White Stilton next time..cos I saw the white ones yesterday at the same supermarket that I bought this green one. The blue/green Stilton sold out and they brought in the white Stilton..very white and pretty!  I wonder if they taste the same? Blue vs White? What's the difference? 

Comments from my friends who love cheese.. 

Ms Ratty  - "I tried it, it's so nice! Yes the smell makes you hold back for 1 second, but once you dig in it's creamy and rich and flavourful! Thanks much!"

Ms I - "The cheesecake is very delicious. It is heavenly. I didn't find it smelly."

Ms A - "The cheesecake is very yummy. The Stilton taste is there but not overwhelming.. Really good! The smell is definitely less after it is chilled". (I gave to her when cakes still warm)

Mr MB - "Tried the cheesecake. Creamy and indulgent. Really like the base too. I'm not 100% sure about the blue, but something different and enjoyed it. Even my friend who doesn't eat blue cheese finished one! BTW was good with a glass of wine :)"

Design Office - My daughter reported back that her colleagues enjoyed it very much. And everyone said it was rich and creamy and very good.  They asked her when is my next bake... LOL!  

Baby Lemon Cheesecakes

Rose's Heavenly Cake, Page 327: Baby Lemon Cheesecakes

Recently, i've been sick...from stomach flu, to cold, to a very bad headache on Sunday. Finally managed to find time today after work to bake these.  Since I had little time to bake these, instead of baking the sponge cake, i made gingerbread cookie crust (recipe page 252).  I baked them in non-stick paper souffle cups, so i'll have less to wash up after..lol!   Paper cups cannot be submerged into water, so i place a huge tray of water below the baby cheesecakes - my logic is that the water below will create steam similar to that of waterbath.  

I baked at 170c for 20mins..but judging from the tray below, i think should be just 15mins cos the right side cheesecake is over baked.. a bit sink at the centre but the ones on the left side is smooth and nicer..(uneven heat in my oven..)

Once the cheesecake cooled, the sides will move away from the paper and there's no problem removing the cheesecake after cutting away the paper.  

Oh, and i forgot, i didn't make any lemon curd.  Instead i used the orange curd (recipe on page 180). 

I made extra batches of orange curd a while back and kept it in the freezer.  

VERDICT: It's sooo yummy! The chewy cookie base and the soft cheesecake and the sweet orange curd blends in really well.  Not sure if it would taste better with lemon curd, but i have to say that i love the orange curd flavor paired with this.  My family loves it! :D  Definitely a keeper!

Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake

When Cherie tempted me with her Cappuccino Fudge Cheesecake, i knew i had to bake it soon, esp. when i have 6 bars of cream cheese in my fridge! LOL! Yup, don't ask me why i stock up so many ..i didn't realised i had so many until i was cleaning up my fridge (cos i'm off to Hong Kong on Monday..yippee! :D).  I'm such a hoarder sometimes..or most of the time! Don't get me counting how many blocks of butter i have in my fridge ok..:p  

So..i baked 2x 9" cheesecake-s.  For 9" ingredient measurement, i used Smittenkitchen's recipe while keeping Cherie's oreo-cookie base.  I used 500g of oreo cookies (reduced fat version....not because i'm fat conscious but because that supermarket i went to had only this left!) and used 100g butter for 2x 9".   

The best thing baking this cheesecake is there's no need for waterbath (I hate waterbath!) and it doesn't matter if the cheesecake cracked on top because it will be covered & sealed with the sour cream topping.....AND best of all ..after it's done baking, you can put it right away in the fridge to cool (yup!..) no need to cool down slowly.  What more can i ask for? LOL! And on top of all these plus points, the cheesecake is thumbs-up DELICIOUS!  I'm a fan of rich cheesecake (ok..even though i can't eat a whole huge slice..but i still can eat half a slice and enjoy it..).  

The thing that frustrates me most about cheesecake is the long baking time and the cooling off time.   I find the waiting part rather torturous..esp. when i want to try how my bakes taste like asap. LOL!  I made it yesterday and had to wait till this morning to try it...so the moment i woke up from bed, i ran straight to the kitchen to unmold my cheesecake, ate a slice and then took some photos... don't i sound rather greedy and obsessed? lol!

Seriously, if you are a cheesecake, chocolate & coffee fan, this you can't miss!  I'm not a coffee person but yet this is my new favorite cheesecake...i had a slice in the morning..then in the afternoon, ate another half-slice..and probably after dinner another half-slice. :)  I can only afford half-slice since i think i have to eat some proper food for dinner cos i couldn't eat lunch earlier after the huge full slice of cheesecake.:S

PS: the piped ganache topping cheesecake is to be given away..it's not as pretty imo since i had difficulty piping the ganache on the wet-condensed top of the cheesecake when i took it out from the fridge. The one that is for my own consumption, i just poured the ganache over the top of the sourcream topping...so much easier too.  :D

Pure Pumpkin Cheesecake

Rose's Heavenly Cake, Page 247: Pure Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust: I didn't make the gingersnap crust. I made digestive biscuit crust instead, cos i forgot to buy gingersnaps! :p i was lazy to bring out the food processor and used my hands to crush the digestive biscuits. I baked the crust for 10mins and put in the fridge to harden a bit.

