Toblerone Cheesecake for Father's Day!

Father's Day in Australia is celebrated on the first Sunday in September

while most countries observe this day on the third Sunday in June.

Dad taught me to love food and cooking. He was a superb cook
but strictly cooked Chinese food. He used to say a person who enjoys eating and cooking 
surely knows how to enjoy life. I miss him a lot.

I figured this Toblerone cheesecake will have my husband begging for more and more!
 This cake will make your tongue dance with delight and taste buds fall deeply in love.

Ingredients
200g Oreo cookies
300g ricotta

1 can condensed milk

1 cup milk

2 tbsp cocoa powder

3 eggs

200g Toblerone bar 

Method

Line a round cake tray with baking paper.

Preheat oven at 180C.

Place cookie crumbs in a blender and grind it well. Press the mix in the cake tray to make the base and set aside.

Mix the condensed milk, ricotta, milk, cocoa powder and eggs in a blender and slowly pour over the base.

Bake in the oven at 180C for 40 minutes and let it cool.

Roughly chop the Toblerone bar and sprinkle over the cheesecake.

Spring Strawberry Cheesecake with Nutella Base

It's hard not to notice the beauty of cherry blossoms as I walked past them today.
Sakura, as it is called in Japan is a prevalant symbol in Japanese culture
which represents the beauty and fragility of life.
For me, it just means that Spring has arrived.

Spring reminds me of that light, fruity and colourful desserts.
So sit back, enjoy the fresh breeze and let the flavours of this cheesecake tantalise your taste buds.

 

Ingredients (Base)
200g digestive biscuits
unsalted butter
3 tbsp Nutella
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp brown sugar
pinch of salt

icing sugar

200ml thick cream
250g cream cheese (room temperature)

250g strawberries (fresh or frozen)

strawberries to garnish
icing sugar

Method

* Line a round cake tray with baking paper.

* Place biscuit crumbs in a blender and grind it well. Mix biscuits, butter, Nutella, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Press the mix in the cake tray to make the base. Put in freezer to set while you make the filling.
* Blend strawberries until smooth and set aside.
* With electric mixer on medium-high speed, mix icing sugar and cream until almost stiff then add the cream cheese and mix for another 5 minutes or until well blended.
* Add strawberries into the mixture and mix well.

* Pour mixture on top of the base and use spatula to smooth over the top.
* Place in fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
* Top with fresh strawberries and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Banana Upside Down Cake

The flavour of this cake reminds me of Banana Q (a popular street food in the Philippines,
the bananas are deep fried and coated in caramelised brown sugar).
This cake is moist and delicious.
It's going to be my favourite banana cake to eat and make from now on.
It can be served plain, with cream, maple syrup or ice cream.

Ingredients:

50g unsalted butter and 150g extra, melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 bananas, peeled and sliced

4 eggs

1 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup almond meal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup plain flour

Method:

*Preheat oven to 160C.

*Over low heat, melt the butter and sugar in a saucepan, stirring until melted. Bring to boil for another minute.

*Pour mixture in a 22cm round cake tin, lightly greased.
*Arrange the banana slices over the caramel, overlapping them slightly. Set aside.
*Beat eggs, caster sugar and vanilla in electric mixer for about 8 minutes or until mixture has tripled in volume.
*In a large bowl, sift the almond meal, baking powder and flour then fold over the egg mixture. Fold through the extra butter.
*Pour over the baking tin, smooth the mixture over the top to flatten it. Bake for 1 hour or until cooked.
*Stand for 5 minutes before turning onto a platter.

Recipe by Donna Hay.

Coconut Cream Cake

It's my hubby's birthday and this is the cake I made for him.
This cake is meant to be simple yet elegant.

