Cheesecakes | RecipeTin Eats

Basque Cheesecake

Nagi — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 06:00:00 +0000

The iconic Basque Cheesecake has landed! With a mousse-like creamy vanilla texture and gorgeous golden “burnt” surface, the flavours remind me of créme caramel. You’ll be amazed how easy this recipe is (she says, 25 versions later 😅).

Basque cheesecake

The next time you want to make a cake that really stands out, make this Basque Cheesecake. Sure, people ooh and aah over the appearance. That golden surface, after all, screams look at me!

And you’ll get street cred for making something that’s on-trend. Though, I’m a few years late. Everybody knows I’m not cool enough to keep up with food trends. 😂

But it’s the eating part that really blows everyone away. Beautifully light and airy inside, almost like mousse. Just sweet enough, tastes luxurious yet not at all rich.

And of course, there’s the “burnt” surface, with the distinct caramel flavour. Combined with the vanilla cheesecake underneath, the flavour reminds me of créme caramel. It’s to-die for!

The spoon-smear is an attempt at proof of creaminess!

What is a Basque Cheesecake?

Basque cheesecake is an iconic baked cheesecake hailing from San Sebastián in Spain’s Basque Country (hence the name!). It’s become increasingly popular over the past few years, thanks to food media and celebrity chefs singing its praises.

It’s a crustless cheesecake (I promise you won’t miss the biscuit crust!) with a signature “burnt” surface. To me, Basque Cheesecake tastes like créme caramel, with the caramel flavour of the golden surface and patchy sides, and vanilla cheesecake underneath.

The texture of Basque Cheesecake is unique, much lighter than most cheesecakes. It sits between the extremely fluffy soufflé-like Japanese Cotton Cheesecake and my classic baked cheesecake, while the much denser New York Cheesecake is on the far end of the spectrum.

Shop-bought Basque Cheesecakes are pricey (think, $60+) and all too often fall short of expectations. Too dense, too sweet or a thick band of dry overcooked cheesecake on the base and sides are common gripes I’ve had.

So if you want a really great one, make a homemade one! This one, of course! 😇

The signature nubbly sides of Basque Cheesecake.

Ingredients

There’s very few ingredients in Basque Cheesecake. Making a great one comes down to technique!

Cream cheese – Philadelphia is my go-to, but we made this with a variety of brands (including most economical) and it still worked great. Tub spreadable cream cheese also works, albeit the inside is marginally more creamy (some would find it even more appealing!) But DO NOT USE LOW FAT! Won’t set properly.
Measuring the eggs – This recipe calls for 220g / 200 ml / 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of whisked eggs which is 4 to 5 large eggs. Yes, I really need you to measure the eggs for this recipe, because those selfish chickens, they just won’t lay the same size eggs every time! And using the right amount really matters for the best outcome with this recipe. Too little, and the cheesecake won’t set. Too much, and it gets denser.
I rarely ask this in cakes – only when it matters. So please measure the eggs! Crack, whisk, measure.
Whipping cream – Make sure you use cream that can be whipped. Not all creams are, some are made for just pouring or dolloping. Read the label to check. And – NO LOW FAT!
The recipe calls for you to take it out of the fridge 15 minutes prior to use. This is to take the fridge chill out of it slightly, so it incorporates better with the other ingredients.
Flour – This stabilises the filling so it stays aerated and fluffy once baked. We use the minimum amount possible – too much flour makes the filling drier.
Vanilla – Use vanilla extract or bean paste. Imitation vanilla flavour is not as good because it’s….well, it’s imitation.
Sugar – Caster / superfine sugar is best here as the grains are finer so it dissolves more easily. However, regular sugar can be used too.

How to make Basque Cheesecake

Basic recipes will have you just dump everything into a bowl and mix. Easier. But the inside is not as light and airy, as Basque Cheesecake should be!

Lining the pan

Scrunch up baking / parchment paper in your hands. This makes it easier to press and stay in the pan as well as creating the signature rustic sides on the cheesecake.
Fit the paper into the cake pan. There’s no need to grease the pan to make the paper stick, just fit it in – the batter will weight it down. Press the paper into the corners of the pan and fold the sides down over the rim.
Don’t be tempted to try to make the cheesecake sides smooth by lining the cake pan the traditional way with flat strips of paper! The crumpled paper actually keeps the sides of the cheesecake from overcooking as it’s not fully pressed against the pan walls. Flat paper = thicker band of drier cheesecake. Tried and tested!

Basque cheesecake batter

No tricky steps here! The method is designed specifically to achieve an incredible delicate, “mousse-like” texture that you get with the very best traditional Basque Cheesecakes.

Use a handheld electric beater or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. I personally prefer hand-held beater because the beating times are pretty short, and you can move it around which means less scraping down sides.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then beat in the sugar, just until incorporated.
Cream and flour – In a separate bowl, using a handheld whisk, whisk the flour with about 1/4 of the cream until it’s lump free. It will become paste-like. ⚠️Don’t add too much cream at the beginning otherwise it’s impossible to whisk in the flour without lumps!

Then whisk in the remaining cream and vanilla. Just whisk until mixed in. We’re not making whipped cream here!
Pour the cream mixture into the cream cheese while beating on low speed.

Pour slowly whisked eggs into the mixture while beating on low speed. ⚠️Stop beating as soon as the eggs are incorporated to minimise bubbles in the batter. This leads to unsightly blemishes on the cake surface! (Just visual, so not the end of the world).
Batter thickness – This is the thickness of the batter. Pourable but thick and silky!

Baking and cooling

Bake until the surface is deeply caramelised but not burnt. The baking times will vary from oven to oven, but the inside will be the same light and airy whether it takes 45 minutes (my oven) or 65 minutes (JB’s oven). We checked this multiple times because we couldn’t believe our eyes!

