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.... Get the Recipe
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]]>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
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
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
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!)
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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... Get the Recipe
The post Mini Cheesecakes appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.
]]>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!)
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!
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
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
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
Nutrition
Life of Dozer
Another Melbourne Cup, another RecipeTin Yakitori backyard BBQ, another Dozer headpiece!
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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.
The post Lemon Cheesecake appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.
]]>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.
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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What’s the best way to inject the distinctive choc-hazelnut flavour of Nutella into a Nutella Cheesecake? Make it NO-BAKE. It’s the secret to preserving the Nutella flavour. Of course, a triple punch of Nutella also helps here: in the mousse-y cream cheese filling, the ganache topping and a good melty drizzle of the stuff to... Get the Recipe
The post Nutella Cheesecake (No-Bake!) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.
]]>What’s the best way to inject the distinctive choc-hazelnut flavour of Nutella into a Nutella Cheesecake? Make it NO-BAKE. It’s the secret to preserving the Nutella flavour. Of course, a triple punch of Nutella also helps here: in the mousse-y cream cheese filling, the ganache topping and a good melty drizzle of the stuff to finish it off!
Sounds indulgent? That would be because it is. 😈 This cake is not for faint hearts and weak arteries. It’s for serious Nutella lovers only!
Nutella Cheesecake
I’m a little fussy about my cheesecakes. In the past I’ve publicly declared that baking is the one and only way to achieve a light-and-still-rich-but-not-overly-so cheesecake that ticks all the right boxes.
But there are times when baking is not the route to the best result. Say, Mango Cheesecake. Baking alters the flavour of mango and it’s just not the same.
And, it turns out, Nutella is the same. The baked version wasn’t bad. It’s just that the no-bake version was so much better, dialling up the Nutella flavour to the max!
Bonus: It’s a whip/pour/fridge job, and waiting at the end of this (short and easy!) path is THIS:
Holy moly, if that doesn’t make your knees weak and get your heart pumping, you must not have a pulse to begin with. 😂
Ingredients in Nutella Cheesecake
Here’s what you need to make Nutella Cheesecake. Shockingly but reassuringly few ingredients!
Nutella – An entire 500g/1lb jar ends up in this Cheesecake. It’s a Nutella cake, people. Happy days!
Cream cheese, block form – Philadelphia brand is my preferred, and they aren’t paying me to say that!! I’ve strayed from the brand before and regretted it.
It must be the brick type, as opposed to the cream cheese sold in tubs which is softer. The latter is formulated to be easily spreadable, which we don’t want. If you can only get the spreadable tub stuff, you’ll need to use a bit more gelatine to set it properly (see recipe notes – this note is particularly for UK readers, as I believe brick form cream cheese may still not available there);
Gelatine powder – Gelatine is what sets the cheesecake in its fluffy mousse-like form. It’s widely available in the baking section of grocery stores. The setting strength is (to my knowledge) standardised globally, unlike gelatine sheets (don’t get me started on those!!)
The brand I use is McKenzie’s, the most common brand here in Australia:
Icing sugar / powdered sugar – Heads up, Australians: It’s best to use soft icing sugar not pure icing sugar, though for this recipe it’s ok if you only have pure. Soft icing sugar is used to make fluffy, creamy frostings like buttercream frosting. Pure icing sugar sets hard and is used for things like Royal Icing. Never confuse or interchange these two types for frostings. But for this Nutella Cheesecake, it is ok since we’re not using it for frosting;
Oreo biscuits – This is for the cheesecake crust. I like using Oreo cookies for the texture and flavour, I find they’re more chocolate-y than most other chocolate biscuits. But any plain chocolate biscuits / cookies will work fine here, such as Arnott’s Chocolate Ripples;
Cream – Cream is used in 3 ways in this recipe:
Filling: Whipped until fluffy then folded through the Nutella Cheesecake Filling. Cream is what makes the filling light and airy, while the gelatine makes it set;
Nutella ganache: Combined with melted Nutella and chocolate to make the ganache layer that covers the cheesecake; and
Whipped and piped: for decorating the cake!
Butter – Just regular unsalted butter, to help the biscuit base hold together; and
Hazelnuts – For sprinkling across the surface. We want the nuts for texture, visual effect and to double down on the hazelnut flavour in Nutella!
How to make Nutella Cheesecake
Part 1: Prepare the pan (with a TIP!)