Ingredients:

Cake
6 tbsp, unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

8 tbsp unsalted butter

5 egg yolks

3 whole eggs

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup heavy cream

Glaze
1/2 cup coconut milk

2 tbsp powdered sugar

Method:

* Preheat oven to 165 C. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans, put a baking paper in the bottom of each pan. Butter and flour the rounds.
* On medium speed, beat butter in an electric mixer, until very light, about 5 minutes. Beating while gradually adding the sugar.
* Add the vanilla and beat for another 5 minutes. The mixture will be very coarse and grainy. Turn the mixer to the lowest speed, add butter, egg yolks, whole eggs. Mix for a few seconds and then turn off.
* In large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
* In another bowl, mix together the buttermilk and cream.

* With the mixer on the lowest speed, add half the flour mixture and half the buttermilk mixture. Add the remainder of mixtures. Do not over mix or the cake will be tough.
* Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

* Cook cakes for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a baking rack.
* To ice the cake, slice each cake layer in half horizontally so that you will have 6 layers.
* To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and coconut milk in a small bowl. Pierce each cake layer with a fork then brush the glaze over them before icing.

Coconut Icing
250g cream cheese, at room temperature

150g unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tbsp vanilla extract

3 cups icing sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp coconut milk

4 cups fresh or dried coconut, shredded and toasted

 Method:
* Preheat oven to 215C.

* Toast coconut for about 7-8 minutes. Remove from oven and reserve.
* Combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.

* In a bowl, combine sugar and salt then add to cream cheese mixture, a cup at a time, beating until smooth. Turn the mixer to the lowest speed and add the coconut milk.
* Spread icing on each layer of cake as you assemble and then top with the toasted coconut.

Recipe adapted from My Beverly Hills Kitchen by Alex Hitz

Pomegranate Cheesecake

I enjoy making cheesecakes and this is definitely one of my favourites.
  By adding the pomegranate, the arils just dazzle like pretty rubies on top of this cheesecake.
It also brings out a gorgeous deep red colour on the cake and enhances the flavour with its mild sweet-tarty taste.
Aside from it being delicious, it's also very simple and easy to make.
It does feels like eating little rubies! Nom! Nom!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups finely ground digestive biscuits
50g unsalted butter
250g cream cheese
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup thickened cream
pinch of salt
1 cup pomegranate arils
icing sugar

Method
*Preheat oven to 130C. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Stir together ground biscuits and butter. Press 1 tablespoon crust mixture firmly into buttom of each lined cup.
*With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.
*Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in cream and salt.
*Divide batter evenly among biscuit-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely. Refrigerate in tins at least 4 hours or overnight.
*Remove from tins just before serving and top with pomegranate arils. Sprinkle with icing sugar on top.

Pear Tea Cake

 Delicious pears are in season at the moment and while looking for pear recipes to make I found this at Not Quite Nigella. This cake is so delicious and it is actually quite simple and easy to make. You must try it, you'll love it!

• 3/4 cup plain wholemeal flour
• 3/4 cup self raising flour
• 3/4 cup caster or superfine sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 125g melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 400g pears or apples, diced
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon or vanilla sugar
• Icing sugar to serve
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease and line an 20cm/8inch springform tin with parchment paper.
2. Mix the two flours, sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in a bowl. Press three quarters of the mix into the base of the tin-it will be like a sticky, buttery dough. Scatter the diced pears on top. Then place small pieces of the dough on it in a patchwork pattern so that the pear is not entirely covered up.
3. Layer 3/4 of the buttery mixture. Then add the pears and the rest of the dough scattered in pieces. Then the sugar.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon (apples) or vanilla sugar (pears).  Bake for 40-50 minutes. Sieve some icing sugar on top. Allow to cool before slicing as it is very delicate when warm.

Caramel-yoghurt Ice Cream Cake

It seems that half of the fun of Christmas is looking forward to it and while in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the days leading up to Christmas, we sometimes forget that Christmas is Jesus' birthday. He is the reason for the season.
This ice cream cake is a perfect Australian Christmas dessert recipe that would make a beautiful addition to your Christmas table and wow your guests.