Bubble popping – For a lovely blemish free surface, bang the pan on the counter to make bubbles rise to the surface. Then pop the bubbles with a small sharp knife. Repeat 2 or 3 times. This is for visuals only, it’s not a big deal!
Bake for 45 minutes in a hot 220°C / 425°F (200°C fan-forced), or until the surface is a deep golden brown. Keep a close eye on it for the last 15 minutes. There’s a fine line between “deeply caramelised” and “burnt”. Don’t fall on the wrong side of the line!
⚠️ Bake time variations – With the many versions we tested, we found that the bake time can vary wildly between ovens. With most ovens, it takes 45 minutes. But in other ovens, it was taking as long as 65 minutes for the surface to become golden – and that’s ok! The inside will still be creamy. This was an incredible observation from the many versions we made. This cheesecake batter is extremely forgiving!

This is the colour we’re aiming for. Very deep golden brown but not actually burnt on the edges. And a little paler in the middle. The centre should be jiggly like soft jelly! If it’s not wobbly, it’s overcooked = dry cheesecake = 😭 The jiggly centre will firm up once refrigerated.
Rise & fall – As it bakes, the cheesecake rises dramatically like a soufflé. It even rises above the rim of a 6cm / 2.5″ cake pan! But don’t get too excited because as it cools, it collapses….
Collapsed – And here it is once cool. The crater is totally normal.
Cool – Let the cheesecake cool on the counter for a couple of hours. Then refrigerate uncovered for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
I refrigerate uncovered because even the smallest amount of residual heat left in the centre of the cheesecake will cause condensation which will drip and blemish the beautiful bronzed surface.

Once the cheesecake has been refrigerated, it’s time to EAT!!

The surface is naturally shiny. I wish all cakes came out this shiny!!

Matters of serving

I like to serve Basque Cheesecake on the paper because it looks rustic, the classic Basque Cheesecake look.

But you can absolutely do a neater presentation and transfer to a cake platter without the paper. Once refrigerated overnight, so it’s easy to handle.

It cuts into neat slices, so serve it like cake. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each cut. You can dip into a jug of warm water, if you like, but it will smear the cut face. I personally prefer the “sponge-like” look so I just wipe the knife clean.

As for what to serve Basque Cheesecake with? Absolutely nothing. No cream, no berries, no coulis, no sauce. It doesn’t need it. Enjoy every bite plain, and if you don’t sigh with satisfaction, you must be made of stone. – Nagi x

Close up look at how fluffy the inside is. Serve with nothing!

RECIPE CREDITS

Iconic recipes like today’s Basque Cheese are often the result of a collective team effort, and I just want to take a moment to thank those involved. Because it was a difficult one!!

Many thanks to Jennifer Pogmore, French pastry Chef extraordinaire, who has found herself in the unlikely position as my baking mentor. Located in France, we work online together, experimenting and developing recipes. She is exceptionally talented, classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu where she subsequently returned as a teacher after years of working in Parisian pastry boutiques.

I feel very fortunate that our paths crossed! Much of the groundwork on what makes a perfect Basque Cake is attributed to Jennifer, drawing on her experience from her time in the Basque Country.

The recipe was then picked up by JB and I who then took it through its paces here in Sydney. Collectively, we made at least 25 versions of Basque Cheesecake, testing various iterations.

Why am I so extreme with the testing? Because this is such an iconic, traditional Spanish recipe, we want to do it well. This Basque Cheesecake recipe really does work as promised, and it is truly excellent, because we would not settle for anything less! I hope you love it as much as we do. ~Nagi, JB and Jennifer

Photo by Rob Palmer

Our Chef JB!

Jennifer Pogmore – Pastry Chef

Watch how to make it

Basque Cheesecake

Recipe video above. This is the iconic Burnt Basque Cheesecake, in all its rustic perfection with the signature golden "burnt" surface that tastes like caramel, and light-as-air creamy vanilla cheesecake inside. Stunningly luscious yet light, and not that sweet at all!

The surface becomes golden by baking at a higher temp than classic baked cheesecakes – 160C/320F vs 220°C/425°F for Basque.

This recipe is not a basic "dump and beat" recipe, but the result is better. Texture is fluffier, as it should be, with no thick band of dry overcooked cheesecake (notorious problem!). Use a handheld electric beater or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. See Note 5 about speeds.

Course Sweet Baking

Cuisine Basque country, Spain

Keyword basque cheesecake, burnt basque cheesecake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Cooling / chilling 8

Servings

Calories 398cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

750 g / 1.5 lb cream cheese blocks , room temperature (I use Philadelphia, Note 1)
1 cup caster / superfine sugar (regular white sugar ok too)
1 1/4 cups whipping cream , take out of fridge 15 minutes prior (Note 2)
1/4 cup flour , plain/all-purpose
1 tsp vanilla bean extract or paste
3/4 cups + 1 tbsp lightly whisked eggs , at room temperature, ~4-5 large eggs (yes, I need you to measure! Note 3)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

See below for full length written recipe. Shorthand recipe is for experienced bakers.

Shorthand recipe

Prep – Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F (200°C fan) with the shelf in the middle. Press scrunched paper into 20cm/8" springform pan.
Batter – Beat cream cheese 2 minutes on medium. Beat in sugar on low speed for 10 seconds. In separate bowl, hand whisk 1/4 cup cream with the flour (becomes like paste). Whisk in remaining cream and vanilla. While beating on low, slowly pour cream into cream cheese, then eggs (don't overbeat).
Bake – Pour into pan, bang pan on counter, pop bubbles with knife. Bake 45 min (up to 65 min possible, Note 8) until top deep golden. Cool 2 hrs on counter then 8 hrs+ in fridge uncovered. Ready for serving!

