Cheesecake

Keyk na keso, gateau au fromage, Cheesecake, torta di fromaggio, tarta de queso, чизкейк

 (This post was requested by two wonderful and amazing ladies ~ Sonia and Orina)

My all time favorite desert is by far the Cheesecake. As we all know, Cheesecake is basically a layered cake, where the bottom layer is either made of graham crackers, digestive biscuits or even cookies, pastry or sponge cake ( I should try to make it with soaked boudoirs, like a Tiramisu-style cheesecake). On top of the base comes the cream cheese, flavored and gently mixed with heavy whipped cream and finally on top, you commonly have fruits, whipped cream, nuts, jelly and so on. 

There are two different types of Cheesecake - baked ones or no-bake cheesecake. 

The way of preparing a baked Cheesecake is almost exactly the same as a no bake one. The only difference is that you should mix your cream cheese with eggs and the chosen flavor and of course bake it! However, the difference of a bake cheesecake is the texture; baked cheesecake has a dense velvety texture. The result is more like a dense custard. 

No-bake Cheesecake is my favorite way of making it. I've always made no-bake cheesecake since I've started baking. No-bake Cheesecake gets its airy texture, fluffiness and smoothness from the incorporated whipped cream. This type of cheesecake is more like a mousse, I would say it would be the perfect desert at the end of a consistent meal. I will provide you a recipe for to illustrate a no-bake cheesecake down below. I've made this for the past Thanksgiving for my friends and they really loved it. It is super simple, a little time consuming but it is definitely worth all the efforts! 

I also had the chance to go to the Cheesecake Factory in Seattle. I was amazed by some of their crazy mix for cheesecakes as well as pleasantly surprised by the taste. Our waiter was a French guy and it was so much fun talking to him. Here is a picture of my cheesecake - White chocolate and raspberry Cheesecake (Sounds yummy isn't it?! Well it was!) US $7 for this masterpiece, I think it is a reasonable price. 

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake (got the recipe here but I made some changes for the crust)

Crust:

• 12 digestive biscuits
• 3 tbsp of melted unsalted butter / margarine
• 2 tbsp white sugar

Strawberry Topping:

• 500g frozen strawberries, stemmed.
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp powdered gelatin

Cheesecake:

• 500g cream cheese (I used Philadelphia Cream cheese)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup strawberry topping (See above)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Decoration: Fresh Strawberries

Prepare the crust:

1. In a food processor, mix together the digestive biscuits, sugar and melted butter and mix until it is well incorporated and forms a good paste. If the mixture is too sticky, add more biscuits and if it is too tough, add just a small amount of melted butter. In the process, you may have to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times.
2. Press the crust firmly into the bottom of a cheesecake pan. Refrigerate the crust.

Prepare the Strawberry topping:

1. In a saucepan, add the frozen strawberries, sugar and 2 tbsp of water. Leave to cook under medium heat until the strawberries are soft. This might take about 15 minutes. 
2. Transfer the strawberries to a regular blender and puree the fruit. Then return it to the saucepan. 
3. Sprinkle the gelatin over 2 tbsp of water and allow it to sit for 1-2 minutes. Then, add it to the puree, cook over low heat and make sure to whisk the mixture until the gelatin is completely dissolved. 
4. Reserve 3/4 cup of the mixture for the top layer of the Cheesecake.

To make the Cheesecake:

1. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and the rest of the strawberry topping.
2. In another bowl, whisk the heavy cream until it forms medium peaks. Fold the whipped cream gently into the strawberry cheesecake batter using a spoon. Make sure to incorporate as much air as possible.
3. When it is all combined, pour the cheesecake into the prepared pan. Tap the pan gently on the counter to bring any air bubbles to the surface. Refrigerate for about 2 hours uncovered, until it is set to the touch.
4. Once the cheesecake is set, pour the remaining 3/4 cup strawberry topping over it. If the topping has set in the pan, gently heat it for a minute until it is pourable.
5. Place the cheesecake back in the refrigerator until the topping is set, for about an hour. I would recommend to make the cheesecake the day before simply because it will have time to set completely.
6. Before unlocking the spring form pan, run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it. Top with the fresh strawberries and Enjoy it! You may also pipe some whipped cream on the top for a further wow-effect. 

Let me know what you think about the blog and if you have any requests for a topic, please leave me a comment below :)

Take care

Diana B.