Ingredients
2 kg Greek-style yoghurt
750 ml pouring cream
10 egg yolks (reserve 4 eggwhites for walnut dacquoise)
280 gm caster sugar
walnut pieces to serve

Walnut Dacquoise
130 gm walnuts
100 gm pure icing sugar, sieved
20 gm plain flour
4 eggswhites, reserved
50 gm caster sugar

Caramel Ripple
300 gm caster sugar
300 ml pouring cream

Method
* Place yoghurt in a  muslin-lined sieve placed over a deep bowl and refrigerate overnight to drain (discard liquid).
* Meanwhile, for walnut dacquoise, preheat oven to 180C. Process walnuts, icing sugar and flour in a food processor until coarsely fground, set aside. Whisk eggwhite and a pinch of salt in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Whisking continuously, gradually add sugar until stiff and glossy. Fold in walnut mixture, spread into a 24cm-diameter round on an oven tray lined with baking paper and bake until light golden (8-10 minutes). Invert onto a piece of baking paper dusted with icing sugar, peel off paper backing and cool. Place in the ring of a 24cm-diameter springform tin (no base) on an oven tray lined with baking paper and freeze until required.
* Bring cream to the simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk yolks and sugar in a bowl until think and pale (4-5 minutes). Pour cream mixture over yolk mixture and whisk to combine. Return to pan and stir continuously until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon thickly (4-5 minutes), then strain into a bowl. Whisk in drained yoghurt until smooth, then refrigerate until completely chilled (1 hour). Freeze in batches in an ice-cream machine, then transfer to a container and freeze until just firm (1-2 hours).
* Meanwhile, for caramel ripple, stir sugar and 125ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil and cook without stirring until dark caramel. Remove from heat, add cream (be careful as hot caramel will spit)., swirl to combine and refrigerate until chilled.
* Spoon one-third of yoghurt ice-cream over walnut dacquoise, smooth top and drizzle with a little caramel. Continue filling with ice-cream, smoothing and drizzling with caramel until all ice-cream is used, finishing with a drizzle of caramel (reserve remaining caramel to serve).
* Run a hot knife around the sides of ring and unmould cake, then stand for 10 minutes to soften slightly. Warm remaining caramel in a saucepan over medium  heat. Serve ice-cream cake cut into wedges drizzled with caramel sauce and scattered with walnuts.
Recipe from Australian Gourmet Traveller November 2011

Lemon Cakes with Candied Lemon and Gin Syrup

 Finish your evening with style with a delicious lemon cake that's absolutely bursting with citrus flavours. Yum!

Ingredients:
275g caster sugar
165g softened butter
juice of 2 lemons and finely grated rind
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
120ml buttermilk
1/4 tsp baking powder
260g plain flour
thick cream to serve

Candied Lemon and Gin Syrup
250g caster sugar
thinly peeled rind and juice of 2 lemons
50ml gin

Method:
*Preheat oven to 180C. Beat sugar, butter and lemon rind in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (5 mins), scrape down sides of bowl then beat in eggs and egg yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition.
*Combine buttermilk and baking powder in a jug. Fold flour, lemon juice and buttermilk mixture into butter mixture in batches until smooth and combined. Spoon into eight 220ml individual well-buttered ramekins (may use bundt tins or dariole moulds) filling 1cm below rims. Bake until light golden (25-30mins).
*For candied lemon and gin syrup, stir sugar and 165ml water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add lemon rind, reduce heat to medium and simmer until rind is tender (5-6 mins), remove from heat and stir in juice and gin.
*Spoon warm syrup over warm cakes, scatter with candied lemon rind and serve with remaining syrup and thick cream.

Recipe from Gourmet Traveller Nov 2011

Brazilian-style Guava Cheesecake

Guava paste is a much-loved Brazilian sweet made from guava, sugar and water. It is widely used in baking and cooking adding a wonderful sweet floral flavour to desserts, cakes and cookies. Topping it over cheesecake makes a perfect combination and this recipe is unbelievably simple to make and tastes wonderful.