Full instructions recipe

Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F (200°C fan) with the shelf in the middle of the oven.
Pan prep (Note 4) – Press 2 x 40cm/16" sheets of scrunched up baking/parchment paper arranged in an "X" into a 20cm/8" springform pan (6cm / 2.5" tall), and fold down over the rim to hold in place. You'll need to scrunch/pleat to fit which creates the signature rustic sides! The batter will weigh it down so don't worry if it doesn't stay in.
Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth and lump-free. Add sugar and beat on low speed for 10 seconds.
Flour & cream (Note 6) – Put about 1/4 of the cream and all the flour in a medium bowl. Hand whisk until lump free (it will be paste-like), then slowly pour in the remaining cream while whisking. Once flour is incorporated, whisk in vanilla. (PS not making whipped cream here! Should be pourable)
Slowly pour the cream into the cream cheese bowl with the beater going on low. Beat just until combined. Then slowly pour the eggs in while the beater is still on low speed. As soon as the eggs are incorporated, stop beating to minimise getting bubbles in the batter (Note 7).
Remove air bubbles – Pour into the prepared pan. Bang the pan on the counter then pop bubbles that rise to the surface with a small sharp knife. I do repeat 3 to 5 times. (Note 7)
Bake 45 minutes or until the surface is a deep golden brown. It can take up to 65 minutes and that's fine! (Seriously, read Note 8) Keep a close eye on it for the last 15 minutes, you want it deeply golden but not burnt. The centre will still be wobbly and the cake will rise like a soufflé.
Chill overnight – Cool in the cake pan for at least 2 hours on the counter (it will sink, that's normal). Then refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, uncovered.
Serving – Release the sides of the springform pan. Hold excess paper overhang to lift off base onto a cutting board or plate. Fold down sides – I love serving it on the paper, it's part of the visuals! Bring to room temp for 30 minutes if time permits, though also great served chilled. Cut like cake! Eat as is – doesn't need cream, berries etc.

Notes

1. Cream cheese – 3 x 250g/8oz blocks. Philadelphia is my go-to, but we made this with a variety of brands (including most economical) and it still worked great. Tub spreadable cream cheese also works, albeit the inside is marginally more creamy (some would find it even more appealing!) But DO NOT USE LOW FAT! Won’t set properly.

2. Whipping cream – Make sure you use cream that can be whipped. Not all creams are. Read the label. And again, NO LOW FAT! Taking it out of the fridge prior to use is to de-chill slightly so it incorporates better with the other ingredients.

3. Measuring the eggs – Yes, I really need you to measure the eggs for this recipe, because selfish chickens just won’t lay the same size eggs every time. I rarely ask this in cakes – only when it matters! (PS Eggs are slightly lighter than water so 220g eggs = 200 ml).

4. Pan & lining – Don’t get too hung up about the paper, the batter will weigh it down. Scrunch paper in your fist, makes it easier to fit into pan and you get the signature nubbly sides. Fit into corners as best you can – sometimes I use cans to mould in while I make filling. Also prevents side from overcooking (because side is not in full contact with pan). Don’t grease the pan – conducts heat and the sides will get too brown.

No springform pan? It’s ok, just use a slightly larger paper so you can lift the cake out of your regular 20cm/8″ cake pan (6cm / 2.5″ high).

5. Beater speeds: Low = lowest speed, medium = halfway (eg speed 5 of 10), medium high = 3/4 of the way (eg speed7 of 10).

6. Cream & flour – Be careful not to pour in too much cream at the beginning else you’ll get pesky flour lumps.

7. Air bubbles in batter = browned lumps on surface of cooked cake. It’s just a visual thing, totally not a big deal. Almost always have some bubbles on the surface

8. Baking time – Go by surface colour to tell when it’s done. The bake time differs from 45 minutes to 65 minutes depending on oven brands. Mine is a Miele (45 min), JB‘s Westinghouse takes 65 min. End result is the same, both surface colour and creaminess of inside. It’s extraordinary! We tested this quite extensively because we found it hard to believe ourselves.

9. Leftovers will keep for 5 days in the fridge. Flavour gets even better on Day 2 and beyond! Not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 12 servings.

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

Promised look at the kitchen of the Air BNB I stayed at on the Colo River in a rural area just 90 minutes north of Sydney! Gorgeous. This is the sort of kitchen that speaks to me! Character – but with a killer stove and oven and a big sink. Yes!

Not a bad view while doing the dishes.

The post Basque Cheesecake appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Cheesecake stuffed carrot bundt cake

Nagi — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 05:25:09 +0000

HOT OFF THE PRESS: I found out my cookbook made the New York Times Best Sellers list!! Much screeching, jumping and tears, captured in this home movie ❤️:

Enough about me. Back to today’s recipe for you – Cheesecake Stuffed Carrot-Bundt Cake!

Not usually a fan of bundt cakes. Too much cake, not enough frosting. But THIS, I’m all over! Three cake favourites in one – a creamy cheesecake stuffed inside carrot cake with a thick cream cheese glaze. YES!

Not your usual bundt cake!

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t understand the appeal of bundt cakes. It’s a thick wad of cake, usually drizzled with a pretty thin glaze. No fluffy frosting sandwiched inside like a layer cake, nor smothered with whipped cream with piles of juicy fruit like pavlova.

Too much cake. Not enough of the fun stuff!

So I decided to up the fun-factor by stuffing it with cheesecake. Inspired by a cake I first saw on my friend Jennifer Sabin Sattley’s website, Carlsbad Cravings. Perfect for a party, it combines two holiday favorites into one – a carrot Bundt cake with creamy cheesecake inside, with a generous amount of thick cream cheese glaze!