Here’s a nifty tip for making cheesecakes: flip the base of a springform pan UPSIDE DOWN. This way, you don’t have the lip of the base to contend with when removing the finished cheesecake = no base-cracking stresses. Though actually, once set cheesecakes are much sturdier than you think!
Flip the base upside down – Flip the base of a springform pan upside down;
Butter and line – Smear the base and sides with a bit of softened butter to help the paper stick. Then press a square piece of parchment/baking paper onto the base;
Clip sides with paper overhang – Don’t trim the paper off. You want the overhang sticking out the sides of the pan to make it easier to remove the cheesecake later. It can be a bit fiddly to get the upside base clipped in, but you’ll figure it out!
Line sides – Use strips of baking/parchment paper to line the sides of the springform pan.
Part 2: Oreo biscuit base
Break up cookies roughly by hand, then place in a food processor;
Blitz until it becomes sand-like. Pour in the melted butter and blitz again briefly to just combine;
Tip this cookie-sand into the lined pan; and
Press into pan – Use something with a flat base and straight sides to press the crumbs firmly against the base of the pan. I use a measuring cup!
Ordinarily, I also have biscuit sides for my cheesecakes for no other reason than I love biscuit bases! But for this Nutella Cheesecake, I think it’s nice to be able to see the different cake layers so I only use it for the base.
Part 3: Nutella Cheesecake filling
It’s a dead simple mix-and-pour job! OK, OK, so I’m understating it a bit … but it really is straightforward, I promise!
Bloom gelatine – This simply means mixing gelatine powder with a little water and leaving it so the gelatine granules absorb the water and swell, so that they properly dissolve. The gelatine liquid then sets like firm butter. For most recipes this is then mixed into a hot liquid (like hot chocolate mixture for a Chocolate Mirror Glaze, or hot cranberry juice to make jelly for Christmas Trifle) which makes it dissolve.
For this recipe, we’re doing things a little differently. We add a bit of hot water to the solidified gelatine mixture to return it to liquid form, before mixing into the Nutella Cheesecake filling later on;
Nutella filling – Next, we start the filling by beating cream cheese with the Nutella and icing sugar;
Beat the mixture and it’s smooth and fluffy. This takes around 1 1/2 minutes on Speed 7 using a handheld beater;
Add gelatine – Then pour in the gelatine mixture we prepared in Step 1 and mix well to incorporate;
Whip cream – Next, whip the cream in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. We want it really fluffy because this is what aerates the Nutella Filling so it’s lusciously mousse-like;
Fold through – Then fold the cream through the Nutella mixture using a rubber spatula. Be gentle here, we don’t want to knock the air bubbles from the cream! The lighter your touch, the fluffier the filling of the cheesecake will be;
Pour filling into prepared biscuit base; and
Spread to level the surface. Refrigerate to set for 1 hour before topping with Nutella ganache. The filling will not be fully set, but it will be set enough to pour the topping over.
Part 4: Toppings
Nutella ganache – Heat cream, Nutella and chocolate chips in the microwave, and stir until molten and smooth. Let it cool slightly before pouring over the chilled cheesecake. Don’t sprinkle the hazelnuts on yet, wait until the the top is chilled and set, otherwise the hazelnuts will just sink!
Chill 3 hours to set – The cheesecake needs to chill for at least 3 hours to fully set all the way through. Once set we can sprinkle the hazelnuts onto the ganache layer.
Note: The ganache topping is softer than you might expect. It doesn’t set firmly and you cannot slice through it 100% neatly; it will smear slightly and droop on the edges a bit. This is intentional. Why? Well, firstly I think it should be molten-like so it resembles Nutella. It also tastes better this way. Thirdly, if the ganache is any firmer, it tends to slide off the Nutella filling like the way cheese slides off a badly made pizza. So I stand by the oozy Nutella Ganache – it looks, tastes and eats better!
Release the cake! Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and carefully peel away the paper sides, noting what I mentioned above about the ganache being quite soft;
Remove from base – Remember that pain you went through to clip the base in upside down? (You did follow that step, right?) It’s about to pay dividends! Just grab the paper overhang now for grip and slide your cheesecake off the cake pan base. Because there’s no lip, it slides straight off onto your serving platter of choice;
Then, just simply pull the paper out from under the cheesecake.