 

Ingredients

200g digestive biscuits

200g butter

300g ricotta

1 can condensed milk

3 eggs

1 cup milk

300g guava paste

1 cup water

Method

Lightly grease a round cake tray.

Preheat oven at 180C.

Place biscuit crumbs in a blender and grind it well. Mix biscuits and butter in a bowl. Press the mix in the cake tray to make the base and set aside.

Mix the condensed milk, ricotta, eggs and milk in  a blender and pour over the base.

Bake in the oven at 180C for 40 minutes.

Cut small cubes of guava and melt it in a pan or microwave stirring occasionally with some water, then pour over the cheesecake when it's baked. Allow it to cool, remove from the tin and place in the fridge.

You may purchase this Guava Paste at Brazilian Style Foods' online shop.

Definitely different from other cheesecakes I've tried. Absolutely delicious!

Recipe from Brazilian Style Foods

Brazilian Style Foods

admin@brazilianstyle.com.au
+612 4390 0909

Deconstructed Orange-Blossom Cake

This Cake was adapted from Kate Bracks' No-Bake Orange-Blossom Layered Cake, who was the winner of the third series of MasterChef Australia. This dessert takes so little time to make and so easy, anyone can do it. It tasted so good it will definitely get you salivating for more. Yum!!!

Ingredients

325g Savoiardi biscuits (Italian sponge finger biscuits or ladyfingers)

3 cups freshly squeezed, strained orange juice

1 1/2 tbsp Grand Marnier or other orange-flavoured liqueur

1 large blood oranges for topping or zest of orange

1/4 cup pistachios, roasted, halved

Orange-Blossom Cream

2 cups pouring cream

1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted

2 cups mascarpone

1 tsp orange-blossom water

Method (Deconstructed)

* To make orange-blossom cream, using an electric mixer, whisk cream and sugar to soft peaks. Whisk in mascarpone and orange-blossom water until thickened.

* To prepare biscuits, cut all biscuits in half and trim slightly.

* Combine orange juice and liqueur in a container or bowl. Spoon 2 tbsp of the orange-blossom cream into a glass cups. Place biscuits in batches, in juice mixture for 15 seconds or until slightly moist, the place 2-3 pieces on top of cream. 

* Repeat soaking and layering twice more with remaining biscuits, juice mixture and cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

* Scatter with orange zest and pistachios.

Method (Layered)

* Grease a 20cm square pan and line base and sides with baking paper.

* To make orange-blossom cream, using an electric mixer, whisk cream and sugar to soft peaks. Whisk in mascarpone and orange-blossom water until thickened.

* To prepare biscuits, trim ends of all biscuits slightly so that 12 biscuits are able to fit snugly in 2 rows of 6 in a single layer in the prepared pan.

* Combine orange juice and liqueur in a rectangular container or bowl. Spoon one-third of the orange-blossom cream into the pan and level with the back of a spoon. Place 12 biscuits, in 2 batches, in juice mixture for 15 seconds or until slightly moist, then place in 2 rows of 6 in a single layer on top of the cream. 

* Repeat soaking and layering twice more with the remaining biscuits, juice mixture and cream, placing each layer of biscuits at right angles to the layer before. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

* Invert cake onto a platter. Scatter with orange segments and pistachios to serve.

Recipe adapted from MasterChef Magazine (Nov 2011) by Kate Bracks.

Mini Candied Fruit Cakes

The thing I really love about Christmas is baking. This year I decided to make fruit cakes, I have never made it before so fingers crossed! I love a good old fashioned fruit cake and my Christmas wouldn't seem complete without them. So here's an easy and delicious recipe that I would like to share with you.