What you need

Here’s what you need to make this.

Cheesecake filling

Basically everything you need for cheesecake!

Cream cheese – Blocks are the standard choice for cooking but actually, the spreadable cream cheese in tubs works fine too. You will need 2 whole blocks for this recipe – we use half of one block in the glaze.
Sour cream – Lightens up the cheesecake a bit. Without, it’s just a little rich for my taste. I use sour cream in all my cheesecake recipes.
Flour – This stabilises the cheesecake mixture. Without, it doesn’t set.
Large egg at room temperature. 50 – 55g / 2 oz each, “large eggs” labelled on the carton. Make sure it isn’t fridge cold else it won’t incorporate into the mixture and you’ll end up with lumpy cheesecake. Yup – been there, done that!
Egg plus the flour is what sets the filling so it doesn’t become a runny messy inside the cake.
Lemon zest – Hint of freshness. Love it.
Sugar – For sweetness. Regular / granulated or caster / superfine is fine here.
Vanilla – For flavour.

Carrot cake bundt cake

Here’s what you need for the Carrot Cake part. It is exactly the same as my classic Carrot Cake! The “secret ingredients” in this are:

Crushed pineapple (canned) – this adds to the moistness of the crumb, as well as sweetness and flavour. We’re going to use all of the pineapple and some of the juice; and
Coconut and walnuts (or pecans) – they add a subtle soft crunch which provides great textural contrast in this cake that has a very soft crumb.

Crushed canned pineapple in natural juice. If the liquid is sweetened, it will still work but unsweetened is better. Can’t find crushed pineapple? Just chop up rings or pieces.
See above photo for commentary on why it’s a secret ingredient in this cake!
Baking soda / bi-carb rather than baking powder. It’s ~3x stronger than baking powder and works better in this cake which benefits from the extra power to make it rise. It’s a sizeable cake! I haven’t tested with baking powder because I’m pretty sure the cake won’t rise as well.
Vinegar activates the baking soda to give it a kick start. Don’t worry, you can’t taste it!
Carrots – peeled and shredded using a standard box grater.
Desiccated coconut – Finely shredded coconut, not the large flakes. Unsweetened is best (this is standard in Australia).
Walnuts – For fabulous CRUNCHY!
Brown sugar for caramel-y goodness and makes the cake crumb softer and more moist than white sugar.
Oil instead of butter which also keeps cakes moist. Why? Simple – butter firms up. Even after melting in a cake. Oil does not. So – moister! (Is that a word??)
Plain / all-purpose flour, not cake flour which will make the cake too damp. Also, self-raising flour cannot be used here. Wrong ratio of rising agent to flour.
Large eggs at room temperature. 50 – 55g / 2 oz each, “large eggs” labelled on the carton. Make sure they aren’t fridge cold else they won’t incorporate into the mixture.

Thick cream cheese glaze

Not a fan of thin see-through glazes. I like mine THICK! The frosting is always the best part, right? 😀 (Though actually, in this cake, it ties with the cheesecake part. The cake is just a vehicle to deliver the glaze and cheesecake. 🤣)

Cream cheese – The rest of the block is used for the cheesecake stuffing.
Butter – For buttery richness in the glaze.
Icing sugar / powdered sugar – Australia: use soft icing sugar, not pure icing sugar which is intended for hard-set icing like royal icing that you decorate biscuits with.
Milk – For loosening. USE WITH CAUTION as I find glazes go from too thick to too thin with just the tiniest amount of liquid!
Lemon and vanilla – For flavour.

How to make cheesecake stuffed bundt cake

OK – the making part! It’s pretty fun actually. Love piping the cheesecake filling into the cake!

1. Cheesecake filling first

Make the cheesecake filling first so it can firm up a bit in the fridge while you make the batter. This makes it easier to pipe.

Beat – Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Beat in flour, just until incorporated. Then beat in the egg until mixed in.
The goal here is to make the filling smooth but minimise the air incorporated into the mixture which can create air bubbles when baking. It’s just a visual think though, and won’t affect the taste!
Fridge – Transfer cheesecake mix into a piping bag fitting with a 1.5 – 2 cm / ~0.6″ round nozzle. Then refrigerate while you assemble the rest of the cake.

2. Batter

It’s very easy – mix wet, mix dry, mix wet and dry!

Drain pineapple well in a colander, pressing out excess liquid. Reserve the liquid – you need some for the batter. Use the rest for your morning smoothie!
Whisk wet cake batter ingredients until smooth. Eggs, brown sugar, oil, milk and 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice.
Stir in carrot, coconut and walnuts.
Whisk Dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Pour wet into the dry ingredients.
Mix just until the flour is incorporated.

3. Assemble

TIP OF THE DAY: Dust your bundt pan with cocoa powder not flour. It will blend invisibly into the cake rather than leaving white flour. Also, dust well! Cakes stuck in a bundt pan is the worst! 😭

Some batter – Spread 1 1/2 cups of batter into the base of the bundt pan.
Pipe the cheesecake filling in. I do approximately two layers of piping. Avoid touching the walls!
Cover with the remaining batter. I spoon the batter on the edges of the cake first and cover the cheesecake filling last. This helps keep the cheesecake filling where it should remain – right in the middle!
Bake for 60 minutes, covering with foil at the 30 minute mark to prevent it from becoming too brown.
We bake at a little higher temperature than typical for cakes – 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). It needs the heat to cook the cake with all the extra moisture inside from the cheesecake. Also, the slightly higher heat cooks the cake on the outside more and the cheesecake less, which means – yup, you guessed it – beautifully creamy cheesecake!

