Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Dual Layer Cheesecake

Happy New Year All! Sorry for not posting up anything interesting lately. :-P I have been busy sorting out things and trying to settle down in the new environment. Not to mention getting my girls ready for their new schools. However we are happy that we have finally come to this decision even though coming to this point was a long and tedious process. Friends that are close to us would understand what I meant. We are really grateful for all the help that our friends and family that has been so helpful to us along the way which makes things much easier to handle. I am just hoping that everything will eventually fall in the right place and we will never look back with regrets.

Today, I would like to post up yet another one of those bakes that I did not get to put up last month; Dual Layer Cheesecake. Part of the reason why I decided to bake cheesecake at that time was because I had a whole chunk of cream cheese in the fridge and I need to finish it up before we move. I actually did this recipe base on whatever I have left in my fridge, remaining eggs, remaining butter, remaining sugar & enough flour, hahaha! Good thing it still taste good enough to me. ;)Ingredients
For the cookie crust below:
6 pieces graham crackers, crushed

80g butter, melted


For the Cheese later:
420g cream cheese, room temperature

125ml fresh milk
65g cake flour
40g cornflour
4 eggs yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract
75ml heavy cream

50g Valrhona Chocolate (66% cocoa), chopped
40g unsweetened coca powder

150g caster sugar
4 egg whites


Method:
  • Melt the butter and mix together to the crushed graham crackers. Press the mixture into the 9" cake pan base which has been greased and lined with parchment paper. Set aside till needed.
  • In a saucepan, heat up the cream cheese and milk till the cheese melted. Stir in both flours using whisk till no lumps. Stir in the egg yolks one at a time till well combined. Last stir in the vanilla extract and mix well.
  • Using the mixer, beat the egg whites and caster sugar at high speed till stiff peaks. Gently fold in the whites into the yolk mixture till everything is combined.
  • Using double boiler method, heat up the heavy cream and chopped chocolate together till all the chocolate is melted. Sift in the cocoa powder till well combined and no lumps.
  • Preheat oven to 160°C. Pour some water to the base of the baking tray to create a water-bath. Wrap the base of the cake pan with aluminum foil to protect the water from sipping in.
  • Divide the vanilla cheese mixture into 2 portions. Then stir in the chocolate mixture into the one half of the vanilla cheese portion.
  • Pour the chocolate cheese mixture onto graham cracker base. Then pour the other half of the vanilla cheese mixture over the chocolate cheese mixture. Be care not to pour too fast so that the vanilla portion won't sink all the way to the base.
  • Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes till just baked. Over baked cheesecake will taste dry. A way to test is using a toothpick which it will come out with some moist crumbs, not wet or clean.
  • Let the cake cool on the rack completely before removing the from the pan. Preferably chill the cheesecake before serving it.

Again I apologies for the poor quality of my photos. There seems to be something wrong with my 4 year+ camera after a drop recently. :-P Somehow the flash would not work when needed. :-P I had to take like 8 to 10 shots for one angle to get a decent one. ;-P Somehow the cake just looks dull...*sigh*


Good thing the cheesecake still taste smooth and moist. :) The vanilla and chocolate cheese layers compliment each others' taste well. Perhaps next time I would add some real vanilla bean seeds into the vanilla layer to accentuate the taste. :) You might have noticed that the vanilla cheese layer was not evenly layered over the chocolate one. It was my mistake for pouring the vanilla mixture too "hastily" over...so it's not as neat as I hope it would be. ;-P Call it abstract or rustic...it's sure looks homey to me! ;)
I was really glad that the cheesecake was a success and my friends and family still manage to taste my last bake before we moved. ;) When we finished the last slice of this cheesecake...I was asking myself when will I bake another one again? :( No worries, good things comes to those who are patient and waits. :) So lately I have been looking around for steam recipes, to "replace" my baking "urge". Hahaha, sound like some addict! Anyway, hopefully soon, I will be able to bake / steam up something good enough to post up. :) If you all have any good ideas, do drop me a note. :) Have a great day!

10 comments:

quizzine said...

Hope you & your family have a good start in the new environment! Remember to 'satisfy' us with more your good stuff, be it steam bake or fried! Have a great year ahead ;-)
Cheers,

Unknown said...

i love this cheesecake and this just looks devine!

have a happy new year!!! hope this year brings you new things and happiness :)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Thanks for all the good wishes quizzine! ;) Indeed I will have to settle for no bake recipes for now. :) And the no bake cheesecake you just posted is an excellent idea too. ;) Hope you have a super duper year ahead too. ;)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Thanks so much Ann! I too wish you have a wonderful year ahead and many pleasant surprises along the way! :)

Kitchen Corner said...

Hey Bee! Happy New Year to you! New year new hope new challenge new baking! haha.. I love this kind of cheesecake. Your one looks real soft and light and no crackling on the top. I'm quite nervous baking this cheesecake because either the top crack or the side is wrinkled. Thanks for sharing your recipe, may be I should try again. Thanks!

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Thanks Grace, but there are still small cracks and a wee bit wrinkly on my cheesecake. :P I guess temperature control is really important. Yes, this kind of cheesecake is not too dense and not the light kind too. The texture is perfect for me too. :)

Pei-Lin said...

Wah ... You're damn amazing! If I were to put up my own recipe, they are always failure ... Boo ...

Yummy cheesecake!!

Pei-Lin

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Heehee, thanks Pei-Lin. :) Actually when people say baking needs to follow to the dot...I seldom do. :P Whenever I see a new recipe, I'm always thinking of ways to improvise it to suit my taste. :) Of course there are several failures but I always learn through experience and eventually will get the hang of it. :) No worries, soon you will be whipping up new recipes like nobodys' busy! :D

ReeseKitchen said...

Hey, is it the one i didn't get to taste?....:( Looks very tempting and you know my favourite CHEESE!!
*sigh*...so when can i taste your bakings?? Hopefully in March, hee hee!
Take care..:)

Honey Bee Sweets said...

Hi Reese!
Yeah, this is the one that I forgotten to pass to you before I left. :P No worries, I will have some yummies prepared for you ladies when you all are here. ;) Looking forward to that!