Manhattan Cheesecake with Strawberries

 

The month of May has brought me the opportunity to participate once again with the lovely baking group called,  The Cake Slice Baker's.   You may recall that a few months back I made a delicious Old Fashioned Pound Cake along with an Applesauce Spice Cake.  Both of these cakes I made through the Cake Slice Baker's group.  This is a group of food bloggers that get together once a month and bake from Carole Walter's Great Cakes cookbook.  I love this cookbook!  Almost as much as I adore and treasure the Cake Slice Baker's.  Unfortunately, my blogging has taken a couple steps down on my list of priorities (due to life as a working mommy) and I haven't had the chance to bake along side the CSB's for quite a few months now.  I have also been working really hard at loosing weight and have been careful with the amount of carbs and sugar that I consume. BUT because my love for baking makes my heart sing, I have to every once and awhile take time out from crazy, busy life and my diet and treat myself (and others) to a yummy baked treat made with love from my kitchen to their mouths. 

 

 

 That being said, out of four options from the Great Cakes cookbook that was presented to the CSB's I choose to make the Manhattan Cheesecake.  I was super excited for this recipe as it was different than any other cheesecake recipe that I had ever made before.  Beaten egg whites, freshly grated lemon peel and orange peel were added into a beautiful batter of cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract and egg yolks.  What could be better?! The cake came together lovely. I followed each step to. the. tee. The batter tasted divine. I decorated the cooled cake full of happiness with strawberries and raspberries that were gently glazed with an apricot glaze.  BEAUTIFUL all around.  But then, I cut into the cake.  And the cake was completely a mess.  I could have cried!!  Even though I had followed each word of instruction with careful attention - I added all the right ingredients at all the right times.  I baked the cake at the required temperature and timing. Yet still the cake was completely too soft.  I have no pictures of the sliced cake due to my sadness over it being undone.  I do highly recommend this recipe as it was delicious but please make sure you bake it for longer than 40 minutes.  I would suggest at least an hour rather than 40 minutes.

 

Invite some friends over and serve up this master piece.  They will love and worship you after the first bite.  

 

Manhattan Cheesecake with Strawberries

             (recipe from Great Cakes by Carole Walters)

 

Crust Ingredients:

10 double graham crackers, or enough crackers to make 1 1/2 cups of crumbs

2 Tbsp sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

 

Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature (24 oz - 3 blocks of cream cheese)

1 1/4 cups sugar, divided

5 large egg yolks

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon rind

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange rind

3 large egg whites

 

Strawberry Topping:

3/4 cup apricot preserves

1 Tbsp kirchwasser or Grand Marnier

3-4 cups large, deep red strawberries

 

 

 Directions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Generously grease a 9" springform pan - set aside.

 

2. Make crust by putting broken graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Add in sugar and pulse to make fine crumbs.  Add in melted butter and pulse for another 5-10 seconds so all ingredients are blended together.

 

3. Pour crumb mixture into prepared pan.  Using a spoon or the bottom of a glass press crumbs onto the bottom and up against the sides of pan.  Refrigerate when done.

 

4. Prepare filling by placing cream cheese into clean bowl of food processor.  Add in sugar and process for 15 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again for another 5 seconds.  Add in egg yolks while processor is running through the feeder tube and run for 10 seconds.  Add in heavy cream and the lemon and orange rinds.  Process for 10 seconds all together.

 

5. Beat egg whites in a large bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and then add in 1/4 cup sugar - 1 Tbsp at a time, beating until the whites are shiny. Fold in 1/4 of the filling batter with a large spatula, turning for about 10 times until mixture has lightened.  Add in remaining batter, taking an additional 30 turns.

 

6.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Set pan on a 18" square of heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Mold foil around the sides of the pan to catch any batter that might leak.  Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes - (This is where I would recommend that you bake for longer than 40 minutes as my cake was under cooked at this timing.....55 minutes to an hour would be my recommendation).

 

7.  At the end of the baking time, turn off the oven and place the handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep it ajar. Cool the cake in the oven for 1 hour before taking it out, removing the foil and cooling to room temperature for at least 3 hours.  Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before putting the strawberry topping on the cake.

 

8. Prepare topping by heating preserves and liqueur in a medium size sauce pan over low heat.  Bring to a slow boil and continue to cook until preserves are completely melted.  Remove pan from heat and strain mixture through a fin strainer to remove the large pieces.  Return to saucepan and set aside.