4. The glaze

The glaze is as simple as beating the ingredients together. Use milk to adjust the thickness of the glaze so it’s loose enough to drip slowly down the side of the cake but to cover the cake thickly.

This is what we’re looking for. A thick glaze that covers the cake without being see-through!

Expect shape variations!!!

Your cheesecake filling shape may not be the same as pictured. It might be more like a smile, some parts of the cake might have more, some less. Some sections might not be fully surrounded by cake, some sections might be a bit wonky.

I chose the best slice for the photos, and crossed my fingers when I did the cake-slice-pull-out for the video. 😀

And it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t look exactly the same. What’s important is the flavour! Creamy cheesecake, moist carrot cake and that cream cheese glaze I keep going on and one about. It’s a winning combo!! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Cheesecake stuffed carrot bundt cake

Recipe video above. Perfect for a party, this combines two holiday favorites into one – a carrot Bundt cake with creamy cheesecake inside! A combination that everybody adores. Inspired by a cake spied on my friend Jennifer Sabin Sattley’s website, Carlsbad Cravings (love!).

You will need 2 full blocks of cream cheese for this recipe. Take care with the glaze thickness – keep it thick so it blankets the cake generously. Not the usual thin see-through glaze. Feel so cheated!

Course Cake, Sweet Baking

Cuisine Holiday, Western

Keyword bundt cake, cheesecake stuffed cake, stuffed cake

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1

Cake cooling 3

Servings

Calories 534cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

400g/14 oz can crushed pineapple in natural juice (Note 1)
unsalted butter , for greasing
1 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened), for dusting (Note 2)

Cheesecake Stuffing:

340g / 12 oz cream cheese block , softened (Note 3)
1/3 cup sour cream , full fat (yoghurt also ok)
1/2 cup white sugar (regular/granulated)
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp plain/all-purpose flour
1 large egg , at room temperature

Batter:

2 cups plain/all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda/bi-carb (NOT baking powder, Note 4)
1/2 tsp salt (cooking/kosher salt)
2 tsp cinnamon powder
2/3 cup milk , full fat, at room temperature (not fridge-cold)
1 tsp white vinegar (Note 5)
3 large eggs , at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil (or other neutral oil)
2 cups shredded carrot , using a box grater (2 carrots)
1/4 cup desiccated coconut , unsweetened (finely shredded, not large flakes)
1 cup walnuts , roughly chopped

Thick cream cheese glaze:

115 g / 4 oz cream cheese , softened (Note 3)
30g/ 2 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups soft icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted
1 1/2 tbsp milk , full-fat, plus more as needed
1 tbsp lemon juice

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Grease a 12-cup (3 litre) Bundt pan (Note 6) with butter, then dust well with cocoa, shaking out excess. (Why cocoa? See Note 2)
Prep pineapple – Drain pineapple in a colander, pressing out excess juice and reserving. Set pineapple and juice aside.
Cheesecake filling – Using an electric beater, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, lemon and vanilla just until smooth. Beat in flour, just until incorporated. Beat in egg until mixed in. Transfer cheesecake mix into a piping bag and refrigerate until required.
Batter – Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, vinegar, eggs, brown sugar, canola oil, and ¼ cup of the reserved pineapple juice. Whisk until smooth, then stir in the crushed pineapple, shredded carrot, coconut flakes, and walnuts, if using. Pour this over the flour mixture and gently stir until combined.
Assemble – Pour about 2 1/2 cups of batter into the Bundt pan. Cut a 1.8cm / 3/4" hole in the end of the piping bag. Pipe a ring of the filling directly on top of the batter—avoid touching sides of pan. Cover with remaining batter.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove, cover loosely with foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Check with a skewer to ensure it's cooked (straight down into cheesecake, and also on the inner wall of the ring)
Glaze – Cool 20 minutes in the pan. Invert on to a rack and allow to fully cool. Spoon the glaze on top, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake. Sprinkle with walnuts, if using. Cut with a hot knife (for neater slices) and serve!

Cream cheese glaze:

Beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth. Beat in icing sugar in two batches, starting on a low speed first (to avoid powder storm!).
Adjust thickness – Beat in milk and lemon juice. Add extra milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it becomes a thick glaze – BE CAREFUL, it will go from too thick to too thin with just a tiny bit of milk! GOAL: a glaze you can spoon onto the cake, so it oozes thickly down the sides, rather than being thin and transparent like most glazes.

Notes

1. Pineapple – If you can only get pineapple in syrup, that’s fine too. Be sure to press out excess liquid well otherwise batter will be a bit too wet. We will only use some of the liquid – reserve the rest for your morning smoothie!

Crushed pineapple in the US commonly comes in 20 oz cans. Just use approximately 3/4 of the can. No need to be exact here, as long as you press out liquid well.

Pineapple pieces / rings – chop it yourself and use per recipe!

2. Cocoa powder is used to dust the pan to prevent the cake from sticking because it blends invisibly into the cake surface and you can’t taste it. If you use flour, you will end up with some visible white powder.

3. Cream cheese – Spreadable cream cheese in tubs works too.

4. Baking soda is ~3x stronger than baking powder and works better in this cake which benefits from the extra power to make it rise. It’s a sizeable cake!

5. Vinegar activates the baking soda to give it a kick start. Don’t worry, you can’t taste it.

6. Bundt pan – You can also use a 10-cup (2.5 L) Bundt pan. Just remove ¾ cup of batter (and make cupcakes with excess!), and only use 2 cups batter in the base of the Bundt cake before adding the cheesecake filling.