Ingredients:

500g mixed dried fruit

1 cup dried cranberries

180g butter, chopped

1/2 firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup rum, brandy or whisky

2 eggs lightly beaten

2/3 cups roughly chopped walnuts

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup self-raising flour

1/2 tsp mixed spice

1/2 cup apricot jam

2 tbsp slivered almonds

Method:

* Preheat oven to 160C. Grease 6 x 10cm springform tins and line bases with non-stick baking paper.

* Combine dried fruit, butter, sugar, 1/3 cup water and rum in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil slowly over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When mixture boils, remove from heat and set aside to cool or until just warm.

* Stir  in eggs and walnuts, then sifted flours and spice. Spoon into prepared tins and smooth the surface. Bake for 35 mins, until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.  Cool in tins for 10 mins, then release the sides and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

* Warm jam and push through a sieve to remove any lumps. Brush over tops of cakes, and sprinkle with almonds.

Makes 6.

I really love glace fruit! It makes a wonderful addition to fruit cakes and so ideal for Christmas!

Almond Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Mango

This dessert is so refreshing and cooling, perfect for a warm sunny afternoon! I love mangoes and J likes cheesecakes, so this dessert is just the perfect one for us!

Crust

150g plain flour

100g unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes

30g sliced almonds

65g icing sugar

1 free range egg yolk

Filling

450g cream cheese, at room temperature

300g ricotta, at room temperature

75g unsalted butter, softened

4 free range eggs

1/2 cup caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

zest of 2 lemons

1 tbsp palin flour

Topping

2 mangoes, peeled and sliced into thin strips

1 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

-For the crust, line a 23cm springform cake tin with baking paper on the bottom and sides. Mix flour, butter, almonds and icing sugar in a food processor until rough crumbs form. Add egg yolka nd 1 tbsp iced water and pulse until dough just comes together.

-Press dough into base of prepared tin. Allow dough to rest, covered, for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

-Preheat oven to 175C. Bake crust for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool while making the filling.

-For the filling, whip cream cheese and ricotta with an electric mixer until creamy. Add remaining filling ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Pour into the cooled crust and place tin on a baking tray.

-Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the outside of the cake is just set. and the centre still wobbles slightly when shaken. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

-Arrange mango on top of cake and sprinkle almonds over before serving. (Can be made a day ahead and chilled, but allow 30 minutes at room temeprature before topping with mangoes and almonds.) Cut cake into slices and serve.

Nothing says summer like these sweet and luscious tropical mangoes!

Recipe by Curtis Stone (Coles Magazine)

Rhubarb and Hazelnut Cake

Is rhubarb a vegetable or a fruit?

It's techinically a vegetable but we love serving it as a fruit.

Preheat oven to 160C. Line a 22cm round cake pan with baking paper. 

Beat 120g butter (softened) and 1 cup caster sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs, beating well after each addition. Fold in 2 cups self-raising flour, 1/2 cup milk and 50g hazelnuts (roughly chopped). Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Top cake batter with rhubarb (1 bunch, trimmed and cut in 2cm lengths) and sprinkle with 50g hazelnuts (roughly chopped). Bake for 1 hour or until cake is cooked.

Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with thick cream.

Hmmmm.... fruity, rich and crunchy!

Pineapple Ice Box Cake

Pineapple Ice Box Cake

The cake I've always loved making since I was about 9 years old. It's very easy to make, looks impressive and delicious!

Mix 400ml condensed milk and 600ml of thickened cream in a large bowl. Add pineapple pieces and about 1/4 cup of pineapple juice to the mixture, mix well.
Meanwhile, line a springform pan with baking paper. 
Layer the lady fingers and spread 1/3 of the pineapple mixture and repeat two more times. 
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Decorate the edges with the remaining lady fingers. Tie together with a ribbon and voila!

So reader, do you like easy recipes too?

Nutella Cake

 
I made this cake as a surprise for my husband's 40th birthday. He loves chocolate by the way.  So when I came across this recipe it felt like I've hit the jackpot. The Nutella Cake was just perfect! For the recipe click here  http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/nutella-cake-158