 

9. Wash, hull and dry the strawberries.  Slice them in half lengthwise.

 

10. Arrange the berries cut sides down around the edge of the cake, with the points of the berries facing outward.  Arrange a second circle inside the first, with the points of the berries extending inward.  The bottoms of the berries should touch.  Fill in the center randomly and then make a second layer of strawberries over the first.  Cake can now be refrigerated until ready to serve. 

 

11.  Once ready to serve remove cake from refrigerator 1 hour prior to serving.   Just before you plan on serving the cheesecake, warm the preserves over low heat and then with a pastry brush, gently coat berries with glaze.  Serve with happiness!!

 

 

Happy Manhattan Cheesecake with Strawberries Baking!

 

 



An InLinkz Link-up

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

 

 

 

 

Move over Sara Lee there is a new pound cake in town!  That's right folks I have for you today THE. BEST. POUND. CAKE. EVER!!!!  All the credit for this recipe goes to the brilliant Carole Walter's of Great Cakes.  I am baking my way through this cookbook along side a beautiful group of fellow bakers called, The Cake Slice Baker's.  

 

 

This pound cake not only has the perfect texture - dense with a soft crumb - but the flavor was just divine. The crust that  surround the cake was also perfect.  It was like a thin cookie surrounding the cake.  My oldest daughter called it a "pound of yumminess".  I think she's got the right idea. :-) 

 

As with every other recipe from Great Cakes that I've made so far I loved how this recipe came together.  It may take a little bit longer to put the batter together for this cake but the final result is just perfect.  The butter is beaten until light and fluffy and then sugar is added in slowly, one tablespoon at a time. Eggs are also beaten in one at time to ensure complete incorporation into the batter.  I chose to add in 1 tsp of almond extract along with the vanilla extract.  I loved this addition of almond extract as it added just a hint of almond flavor to the cake.

 

 

As I sliced into this cake I began to think of all the delicious treats I could make with it.  I envisioned a beautiful truffle or parfait layered with cubes of pound cake, fresh berries, custard and whipped cream.  Or for a simple version I could serve sliced pound cake with a lovely berry sauce drizzled over it.  Hot tea to dip my pound cake slice in would be just fine too. 

 

 I took a couple of slices and cut hearts out with a cookie cutter.  I then presented my girls with a plateful of pound cake hearts and little bowl of Nutella for them to spread on top of the yummy hearts.  What delicious fun for all of us! 

 

 

 

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

recipe from Great Cakes by Carole Walter

 

Ingredients:

 

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour (don't have cake flour on hand? you can make your own HERE)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup superfine or strained sugar (I used regular granulated sugar and it worked great)

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract (my addition)

1/4 cup milk

 

Directions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray loaf pan (9x5) with baking spray and set aside.

 

2. Sift together sifted cake flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside flour mixture.

 

3. Cut butter into 1" slices.  Toss butter slices into a large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low to soften.  Increase speed of mixture to medium high to cream butter until light in color and smooth - about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.

 

4. Add in sugar 1 Tbsp at a time. This will take about 6-8 minutes to complete. Scrape sides of the bowl occasionally.

 

5. Add the eggs, 1 at a time at 1-minute intervals.  Add in vanilla (and almond extract if you wish) and blend well. At this point the batter may appear curdled.  Not to worry as the addition of the dry ingredients will remedy this.

 

6. On low speed add in 1/3 of the flour mixture followed by 1/2 the milk.  Then again another 1/3 of the flour and the remaining milk ending with the last of the flour. Mix only until incorporated after each addition.  Scrap the sides of bowl to make sure all ingredients have been included.

 

7. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon. Bake in middle of the oven centered on the rack for 60-70 minutes.  If cake appears to be getting dark too fast cover lightly with tin foil. Cake will be done with toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.

 

8. Cool cake in pan for 10-15 minutes before inverting onto a platter to serve. Enjoy!!

 

Happy Old Fashioned Pound Cake Baking!

 

 

The Cake Slice Baker's November Cake ~ Applesauce Spice Cake

 

 Hello and Happy November!!