7. Leftovers will keep for 5 days in the fridge. Not sure about freezing, but instinct tells me the cake will go a bit too wet (it’s a moist cake).

Nutrition per slice, assuming 14 slices. Don’t forget, there’s vegetables and fruit in this which offsets the butter and sugar.😀

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

Earnestly explaining the reward that awaits him if he co-operates for a photo:

Said photo. (He’s totally looking at the camera, not the treats!)

The post Cheesecake stuffed carrot bundt cake appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Mini Cheesecakes

Nagi — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 05:00:00 +0000

These adorable mini cheesecakes are made in a muffin tin! Easier to make than one large cheesecake, they’re pretty as a picture and a lot less messy to serve. Are you already visualising everybody’s gushing reaction when you turn up at your next gathering with a platter of these petite treats??

Mini cheesecakes

When it comes to party season, my dessert game plan is pretty predictable and heads in one of two directions.

If I have the time and really want to make a splash, I’ll go for a big statement piece like the famous Pavlova Christmas Tree or Never-Ending Meringue Tart, the latter aptly named because you can make it as impressively loooong as you want (4 metres / 12 feet is my record to date!)

Pavlova Christmas Tree

Never Ending Meringue Tart

But when I know I’ll be pressed for time – and the holiday season this year will be such a year – I’m always thinking what I can cook up for post-feast sweets that will still make an impact but without the stress. My tick boxes are for something low-risk, make-ahead, pretty, easy to transport and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.

Enter this year’s dessert to the rescue: Mini Cheesecakes! They’re easier to make than one large cheesecake (which are kind of fragile), with the convenience of side-stepping all the hassles of slicing and doling out with plates and cutlery. You can literally eat these with your hands like cupcakes.

And they are just adorable!

What you need for mini cheesecakes

Here’s what you need to make mini cheesecakes.

1. The biscuit base

Biscuits – My biscuit of choice for mini cheesecakes is digestive biscuits, for flavour and for the texture. These are a popular biscuit in the UK but also common in Australian grocery stores these days. They are firm but have a crumbly texture so they form crumbs easily, and are not as dry as other plain sweet biscuits.
Substitute with:
– Graham crackers: Very similar in both flavour and texture to Digestives.
– Arnott’s Marie crackers: I use these for large cheesecakes but I found the base a bit dry when I made these mini cheesecakes. However this is easily countered with some extra butter.
– Any other plain sweet biscuits: Just make the biscuit base as written and add a bit of extra butter if needed to achieve the “wet sand” texture you need.
Butter – To add flavour and fat to the base, and as a binding so the biscuit crumbs coalesce into a solid base;
Sugar – For a little extra sweetness. We don’t need much.
Cinnamon – Optional, but I like the extra touch of flavour it brings to the biscuit base.
Salt – Just a pinch.

2. The cheesecake filling

The key to a creamy smooth cheesecake filling is to ensure the cold ingredients are at room temperature.

Cream cheese – The primary ingredient in cheesecake! I have always used Philadelphia cream cheese which is the best known cream cheese brand. Use the block sort not the creamy spreadable tub kind, which tends to be softer.
Full fat cream cheese is essential here! Low fat cream cheese won’t set as well and doesn’t have the same flavour. It’s all in or make something else, I say!
Sour cream – This might sound strange but sour cream lightens the cheesecake filling so it’s not as dense. This is a “secret ingredient” I use to make cheesecakes luscious but not overly rich.
You can probably get away with low fat but I haven’t tried it. Plain yogurt also works as a substitute.
Sugar – It’s best to use caster sugar / superfine sugar as the grains are smaller so they will dissolve more easily into the filling mixture. Regular sugar will work too but will require more beating to dissolve. This means your mixture will be more aerated which will lead to some surface bubbles on the cheesecake (not the end of the world though, as we cover it with cream!).
Flour – Just a bit, to provide a bit of stability to the filling and make it set. Without this, the filling sets a bit too flabby and loose.
Eggs – This is our binding agent for the filling that holds everything together. Eggs, the ultimate food glue!
Make sure the eggs are at room temperature and not fridge-cold. This way they will incorporate more easily into the batter and you won’t run the risk of curdling the mixture. Yup, been there, done that! To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, just submerge in warm water for 5 minutes.
Vanilla – For flavour. I like to use extract rather than imitation essence which is, well, fake. I don’t use real vanilla beans for general baking. I reserve that good stuff for special things like Creme Brûlée, Creme Anglaise (pouring custard).
Salt – It’s generally good baking practice to add a bit of salt to most dishes to bring out the flavour of other ingredients. It will not make this taste salty.
Lemon zest – Always welcome in rich things, it brings a touch of brightness to offset some of the creaminess. It doesn’t make this taste like a lemon cheesecake. You need a LOT of zest for a pronounced lemon flavour in cheesecakes, as I found out when creating Lemon Cheesecake for my cookbook!

Close up of inside the filling so you can see how it’s light and aerated inside rather than dense and thick. However, it’s got a gorgeous creamy mouthfeel!

How to make Mini Cheesecakes

Nice and straightforward. And I really like that you can make these cheesecake days in advance! Don’t worry if you don’t have a food processor or electric beater, there’s other means to make this.

1. Base

Blitz – Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz until they become fine crumbs. It takes about 10 seconds in my food processor. Start by pulsing then blitz on high until done. Then add everything else (melted butter, cinnamon, sugar, salt) and blitz again briefly to combine.
Don’t have a food processor? No problems. Just put the biscuits in a ziplock bag and bash using a rolling pin or large tin. It’s very satisfying!
Wet sand texture – The mixture should look like wet sand and holds together when you pinch it between your fingers. Divide the mixture between paper muffin tin liners sitting in each hole.
Press and flatten the crumbs firmly into the base of each hole using something round with a flat base. A 1/4 cup measure is the perfect tool for me.
Bake for 7 minutes then remove and cool for 5 minutes before topping with the cheesecake filling.

