Cheesecake makes baking worth it

I love making cheesecakes, especially after I learnt that cream cheese DO NOT belong in the freezer. I love the way that they form so effortlessly and I have discovered that no-bake cheesecakes are not so bad afterall and they are so much easier to make, without having to worry if the water from the bain-marie has seeped into the springform and destroyed my hard-nights' labour.

I made this in an attempt to renew my faith in myself over the past disasters. It didn't turn out so bad. Plus it was also an attempt to ponder what I will/can make with my new KitchenAid that I redeemed from my flybuy points plus paid $400 for. Well worth the money *dancing on the bed because I am overjoyed at my new purchase* It's coming in 4 weeks, Yippee.

NO-BAKE TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CHEESE CAKE

Ingredients

180gm marie biscuits

1 tbsp castor sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder / milo

90gm butter, melted

80ml warm water

1 1/2 tbsp gelatine

400ml whipping cream

3 tbsp castor sugar

500gm cream cheese

1/2 cup castor sugar

60gm dark chocolate

100gm milk chocolate

80gm white chocolate

Method:

1. In a food processor, blend the biscuits, sugar and cocoa powder together until they resemble fine, sandy crumbs.
2. Add in the melted butter and pulse the food processor for a few seconds until they resemble slightly wet sand grains.
3. Remove the biscuit crumbs and press well onto a 23cm springform pan.
4. Add gelatine to water and put it over the stove until the gelatin dissolves. Set aside to cool slightly.
5. In a bowl, whisk the whipping cream and 3 tbsp of sugar together until soft peaks form. Set aside.
6. In another bowl, whisk the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar together until creamy.
7. Add the gelatine mixture into the cream cheese and beat until well combined.
8. Fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Gently beat it to combine the cream cheese with the whipped cream.
9. Divide the mixture into three equal parts.
10. Pour the slightly warm dark chocolate into one part of the mixture while beating it with one beater attachment (on a handheld beater) until thoroughly mixed through. Pour into the springform pan over the biscuits.
11. Using a spatula, smooth the layer until it is reasonable flat.
12. Repeat steps 10 & 11 with the milk chocolate, pouring it over the dark chocolate layer.
13. Repeat steps 10 & 11 with the white chocolate, pouring it over the milk chocolate layer.
14. Cover the top of the springform pan in foil and place it into the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Note:

*DO NOT pour chocolate into the cream cheese mixture without beating it immediately, otherwise you'll have small (or large) pieces of chocolate - unless you want it to be a chocolate chip cheesecake. The milk chocolate layer turned out a little like chocolate chip cookie and tasted pretty good actually.

*I used leftover white chocolate with 2-3 drops of food colouring from my previous cooking to draw concentric circles with a piping bag. Then I ran a skewer from the side of the cake towards the center and then in the opposite direction around the cake to produce the spider web effect.

A Disastrous Weekend

Few weeks ago, I decided to make pandan steamed cupcakes, fatt koh and blossom cake - all of which are steamed and supposed to "smile" once the steamer lid is lifted.

Well, mine didn't smile and instead, made me grumpy for the rest of the week, and has prevented me from coming back to my blog because I hate to admit that I have failed miserably in making things "smile" and to add insult to injury, mum and dad weren't particular helpful in making me cheerful either.

So here is the best of my three efforts. The latter 2 were nearly unedible. But I have seen yochana's site and her blossom cake looked amazing - unlike mine.

Pandan Steamed Cupcakes

No recipe until I perfect this one.

Finally

Well, my mum's birthday has been and gone (28th April) and I still haven't updated my site with her cake. Oh, I took the whole-cake pic with another camera so I can't upload the pic just yet. With this camera, I remembered to take a photo when it was already half eaten

It was nothing elaborate since I did it last minute and she doesn't enjoy the sweet richness of icing and butter cakes. So instead, I had to make a cheesecake and it can't be just any ol' no-bake cheesecake, it had to be one that has been in a bain-marie for about 1hr.

Marbled Baked Cheesecake


Ingredients:
500gm softened cream cheese
50gm castor sugar
5 eggs, separated
zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp lemon juice
230gm whipped cream
120gm plain flour
120gm castor sugar
50gm melted milk chocolate
1 tbsp milk

Method

1. Beat the softened cream cheese with the 50gm of castor sugar until fluffy.
2. Add each egg yolk, one at a time into the cream cheese mixture, beating well after each addition.
3. Add in the lemon zest and juice.
4. Using a spatula, fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
5. Sift in the plain flour and fold until well combined.
6. In a separate, greasefree bowl, beat the 5 egg withes with the remaining castor sugar until soft peak forms.
7. Fold the egg whites into the cream cheese mixture.
8. Beat in milk until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
9. Remove 200gm of cream cheese mixture and quickly mix in the melted chocolate.
10. Dollop some white cream cheese mixture followed by the chocolate cream cheese mixture into the spring form pan. Swirl patterns with a skewer if desired.

Note:

*Do not pour in chocolate and let it stand while you finish scraping the bowl or the like, otherwise the chocolate will set in the cooler cream cheese mixture and you'll have little clumps of chocolate.

*I have poured the chocolate mixture on the base and saved about 2 tablespoon of the mixture, then poured on the white mixture. Using the remaining chocolate mixture, I have placed it in a piping bag and drew little circly patterns and swirled it with a skewer. Chocolate icing made from piping and floodwork: Melted white chocolate with a bit of pink colouring for the letter flooding. Melted milk chocolate for the borders.