 

I have recently joined a baking group called The Cake Slice Baker's and I couldn't be more excited!  Not only have I been able to meet a group of lovely bakers but they are also extremely talented and oh so, very friendly.  For the next year the Cake Slice Baker's will be baking from a cookbook called, Great Cakes by Carole Walter.   Each month we will choose a recipe from this book based on a poll and present it on-line on or after the 20th of each month.  This month everyone baked an Applesauce Spice Cake from Great Cakes.  I was delighted with this recipe as the cake was delicious!

 

 

 

I found this cake to be full of warm Fall flavors.  Lots of good spices, chopped fruit and nuts all surrounded by a tender and moist cake.  And then because I just love a good icing I whipped up the suggested topping of a Brown Sugar Glaze and drizzled it over the cake.  Perfection! 

 

 

 

I did change a couple of things slightly from the original recipe.  Unfortunately, I did not have any nuts in my pantry so instead I added raisins and dried cranberries which I plumped up in some boiling water for a couple of minutes. I also omitted the allspice that the recipe called for as I was in the  mood for just nutmeg and cinnamon. 

 

  The steps that were required to create this cake were put together with great thought and care. Such as sifting the dry ingredients a couple of times before adding them into the wet ingredients.  I also found it nice to add the granulated and brown sugar by the tablespoon mixing well in between each addition instead of all at once.

 

A perfect Fall cake to share a gatherings or to enjoy simply with a cup of delicious hot tea.

 

 

 

 

Applesauce Spice Cake

(recipe from Carole Walter's book, Great Cakes)

 

Cake Ingredients:

 

2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground nutmeg

3/4 cup pecans, lightly toasted and chopped

1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

2 large eggs

1 medium-sized tart greening or Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped medium small (about 2/3 cup)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sweetened bottled applesauce

 

Brown Sugar Glaze Ingredients:

 

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp light brown sugar

3 Tbsp heavy cream

3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Directions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a fluted or bundt pan.

 

2. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a triple sifter a couple of times.  Stir in chopped nuts and set aside.

 

3. In a large bowl of  mixer cream together butter and lemon rind. Beat at medium-high speed for 1 minute and then add in shortening.  Mix for an additional minute.

 

4.  Add in granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.  This will take 3-4 minutes to complete.  Next add in brown sugar the same way and scrape sides of the bowl occasionally.

 

5. With the mixer on medium-low speed add in eggs one at a time in 1 minute intervals.  Add in fresh chopped apple (and dried fruit if you wish) along with vanilla extract.

 

6. Keeping the mixer on low speed add in flour mixture alternately with applesauce - starting and ending with the flour mixture.  Only beat batter until flour is just incorporated after each addition.  Scrape sides of bowl occasionally.

 

7. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes or until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry.

 

8.  Cool cake for 10-15 mintues before inverting onto a serving plate.  While cake cools prepare glaze. 

 

9.  In a medium size sauce pan melt together brown sugar and butter over low heat.  Stir in heavy cream.  Cook until mixture comes to a gentle boil and then allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat to add in sifted powdered sugar - whisking until smooth.  Add in vanilla extract.  If the glaze is too thick add in more heavy cream, 1 Tbsp at a time.  Pour glaze over warm cake. 

 

~Store cake at room temperature under a glass dome or in an airtight container for up to 2 days.  If you store in refrigerator cake will store up to 10 days.  Cake should be wrapped tightly and unglazed.

 

Enjoy!  And be sure to enjoy the links below for all the beautiful Applesauce Spice Cakes that my fellow Cake Slice Baker's made too!

 

 

 

Happy Applesauce Spice Cake Baking!

 

 

 

 



A Match Made in Heaven - Coffee Heath-Bar Crunch Cake

I like Coffee and I like Heath Bar baking bits.  Put them together and you have a match made in HEAVEN!  That's just what The Cake Slice Bakers did this month...we baked a cake sent from Heaven - and I do believe there is a place with just that title, "Cake Heaven".  I know when I am in "Cake Heaven" - it is when I sit down with a piece of an amazing cake and a lovely hot mug of tea or coffee and after the first bite of cake and sip of my tea my eyes will roll back in my head as my shoulders relax and my body swarms with happiness all over.  This is "Cake Heaven".  Have you every experienced this?  PLEASE say that you have! If you haven't....well, we just need to make it happen! You can start off by going ahead and making this cake recipe and following my orders to sit down in a comfy chair with your piece of cake and choosen hot beverage to go along with it.  You will not regret it.