2. Cheesecake filling

The goal with the filling is to make it as smooth as you can yet beating as little possible. This will minimise the amount of air bubbles in the mixture so you don’t end up with bubbles or cracks on the surface.

I assume you’ve figured out that this also means the filling is FAST to make!🙌🏻

Beat – Start by beating the cream cheese until smooth. If it’s properly at room temperature, this should barely take 10 seconds on a medium speed. Then beat in everything else except the eggs, just until smooth.
Don’t have an electric beater? Just make sure the cream cheese is quite soft then just use a handheld whisk / wooden spoon. It works because we aren’t trying to fluff up the cream cheese like we do with butter for things like buttercream frosting. All we want is to make the cream cheese smooth.
Eggs – Beat the eggs in one at a time, just until incorporated.
Batter thickness – The cheesecake filling should be more like a thick pancake batter, rather than a muffin mixture that can be scooped into mounds.
Divide the mixture between the muffin tin holes. Use it all! You can fill the holes up to 3 mm from the rim as the cheesecake does not rise much.
I like to use an ice cream scoop with a lever. It’s very handy for muffins, cupcakes, pancakes, fritters …. AND ice cream!
Bake for 20 minutes at 160°C / 325°F (140°C fan). A lower temperature avoids browning on the surface while gently baking the delicate cheesecake filling.
Once baked, the filling should still be soft and supple in the centre, not rock hard. But not jiggling like there’s liquid underneath. If it’s too soft, pop it back in the oven for a few minutes.
Cool thoroughly on the counter for at least 1 hour.
Fridge – Cover the surface with a sheet of baking/parchment paper then seal with cling wrap. Place in the fridge for at least 6 hours to fully set, preferably overnight.

3. Decorating!

Fully set – Once the mini cheesecakes are thoroughly chilled they will be set enough to pick up.
Peel off the paper liner and place on a serving platter.
Cream – Decorate as you wish! In today’s recipe I’ve gone with Chantilly cream (which is just a fancy name for lightly-sweetened whipped cream) and berries. I’ve piped the cream on using a star tip nozzle but you could also just dollop the cream on using spoons.
Berries – I used small strawberries (halved / quartered), raspberries and blueberries plus a small sprig of mint, all dusted with icing sugar.

More decorating suggestions

Sliced/diced soft tropical fruit like mango, kiwi, peach
Passionfruit – always a nice finishing touch!
A drizzle of chocolate, Nutella or caramel
Colourful sprinkles or silver balls (festive season!)
Fruit compote
Toppings I use for my Strawberry or Blueberry Cheesecakes

The practical stuff: Storage and serving tips

The making part done, I have some practical tips to share with you on serving, storage and assembling so you pull off your dessert without a hitch on party day! In no particular order:

Storage – Keep them in the fridge. They’re excellent for 24 hours after making, and still very, very good at 48 hours. Beyond this the base starts getting softer than is ideal but nobody complains. If needed it keeps for 5 days at least, probably longer. But note the cream will start to deflate after around 24 hours. See tips below for assembling and stabilised cream.
Freezing – The naked cheesecake (ie. no cream) can be frozen for up to 3 months then thawed.
Serve at room temperature – Ideally. Cheesecake is creamier and you can taste more flavours when it’s at room temperature. Though on hot summer days cold cheesecake from the fridge is lovely! In my perfect scenario, I de-chill the cheesecake for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then I decorate just prior to serving.

The practical stuff (continued)

Decorating – Regular freshly whipped cream deflates with time so try to assemble as close to serving as you can. When I really want to impress, I take the Chantilly cream ingredients and equipment with me and whip the cream close to serving.
If I’m feeling more relaxed, I’ll just decorate the cheesecakes prior to leaving my house and put it straight in the fridge when I arrive,. They are fine for a few hours. The cream will deflate a bit but if you whip until stiff it will hold its piped shape for a day.
Stabilised cream – For the best make-ahead results, use a stabilised cream. To do this, switch 1/4 of the (unwhipped) whipping cream with marscapone cheese, a rich Italian soft cheese that tastes like whipped cream but has the texture of spreadable cream cheese.
When you whip marscapone with ordinary cream, the resulting cream stays light and fluffy for far longer than plain whipped cream, ie. it is “stabilised”. It will remain fluffy and near-perfect for 24 to 36 hours. Beyond this, it starts to deflate slightly but is still far superior to plain whipped cream!

And with that, it’s over and out for me!

Time to hand over to you. What do you think of the cheesecake? Is this holiday gatherings-worthy? What will you decorate yours with? Tell me below, I want to know! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Mini cheesecakes

Recipe video above. Fabulously adorable little individual cheesecakes that are perfect for gatherings. They are easier to make than 1 large cheesecake and a whole lot less messy to serve! Decorate with berries and whipped cream, or use the topping from this Strawberry or Blueberry Cheesecake.

Please ensure the fridge ingredients are at room temperature so the filling mixture is completely smooth. Nobody wants little lumps in their cheesecake!

