The daring bakers April challenge - Cheesecake

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.


I was happy with the recipe because I love cheesecakes and baked many before - but well, the first try was a desaster (the variation in the filling was the juice of four passion fruits and Contreau). I filled the muffin moulds probably to full so the cakes collapsed really ugly. The next problem was to get them out. About four of them where destroyed by trying ... At least my attempt for a caramellized-orange-topping failed because of the clotting sugar. In the end we ate the 'cakes' like they where, being astonishes about the taste because they where delicious and like Robert said "so schön schmatzig" - sorry there is no translation for that.


For the next try I wanted to go for a sweeter version - something with chocolate, so I ended up with the version below, but I had to reduce the sugar slightly for it not becoming too sweet.


So that's my second try of Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake:


Toblerone-Cheesecake with honey-roasted Macadamia nuts

crust:

  • 150 g graham cracker crumbs (I chose 'Bahlsen Vollkornkekse' as a substitute)
  • 30 g honey-roasted Macadamia nuts (crumbs)
  • 124 g butter, melted
  • 12 g sugar (reduced because of the honey)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

cheesecake:

  • 580 g of cream cheese
  • 100 g Toblerone, melted
  • 150 g sugar (reduced because of the additional 60 g of sugar in the chocolate)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 160 g heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • the innards of one vanilla bean
  • 1 tbsp Baileys Creme Caramel

topping:

  • 130 g honey-roasted Macadamia nuts
  • 100g sugar
  • 5 tbsp cold water
  • 4 tbsp honey

directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.


Mix together the crust ingredients and press into the pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, alcohol and the melted chocolate and blend until smooth and creamy.

Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter.

Meanwhile melt the sugar in a pan and let it caramelize until medium brown, than add water and stirr vigorously. Add the honey. Sprinkle the nuts on top of the cake and cover with the honey-caramel.

Put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.


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