Pumpkin Filling: While reading instructions for this (ok, ok, i didn't read the instructions prior..i read only last min) I realised by now that i still need to take my food processor out of the cabinet..argghh! Well, at least the next part - making the batter was easy. Rose said to smooth the batter with spatula, but my batter was very liquid..so nothing to smooth and it made me quite worried. But after baking, the pumpkin cheesecake did set, much to my relief. i wrapped aluminum foil over the springform pan which based on my experience, when baking via waterbath, water will leak through the springform pan if it is not covered with aluminum foil (or maybe my springform pan is lousy..lol!). After 45 mins, I removed the waterbath first and baked at 130C for 10mins more (just in case i figured..since my batter was liquid remember?) and then turned off and cooled the cheesecake in the oven for 45mins instead of 1 hour as instructed cos i was too impatient as i wanted to clean my oven asap.

Caramel Piping Glaze: Am I or smart or what? Or shall i say TOO smart? LOL! Instead of making caramel piping glaze, i made caramel candy instead! hahahaha! Look at the photo below. Now i have a batch of caramel toffee instead to go with my pumpkin cheesecake! Seriously, i don't know what i did..but i was happy stirring...more stirring and when i put in the butter i was still stirring over heat..i thought it won't do any harm. Then i added a tsp of brandy...and still stirring..lol! When i thought it was ok..it actually hardens into candy when cooled..and if i knew i was making toffee, i would have added some fleur de sel..would have been sooo good! It's still good now without fleur de sel....sticky, chewy & buttery. ;P See, this is a perfect example of not reading instructions properly!

Too burnt out to redo the caramel glaze, so i melted some chocolate and piped a huge flower on top of the cheesecake and put the pecan in the flower centre and as leaves. The less pecan nuts the better..i don't like them...:)

Verdict: Yummy!! Creamy and yet not too rich! Everyone loved it including my office colleagues. This cheesecake is extremely smooth & it melts-in-your mouth. Pumpkin taste is not so overpowering and blends in really well with the cheese! This recipe is definitely a keeper (minus the caramel glaze..hahaha) and i'll make it again, worth the effort of bringing out my food processor (sometimes i wish i have a bigger kitchen where i can put the food processor, kitchenaid mixer etc, on all the kitchen table..so i don't have to bring them in and out of my kitchen cabinet).

NOTE: Rose left a comment on Marie's blog..i cut & pasted it here as a way to remind myself not to worry about the thin batter...otherwise i might forget..

Rose Levy Beranbaum said...

fantastic job marie and everyone else who posted their versions. it's so fun to see how different they all look.

two important comments:

if the caramel comes off the slice in one gob it's because it was taken to too high a temperature. At a lower temperature a spoon or fork goes through it with ease. but i see loads of comments about thermometers so i'll say no more!

i appreciate the comment about the fear that the cake wouldn't set because the filling was so thin and i wrote to smooth it with a spatula. that's the danger of copy editing! my copy editor suggested adding this to all cakes and clearly it is not necessary for my cheesecake batters that flow into a smooth surface by themselves (note i never wrote this in the cake bible.) sometimes one's initial instincts best reflect what one actually does so i never should have added that phrase and i'm now taking it out for the next printing. thanks for calling it to my attention. it's great that this bake through will help to continue to perfect the book!

Chocolate Chip Orange Cheesecake

Love this cheesecake with Oreo cookie base. Recipe from Alex Goh's cheesecake book. Used double cream instead of whipping cream. Omitted the sour cream topping mentioned in the recipe as i much prefer the cake without all the extra toppings. However the chocolate chips got settled down below. I love the tinge of orange flavor in the cheesecake.

Cheesecake (suppose to be Blueberry....)

This cheesecake is suppose to be frosted with non-dairy fresh cream and decorated with blueberry fillings on top, but i got really lazy and i also didn't wait for the cake to be set in the fridge completely either. The cake itself is not very sweet (despite the fact that i added 20g of extra sugar) and despite the 500g of cream cheese, still feels light..like Japanese cheesecake (yes..again..) and at least this time round, the cake is leveled and didn't sink in the middle..but i baked for 2 hours at 130C.

Since i am quite bored now, i'm gonna type out the recipe...so here it is...

Blueberry Cheese Cake
Adapted from "A profit making bakery shop" by Wendy Kor

Ingredients A:-
500g cream cheese
120g butter

Ingredients B:-
200g of dairy whipped cream

Ingredients C:-
74g (abt 4) egg yolks
10g (1 pc) lemon zest

Ingredients D:-
15g superfine flour (i used top flour/cake flour)
15g corn flour

Ingredients E:-
150g (abt 4) egg whites
80g castor sugar (i used 100g of sugar)
10g lemon juice

Decoration
200g non-diary fresh cream
250g blueberry filling
100g almond flakes

Method:-
1. Cream ingredients A until smooth, add ingredients B and cream until well combined.
2. Add in ingredients C and mix well. Add in sieved ingredients D and mix until a smooth cheese mixture.
3. Whip ingredients E until soft peaks form. Gently fold it into the cheese mixture, blend well.
4. Pour mixture into 9" greased and lined springform tin.
5. Bake in water bath at 150c for 60-70mins or until firm. Remove it from oven and set aside to cool. Refrigerate it for about 3 hours, remove the cake fromt he tin.

Decoration:-
Cover the side and top of the baked cheese cake with whipped cream, spread blueberry filling on top, decorate the sides with baked almond flakes.