Course Sweet Baking

Cuisine Western

Keyword Mini cheesecake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 27

Chilling 6

Servings

Calories 353cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Base:

150g/ 5 oz digestive biscuits (10 pieces) or Graham Crackers (20 squares) (Note 1 for other biscuits)
60g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
1 tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
1/8 tsp cinnamon powder (optional)
Pinch of salt

Filling:

375g / 12 oz cream cheese (block), at room temperature (Note 2)
1 1/2 tbsp flour , plain / all-purpose
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream , room temperature (or plain yogurt)
1/2 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar)
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest (1 lemon)
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs , must be at room temperature (Note 3)

Chantilly Cream:

1 1/2 cups thickened / heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
15g / 2 tbsp icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted (or 1 tbsp caster sugar)

Decorating (optional):

Strawberries (small), blueberries and raspberries
12 small sprigs of mint
Icing sugar / powdered sugar , for dusting

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160°C / 325°F (140°C fan) with the shelf 1/3 from the bottom of the oven. Line a 12-hole standard muffin tin with paper muffin liners.

Base:

Blitz: Break the crackers up with your hands then blitz in a food processor until they form fine crumbs – about 10 seconds or so. (Note 4) Add remaining Base ingredients, blitz to combine. It should have the texture of wet sand.
Press: Divide mixture between the muffin tin holes. Press down firmly to flatten using something flat and round. A 1/3 cup measure fits perfectly in mine my tin holes for this purpose.
Bake: Backe for 7 minutes then cool bases for 5 minutes before filling.

Filling:

Filling (Note 5): Beat cream cheese on speed 5 of an electric beater just until smooth (~ 10 seconds). Add flour, vanilla, sour cream, sugar and lemon. Beat on speed 5 just until combined (~10 seconds). Beat in eggs one at a time just until incorporated. Mixture should be like a thick pancake batter.
Bake filling: Divide mixture between muffin holes. Use it all – you can can go within 3mm of rim as it won’t rise much. Bake for 20 minutes.
Chill: Remove from the oven then cool for 1 hour on the counter in the muffin tin. When cooled, cover with baking/parchment paper then loosely with cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and preferably overnight, or until the liner can be peeled off cleanly.

Decorate and serve:

De-chill: If you have the time, remove cheesecakes from the fridge 30 minutes prior to serving, to take some of the fridge chill out (the cheesecake is nicer at room temperature).
Chantilly cream: Place ingredients in a bowl and beat on high until the cream is thick enough to pipe/dollop.
Decorate: Pipe or dollop with cream, decorate with berries, dust with icing sugar. Serve proudly!

Notes

1. Biscuits – I tried a variety of biscuits and found digestive biscuits and graham crackers to be my preference for mini cheesecakes. For graham crackers you will need 1 3/4 cup or 20 squares for 150g.

Marie crackers (commonly used in Australia for cheesecake base which I use for full size cheesecakes) works but needs and extra 90g butter (the base is drier than with digestives).

Use any biscuits you want but you may need to adjust the butter depending on the type so it stays together when you press it in the base. Just make base as-is, then add 1 tbsp (15g) extra melted butter at a time until you get the right texture.

2. Cream cheese – Use block cream cheese as it’s firmer than the spreadable tub variety.

3. Eggs – Use eggs labelled as “large eggs” as they are an industry standard size of around 55g/2oz each. Please ensure they are at room temperature so they incorporate easily in the batter.

4. No food processor? Just put the biscuits in a ziplock bag and bash with a rolling pin or large can. It’s very satisfying!

5. Creating a smooth filling – The goal is to make a smooth mixture with minimal beating so there’s no bubbles on the surface and no cracking risk. Hence the instruction to have all ingredients at room temperature rather than fridge-cold!

6. Peeling off liner – If you want even neater sides, pop the cheesecakes in the freezer for 30 minutes or so, until the sides firm up. The lining will peel off even more cleanly.

7. Serving – Decorate close to serving time ideally. However they can stay in the fridge for a few hours and will be fine! I assemble prior to leaving my house then put it straight in the fridge at the destination.

8. Storage – Cheesecakes will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Regular cream will deflate a bit though, that’s just what happens, but it’s still delicious. Stabilised cream is more resistant to deflating while still as airy as normal whipped cream. To make, substitute 1/4 of the unwhipped cream with the same amount of 40% fat marscapone. Whip into cream as usual, and use as per normal cream.

See tips above the recipe video for making ahead and taking to gatherings.

9. Nutrition per cheesecake, excluding toppings.

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

Another Melbourne Cup, another RecipeTin Yakitori backyard BBQ, another Dozer headpiece!

The post Mini Cheesecakes appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Lemon Cheesecake

Nagi — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 06:53:23 +0000

Created with the help of gifted French pastry chef Jennifer Pogmore, this cheesecake is exceptional. It strikes the perfect balance of tang, sweetness and luxurious richness without being overly heavy, all with the most incredible lemon ﬂavour.

Find the recipe on page 321 of Dinner.

This is a cookbook exclusive recipe!

This recipe is exclusive to my debut cookbook Dinner which includes a how-to video for every recipe. Just scan the QR code!

Just to explain….

I know, it’s confusing! You’re so used to getting recipes on my website – there’s over 1,200 of them, after all. And here you are looking at a tasty recipe video and I haven’t provided the recipe. 🙀

I’m not just doing this to torture you, I promise.

This page exists to display the how-to video for this recipe which I exclusively created for my debut cookbook, Dinner. Every recipe in the cookbook has a tutorial video. To watch it, you simply scan the QR code with your phone or tablet and it will take you straight to the recipe video like the one shown above!

Curious about my cookbook?

Read the cookbook overview
Browse all cookbook exclusive recipes here
Read the Cookbook Tales. Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of dirty dishes!! And quite a lot of Dozer. 😂

Stay tuned for more on this page! Some cookbook exclusive recipes will have extra information added as well as extra tips. I am also looking at enabling comments for selected recipes so I can answer reader questions about cookbook recipes. I’m just a little snowed under during this launch period – book tours, getting 131 recipe videos out, launching the book overseas. Please bear with me! – Nagi x (10 October 2022)

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