New York Cheesecake. A first love.

What can I say, I love baked new york cheesecake! It was surprisingly my first genuine success. I mean a cheesecake doesn't require anyone to be of experience to master the dish when it comes to taste. Of course, the cracks do get annoying, but the taste will always stay true to its flavour.

Basically a cheesecake, is mainly made out of a large amount of cream cheese and sugar, with a a biscuit or sponge layer as the base. yes, there are other ingredients, but most of the taste of the cake comes from these 3 main ingredients. The cheesy sour taste from the cheese, the sweetness from the sugar and a biscuit or sponge taste to round it off.

Baking a new york cheesecake is very easy actually. And as it is also very versatile, you can add anything to it! Oreos, raspberries, blueberries, chocolate etc...( I top my cheesecake with strawberries and mix my base with ordinary digestives together with oreos, but it looked like organic fertilizer though, not something you should try)

The only thing that requires a bit more skill is the presentation. A beautiful cheesecake completely smooth and free of cracks, with that golden colour on top and edges of crisp brown.

I tell you, its like perfection.

A few ways to achieve these are.

Don't over beat. (I know when you get the feeling its not enough? Yes, I struggle with that too, but seriously you can to control yourself)

After its been beating at high speed for the required time, proceed by hand.

Never check the oven. Once you put it in, leave it in till you want to take it out. Its fine.

After its done, let it stay in the oven for 2 hours or so before taking it out.

Run a hot knife through the edge of the cake. The circumference!

Then cool it at room temp with a towel over it till its base isn't hot anymore.

Chill it for another couple of hours in the refrigerator and its ready to eat!

I actually made this recipe myself after a lot of different testing. Try it if you like.You can substitute sour cream with whipping cream too, I tried it and it still produce good results.

Ingredients
8 biscuits, crushed
30g butter

500 g cream cheese
150 g white sugar
100 ml milk
2 eggs
115 g sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
15 g all-purpose flour

Directions

-Preheat oven to 175 C. Grease a 9 inch springform pan.

-In a medium bowl, biscuits crumbs with melted butter. You can melt the butter in the microwave. Press onto bottom of the pan. Make sure you mix the butter well.

-In a large bowl, beat at high speed the cream cheese with sugar until smooth. Blend in milk, and then mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate.

-Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth.

-Pour filling into prepared crust.

-Bake in preheated oven for 50 mins to 1 hour. follow tips above.

Ingredients are expensive, so do be careful, but its easy...so I really think you should give it a try. At least once. Extremely worth the money. Enjoy! =)

The old fashion way..Just stick to ONE colour.

Ingredients.

I don't have any tray large enough to partially submerge the pan with water. So I used 2 separate ones to as replacements to increase the humidity of the oven. (this prevents cracking so that the cheesecake's surface becomes moist)Simply delicious.

Chocolate Cake

The good old fashion chocolate cake.

Moist. Fluffy. Sweet.
Yes it is a guilty pleasure...there's just something about a slice of chocolate cake covered in frosting. Almost everyone loves chocolate...there's just something about the richness of it...so delicate and yet destructive. aha...

This recipe was taken by Hersheys. Definitely worth a try. From what I gone through recently...baking is not something that's easy to do at first, but as you practise and learn from you mistakes...(which means actually finding out why, and not continue on with another round of hope and luck, mind you that was what I initially use to do) and sooner or later, the cake is picture perfect and delicious. Edible art...I can tell you there's little else that could be more satisfying than seeing your effort producing great results.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1-2/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup Cocoa
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/3 cups water

Directions:1. Heat oven to 175°c. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl; beat on high speed of mixer 3 minutes. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder; add alternately with water to butter mixture, beating until blended. Add candy, if desired. Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Frosting

tablespoons butter or margarine, softened2-2/3 cups powdered sugar1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa1/3 cup milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract.Beat butter in medium bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed). Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Cheesecake Brownies

A friend suggested this recipe and chocolate brownies and cheesecake seem like an ever so tempting blend of delisciousness...why not?
I started of with buying a bar of hershey's as a preferred choice even though it is quite pricy. This recipe is quite simple but do be careful with it as the cheesecake filling is quite sensitive with the chocolate batter. Cracking appears less....do not overbeat and keep the temp low.

The result is a delicious tray of cheesecake brownies...I suggest you let the chocolate goo to remain in the middle so the whole cheesecake brownie appears most soft and moist to eat.
Enjoy!

worth the money


Cheese top

ingredients

1/2 cup butter

2-oz dark chocolate,chopped

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

cheesecake top
8-oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir with a fork until very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisking steadily, pour chocolate mixture into sugar mixture. Stir until smooth. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into the bowl and stir until just combined.Pour into prepared pan and prepare cheesecake mixture.In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Drop in dollops onto prepared brownie batter. Gently swirl two batters with a butter knife.Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.Cool in the pan completely before slicing and serving, either at room temperature or chilled.

Brownies can be refrigerated, covered, for several days.
Makes 16 large brownies.