This cake is similar to a coffee cake in that it has a nice dense texture with a lovely topping of a crumb layer featuring the Heath Bar baking bits. Delightful!

Coffee Heath-Bar Crunch Cake

(recipe from Lauren Chattman's book, Cake Keeper Cakes)

Streusel Ingredients:

1/2 bag Heath Bar baking bits

2 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed

2 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp butter, softened

Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 Tbsp instant espresso powder (I used instant coffee powder and it worked out just fine)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Directions:

1. Make the streusel by combining with a fork the brown sugar, flour and butter in a medium bowl.  Toss in Heath Bar baking bits once mixture resembles large crumbs.  Set mixture aside in refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" round springform pan and set aside.

3. Make cake by combining flour, espresso (or coffee) powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

4. In a large bowl cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes on medium-high speed.   Scraping down bowl at least once to make sure all ingredients are getting beaten together.  With mixer on low speed add in egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract.

5. Add in flour mixture and milk alternately with beater on low speed - beginning and ending with flour mixture.

6.  Pour batter into prepared springform pan.  Smooth out batter with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly on top of cake batter. 

7. Bake cake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.  Cool cake 5 minutes on wire rack and then remove side of pan.  Cool, serve and enjoy!

If you want to have something wonderful to do while eating a slice of this cake go check out the rest of The Cake Slice Bakers - what a fabulously talented group of bakers we have here!

Happy Coffee Heath-Bar Crunch Cake Baking!

A VERY Belly Christmas and a BURSTING with Flavor Cake

Sending all of you a VERY Merry Christmas and a Happy, Happy New Year as I burst at the seams with only 3 weeks (approximately :-) left of my pregnancy.   I wishing each and everyone of you a joyous and happy New Year too!  Again, my cup runith over with gratitude and happiness for all that I have gained and experienced this past year in my daily life adventures outside of this blog and "inside" of it too.  I truly feel blessed and honored to be so fortunate with such a wonderfully full life.

Speaking of "full" I have a lovely cake FULL of flavor that I made through

The Cake Slice Baker's group last week.

Lauren Chattman author and creator of Cake Keeper Cakes gives this cake a very simple title of, Cranberry Cake but I think it should be called, Fabulous Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake.  I state this because this cake is amazing in all its simple glory of having fresh cranberries surrounded by a moist and sweet cake that is finished off by a delightfully crunchy almond topping.....reminding me of a coffee cake rather than just a simple cake.  It could be eaten for breakfast, at tea time and even as a wonderful dessert after dinner.  And it is super, super easy to put together.  In fifteen minutes flat I had the cake stirred up and placed in the oven baking away happily.  The hardest part was waiting for it to be done.  It does take a good hour for this treasure to bake.  I learned from the other talented ladies in the TCSB's group that the oven temp of the original recipe actually needed to be increased to 325 as 300 took forever for it to fully bake the cake.  Even at 325 I still had to bake the cake longer than I anticipated.  The middle of the cake just needed that extra time to fully bake. 

That being said all you need is a bag of FRESH cranberries, regular ingredients in your pantry and some good ole fashioned "patience" to allow the cake to bake to its fullest.  You will then have a master piece of a festive cake that will bring happiness and YUMMINESS to many.  Bake and share this cake ASAP!

Cranberry Cake (also known to me as Fabulous Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake)

(recipe from Cake Keepers Cakes by Lauren Chattman)

Streusel Topping Ingredients:

1 cup sliced almonds

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 Tbsp packed brown sugar

Cake Ingredients:

2 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 large eggs

2 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 bag (12 oz) FRESH cranberries

Streusel Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease a 10" round springform pan.

2. Combine sliced almonds, melted butter and 2 Tbsp's  brown sugar in a medium bowl.  Mix all together and then refrigerate until ready to use.

Cake Directions:

1. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt...whisk all together.

2. In a large bowl combine eggs and sugar - beat with an electric mixer on medium-high heat for a good 5 minutes.  Mixture will become light and fluffy and increased in volume.

3. Turn mixer down to low and slowly add in melted and cooled (1 1/2 sticks) of butter.  Turn mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes.  Add in vanilla extract at the end of 2 minutes. 