If at any point the paper feels stuck to the pan when doing this, it’s just the butter used to grease the pan that has solidified. Run a knife under the cheesecake and it will release easily.
Decorating the Nutella Cheesecake
It’s a pretty cake just as it is, but we can bling it up further with a few finishing flourishes! First, whip up some cream and pipe blobs around the rim.
Then warm up a little bit of Nutella so it’s pourable and drizzle it across the cream. You can do this either using a small bowl and a teaspoon, or a little ziplock bag – just snip the corner.
No need to get too caught up in perfection on this step. A casual drizzle is the phrase I use! If you want to get technical, I did a drizzles in a criss-cross pattern across the cream. While you could do it across the Nutella Ganache too, you can’t really see it so there’s not a lot of point!
Ah, I almost forgot. You want proof of light and airy insides? Here you go … see all those little air pockets? Those pockets mean a luscious, rich and yet light mouthfeel. Really, it’s like a Chocolate Mousse!
Because it’s no-bake, this Nutella Cheesecake needs to be kept in the fridge otherwise it will melt. It can be kept out in mild temperatures for quite a while, but on really warm days (say 28°C/82°F+) try to minimise the time it’s out of the fridge.
Also, unlike most cakes, where I go on and on about making sure you serve it at room temperature for the best eating experience, this Nutella Cheese is supposed to be served chilled. Believe me when I tell you I don’t say that very often, so enjoy the convenience of direct-from-fridge-to-mouth consumption! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Nutella Cheesecake (No Bake)
Ingredients
Base:
- 200g/ 7oz Oreo cookies (1.5 standard packs, Note 1)
- 60g / 4 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
Nutella mousse filling:
- 3 tsp gelatine powder (Note 2)
- 1/4 cup water
- 500g / 1 lb cream cheese , softened (block form, Note 3)
- 1/2 cup soft icing sugar / powdered sugar (Note 4)
- 1 cup Nutella (Note 5)
- 1 cup heavy/thickened cream
Nutella ganache topping:
- 1/2 cup heavy/thickened cream
- 1/2 cup Nutella
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips/semi-sweet chocolate chips
Toppings:
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts , lightly toasted then chopped (Note 6)
- 1/2 cup heavy/thickened cream (for whipping)
- 3 tbsp Nutella , warmed
Instructions
- Prepare pan: Flip the base of a 20cm / 8" springform pan upside down – this makes it easier to remove the finished cheesecake without the lip in the way. Butter pan base, then press on a square sheet of baking paper. Clip the pan sides onto the base, letting the excess paper overhang. Butter and line the pan sides with more baking paper.
Oreo biscuit base:
- Blitz cookies: Roughly break up Oreos with hands and place in food processor. Blitz until they become fine crumbs. Add melted butter, then blitz again until combined.
- Press into pan: Transfer crumbs into prepared pan, pressing evenly and firmly on to the base (I use the underside of a straight-sided, flat-bottomed cup measure to do this).
Nutella mousse filling:
- Bloom gelatine: Place water in a small bowl then sprinkle the gelatine powder across the surface. Stir to partly dissolve. Set aside 5 minutes. It will turn thick; this process is called blooming. Microwave the gelatine for 15 seconds to turn it into liquid, stir, then let it stand for 5 minutes to cool.
- Cream cheese and Nutella mixture: Beat cream cheese, Nutella and icing sugar until smooth. Add the cooled gelatine liquid and beat another 30 seconds.
- Whip cream: In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
- Fold in cream: Add one third of the whipped cream to the Nutella mixture and gently fold until just combined. Fold in another third of the cream the same way. Then fold in the remaining cream.
- Transfer to cake pan: Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place back in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set.
Decorating
- Nutella ganache: Place cream, Nutella and chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl. Microwave in two 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth.
- Pour ganache onto cheesecake: Allow ganache to cool for 5 minutes, then pour over the set cheesecake base. Tilt pan to spread it over the surface evenly.
- Refrigerate cheesecake at least 3 hours before sprinkling with hazelnuts (otherwise they sink into the cake!)
- Decorate: Sprinkle over hazelnuts. Pipe dollops of whipped cream around the edge, then drizzle with warm Nutella. Slice greedy-sized wedges and devour!
Notes
Nutrition
More showstopping cheesecakes!
Life of Dozer
Particularly interested in assisting with the development of this particular recipe…..
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