How to make cheesecake

Baked cheesecake with vanilla and strawberries is a perfect pudding with a light and creamy texture.

 

Ingredients:

For the base

125g/4½oz unsalted butter
250g/9oz digestive biscuits

For the cheesecake

3 eggs and 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 vanilla pod (or 1 tsp vanilla paste)
900g/2lb cream cheese, at room temperature
200g/7oz golden caster sugar
300ml/½ pint full-fat crème fraîche

For the fresh strawberry sauce

200g/7oz strawberries
25g/1oz icing sugar

Method:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a gentle heat. Brush a little of the melted butter around the base and sides of a 23cm/9in springform tin, then line the base with a circle of baking parchment.

Put the biscuits into a large sealable freezer bag, squeeze out the air and seal the top. Use a rolling pin, or a bottle, to crush the biscuits to fine crumbs.

Stir the crumbs into the melted butter until completely combined. Press the crumbs into the tin. Use the back of the spoon to compact the crumbs as much as you can in an even layer. Put into the fridge to firm up while you make the cheesecake, roughly 30 mins - 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

To separate the eggs, have three small bowls ready, preferably glass or ceramic. Gently crack the shell against the side of a small bowl. Slowly pull the shell apart as cleanly as possible along the crack, tipping the yolk into one half of the shell. Let the white drain away into the bowl below. Drop the yolk into another small bowl. Separate the next egg over a third bowl - that way if you accidentally break the yolk, it won’t contaminate the clean whites. (The egg whites will keep for a week in the fridge, and can be whipped up to lighten pancakes.)

Slit the vanilla pod lengthwise, and scrape the seeds out with the blunt side of your knife. Scrape the seeds from your knife (or spoon the vanilla paste) into a large mixing bowl with the cream cheese. Beat the cheese and vanilla together with a wooden spoon or a hand-held mixer until smooth.

Add the sugar, then beat again till smooth. Now add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, followed by half of the crème fraîche.

When the base is well chilled, wrap the outside of the tin in two sheets of wide foil. Ensure that the foil covers the sides of the tin more than halfway, then sit the wrapped tin in a deep roasting tin. Spoon in the cheesecake filling and smooth the top.

Boil a kettle full of water. Then place the roasting tin with the cheesecake on the top shelf of the oven. Pour the hot water from the kettle into the roasting tin around the cheesecake so that it comes halfway up the sides and carefully slide the tin into the oven. Bake for 10 minutes at 180C/350F/Gas 4, then turn the oven down to 140C/275F/Gas 1 and cook for another 40-50 minutes until the cheesecake is set, with a slight wobble in the middle.

Turn the oven off, and let the cheesecake cool in the oven, with the door ajar. When cool, remove from the oven and chill thoroughly. Cooling the cheesecake slowly will help to prevent the top from cracking.

For strawberry sauce, put half of the strawberries into a food processor or blender, add the icing sugar then pulse until smooth. Slice the remaining strawberries and set aside.
About half an hour before you want to eat the cheesecake, remove it from the fridge.
Sweep a palette knife between the cake and the side of the tin, then carefully unclip the springform. Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate. Spread the remaining crème fraîche over the surface of the cheesecake - this will cover any cracks that might have appeared. Decorate the top with the sliced strawberries - then cut into wedges and serve with the strawberry sauce poured over.

By Stacie Stewart

Mango cake bites

Ingredients:

• 1 large or 2 small ripe mangoes, cut into very small chunks, divided
• 1 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

 Set aside 1/2 cup of the mango pieces. Purée remaining mango in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Set aside 1 cup purée and reserve any remaining for another use.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add mango purée and vanilla, and whisk again, just until combined.

To form each cake bite, mound about 1 tablespoon batter onto a large, parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Press a reserved mango piece into the top of each and bake until firm and deep-golden brown on the bottom, 16 to 18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Nutritional Info:

Per Serving:Serving size: 2 bites, 80 calories (45 from fat), 5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 2g protein

Easy Lemon Sheet Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 package of lemon cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 can of lemon pie filling
• 1 package of softened cream cheese
• ½ cup of softened butter
• 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon extract

Procedure:

· Step 1: Take a large bowl, add cake mix and eggs. Beat this mixture until it gets blended completely.

· Step 2: fold in pie filling in the batter.

· Step 3: Grease the baking tin with butter and flour.

· Step 4: Pour the cake batter into the greased tin.

· Step 5: keep the oven to preheat to 350 degree F.

· Step 6: keep the baking tin filled with cake batter to bake in preheat oven for 18 to 20 minutes.

· Step 7: To check if the cake is baked, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean then your cake is ready.

· Step 8: let the cake cool for sometime

· Step 9: in a small bowl, beat cream cheese. Meted butter and confectioners’ sugar until it gets smooth. Stir in lemon flavoring.

· Step 10: spread the cream over the cake and on the side of the cake.Keep this cake in refrigerator. Always store it in refrigerator.

Orange Yogurt Cake

Orange Yogurt Cake

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup plain fat-free greek yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice

Method:

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.

2. Line loaf pan with aluminum foil (or parchment paper) and spray with non-stick spray.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.

4. Combine yogurt, sugar, eggs, zest, oil, and vanilla in large bowl; whisk until well blended. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

5. Bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool almost completely.

6. Whisk together powdered sugar and orange juice in small bowl. Drizzle over cake. Cut into slices.

*adapted from Epicurious, originally from Bon Appetit

Apple Butter Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup oat bran*
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 1 cup buttermilk (or milk + lemon juice)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

Method:

1. Combine flour, oat bran, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl and whisk to combine. In separate bowl or measuring cup combine the apple butter, buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and vegetable oil.

2. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Heat nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Pour batter onto preheated skillet or griddle using a 3 tbsp scoop. When edges begin to bubble, flip and cook until remaining side is brown. Serve with apple butter and maple syrup.
Makes about 12 pancakes.

Notes: If you don't have oat bran on hand you could substitute oatmeal, wheat bran, or you could just omit the oat bran and reduce the amount of buttermilk.

Copied from : i wrestled a cupcake once

Cinnamon Ripple Muffins

Cinnamon Ripple Muffins  (adapted from Family Fun magazine)

 Ingredients:

cinnamon ripple

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 1/4 cup gluten-free flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

muffin batter

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Combine all the cinnamon ripple ingredients in a mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to blend them. Set the mixture aside. 

Preheat heat the oven to 400° F and put inserts into muffin cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

 In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. 

Stir in the dry ingredients just until the batter is blended. 

Then sprinkle the cinnamon ripple over the batter and use a flexible spatula to fold it in a couple of times.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake the muffins for 13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. 

Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them. Makes 1 dozen.

BIZZY BAKES 

Peach Cashew Coffee Cake

Peach-Cashew Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 3/8-inch-thick slices
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) roasted cashews or slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons Demerara or turbinado sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter and flour an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom or a 10-inch springform pan.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and amaretto or vanilla and beat until smooth. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to blend. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, beating well until smooth. Turn into the prepared pan. Toss the peaches with the lemon juice and nutmeg and arrange them on top. Sprinkle with the nuts and Demerara or turbinado sugar.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove the pan sides. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes one 11-inch cake; serves 10.

Copied from : BIZZY BAKES