4.  Gently mix in flour - 1/2 cup at a time.  Then stir in FRESH cranberries.

5. Pour batter into prepared springform pan.  Smooth top of cake with a rubber spatula.  Sprinkle cake with Streusel Topping prepared previously.

6. Bake cake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Cake will be golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean when cake is done.  If you feel like your cake is getting too brown too fast yet needs more time to bake cover with tin foil as it completes it's baking time.

7. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and then release sides of the springform pan.  Cool completely, cut into slices and serve.

Happiness with FRESH cranberries will be enjoyed by all!

Happy Cranberry Cake Baking!

Pumpkin (White) Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake

Hello there pumpkin friend!  I just wanted to let you know that I simply adore you.....you are full of gorgeous color, texture and taste (especially in a baked tasty treat).  :-)

I got to play a little bit with my pumpkin friend this past week.  I made some adorably d'lish mini loaves of Pumpkin (White) Chocolate-Chip Pound Cakes for my first month of The Cake Slice baking group.  My Dear Dad was part of an Art Tour a couple of  weekends ago in which he was able to open up his photography studio for all to come see and visit.  It is often a family affair when he does an art show.  My sister, my mom and even Jolie come together and help him set up, spruce up and even take down his pictures at the end.  Because I was not available to help him set up I offered to provide some of the refreshments (no better excuse to bake some special treats!) - I decided to make some goodies that were easily handled.....in other words, mini goodies!  I made Pecan Muffin Cutie Pies and slices of Mini Pumpkin (White) Chocolate Chip Loaves.  Both were HUGE hits and disappeared just like that!

I was particularly excited to make this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake recipe for it is the first recipe I have made part of The Cake Slice Bakers group that I have recently joined.  We will be baking out of Cake Keepers Cakes by Lauren Chattman cookbook for the next 12 months.  Get ready for some wonderful recipes coming your way from this book....I have already tagged a bunch of DEE-lish recipes that appeal to me as I have been browsing through this book.

You can find all the lovely blogs that are also part of The Cake Slice Bakers group HERE. :-)

I was quite pleased with this recipe.  My mini loaves came out with a lovely crumb texture full of pumpkin flavor that only improved over time.  I did consider making a fluffy cream cheese frosting to go over the breads but then decided against it.  I felt like the yummy full flavor of the bread would be taken away from the frosting.  No need to foul around with a good thing!

Pumpkin (White) Chocolate-Chip Pound Cake

 (recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes cookbook)

Ingredients:

*1 3/4 cup flour

*1 tsp baking soda

*1 tsp baking powder

*1 tsp cinnamon

*1/2 tsp salt

*1/4 tsp ground ginger

*pinch of nutmeg

*1 stick butter, unsalted - softened

*1 1/4 cup sugar

*3 large eggs

*1 cup pumpkin puree

*1 tsp vanilla extract

*1/3 cup milk

*1 cup mini chocolate chips (I used white chocolate chips instead)

*1 cup chopped walnuts (I did not use these)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease desired bread pan (mini or regular) with non-stick spray and then lightly dust pans with flour.

2. Combine first 7 ingredients (dry ingredients) in a medium bowl.

3. Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl.  Beat for 3 minutes until light and fluffy - scrap down bowl at least once.

4. Keeping the mixer on medium-low speed add in eggs, one at at time.  Scrap down bowl in between each addition of the eggs.   Add in pumpkin puree and vanilla extract - mix to combine. Add in milk...

5. Slowly add in flour mixture (1/2 a cup at a time) as mixer is on low speed.  Scrap down bowl to ensure all flour is combined to the pumpkin mixture.

6. With a wooden spoon stir in chocolate (which every kind you wish) chips and nuts (if desired) to batter....

7.  Pour batter into pan/pans.  Smooth the top of bread with a rubber spatula....

 Bake for 55 minutes for a regular size loaf pan and about 30-35 minutes for the mini loaves.  Bread should be firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when fully baked.

8. Cool bread/breads in pan/pans for 5 minutes and then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Slice and serve.

Enjoy!

Yum to Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake!!!

Happy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake Baking!

This recipe has been linked to....

http://eatathomecooks.com/2010/10/ingredient-spotlight-pumpkin.html

From My Tiny Kitchen - Pumpkin Blog Hop Party