Zebra Cheesecake

zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

My name is Petra and I am… ahem… a cheesecake maniac.

Yes, I dream about cheesecakes.

Yes, I collect cheesecake recipes.

Yes, I’ve prepared many.

Yes, I am sure I have yet many of them to prepare.

No, I don’t think there is a power in this world that would stop me from doing so.

Yes, I’ll be showing you all of them.

And YES, I’ll be more than happy if you had a look at how I made this awesome one…
zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

Here we have our lovely ingredients, ladies and gentlemen.

Of course, there’s a lot of cream cheese in there. But definitely not too much.

That fact suggests that this cheesecake is a milder one.

Which I definitely can confirm (after eating many, many a slices).

Though it is not as rich as New York Cheesecake, I’d define it as being ‘heavenly’ mild.

A heavenly mild cheesecake.

That’s what it is.

zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

1. To make it, preheat the oven to 284 F (140 C).
2. Second, using a vegetable oil, spray a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan.
3. Wrap two layers of foil around the pan. This cake is going to be baked in a water bath and the foil will prevent  the water from seeping in.

zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

4. Place the cream cheese, butter and milk into a metal (or heatproof) bowl.

5. Now place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and – stirring constantly – let the ingredients melt.

If you’ve ever wondered why bowls are sometimes placed over simmering water then I have the answer for you. It’s because the ingredients in the bowl need very mild and gentle heat to melt, nothing too strong. In cases such as these, the steam from the simmering water works best. Otherwise some ingredients might not only melt but also cook and curdle. And who wants that?

zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

6. After the melted cream cheese mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the egg yolks, the cake flour, the cornstarch (corn flour) and the lemon juice.
7. Whisk the mixture until smooth.

zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

8. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until foamy.
9. Then add the sugar and whip for another couple of minutes until soft peaks form.

zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

10. In two batches, pour the cream cheese mixture into the egg whites.

zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

11. Fold the two batters together gently after each addition…

zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

12. …until they are well combined.

Try to be as gentle as possible in this process, since we’ve worked hard to make the whites light and airy and we definitely don’t want to lose that.

I am speaking in the name of all whipped egg whites in the world here!

zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

13. Divide the batter evenly into two bowls and add the cocoa powder into one of them.
14. Mix in the cocoa gently.
And let the fun begin…
zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

15. So this is how the zebra strips are achieved – nothing difficult at all.

Take your sprayed springform pan and place 3 tablespoons of cream colored batter in a circle in the center of the pan. Then take 3 tablespoons of the chocolate batter and place in the center. Keep adding circles and the batter will spread of its own accord.

zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

16. Find a large baking dish that will fit the springform pan.

Fill the empty baking dish 1/4 of the way full with hot water and place the springform pan inside.
17. Bake in the lower third of the oven at 284 F (140 C) for about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
18. Turn off the oven and leave the cake inside (with the door still closed) for another 10 minutes.
19. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely.

zebra cheesecake recipe with step-by-step images

This cake tastes best after it’s been refrigerated for a couple of hours. It becomes slightly more dense and moist.

Enjoy, dear friends.

(This recipe was adapted from Treats.)

Brownie Tart

brownie-tart

This Brownie Tart recipe is very unique and interesting because it changes casual brownies into an elegant dessert.

The trick is done by exchanging the usual square baking pan for the more formal tart pan.

And that is not all!

There are polka dots of delicious ganache that cover the surface of the tart.

Trust me, eating this dense, moist and fudgy chocolate wonder is pure bliss!

~~~

To make the Brownie Tart you need:

1 cup (110 grams) walnuts, toasted and chopped

14 tablespoons (200 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3 ounces (85 grams) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1/2 cup (45 grams) unsweetened cocoa

 

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

 

 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 ounces (85 grams) cream cheese

1/2 cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

To make the Ganache you need:

2 ounces (55 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy whipping cream

~~~

1. Preheat an oven to 350 F (176 C).

brownie-tart-walnuts

2. Toast nuts for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.

Let cool and chop into pieces.

Set aside.

3. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F (165 C).

4. Grease or spray you fluted tart pan with a nonstick vegetable oil and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

brownie-tart-melting-butter

5. In a metal bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter.

brownie-tart-melted-butter-and-chocolate

6. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth.

Then remove from the heat.

brownie-tart-adding-cocoa

7. Add the cocoa, …

brownie-tart-adding-sugar

8. …  and the sugar.

brownie-tart-mixing-with-eggs-added

9. Then add the eggs (one at a time) beating well after each addition.

brownie-tart-adding-cream-cheese

10. Beat in the vanilla and then stir in the cream cheese.

brownie-tart-adding-flour-and-salt

11. Add the flour and salt and mix until incorporated.

brownie-tart-adding-nuts

12. Stir in the nuts.

brownie-tart-batter-in-tart-pan

13. Pour the batter into the tart pan and spread it evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes.

brownie-tart-pouring-cream-into-chocolate

14. While the tart is baking you can make the ganache.

Place the chopped chocolate into a small bowl.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil.

Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate.

brownie-tart-mixing-whipped-cream-and-chocolate-chunks

15. Stir until smooth.

brownie-tart-making-holes

16. Remove the tart from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes.

Then remove the tart from the pan.

With the end of a wooden spoon that is well greased (I dipped it in vegetable oil) make holes into the top of the tart.

It is good to twist the wooden spoon while inserting it. Thus you prevent the tart from tearing.

brownie-tart-filling-with-ganache

17. Using a small spoon (or a pastry bag, or a small plastic bag) fill the holes with the ganache.

Let the tart cool completely and then cover and refrigerate.

brownie-tart-inside

18. Well, only one half happened to get refrigerated in our household.

Yummy!

This recipe was adapted from here.

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