MODERN CLASSIC CHEESECAKE

Shortbread crust:
225 g plain flour sifted
100 g granulated sugar
1 egg yolk, beaten
100 g butter, softened
grated rind of one orange

Filling:
450 g ricotta cheese
450 g cream cheese
350 g granulated sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
25 g cornflour
30 ml lemon juice
5 ml vanilla extract
100 g butter, melted
450 ml sour cream

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Combine flour, sugar and orange rind in a food processor. Add beaten egg yolk and softened butter, and blend into the dry ingredients. Wrap in cling film and chill for 10 minutes.  

Take a 23 cm round springform cake pan and press the shortbread dough into the bottom of the tin. Don’t bother trying to roll it out – it is far easier to spoon the mixture into the pan and, using the back of the spoon, press the dough into a smooth base. If the dough is slightly crumbly this will make life a lot easier. Try to make the layer in the tin approximately 5 mm thick, and evenly distributed. This makes the finished crust look more elegant, but more importantly is the right amount of crust in relation to the filling. 

Prick the crust all over with a fork and bake in the preheated oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool before pressing the rest of the shortbread evenly against the sides of the pan. For simplicity’s sake, turn the cake tin on its side and simply press the dough down to meet the base and up to the top of the tin.

In a large bowl beat together ricotta and cream cheese until well mixed. Add sugar and eggs and mix until blended. Add cornflour, lemon juice and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth. Add butter and sour cream and mix until just blended. Pour mixture into the prepared crust. 

Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake at 150°C for approximately 2 hours, or until the cake is firm at the edges and slightly browned. Allow to cool and then chill.

Note that when taking the cheesecake from the oven the center may look rather wobbly. As long as the edges are set the center will firm up as it cools. Do not be tempted to continue cooking until the center is firm, as this will almost certainly dry it out.

Remove the cake from the tin and place on a serving plate.

CUPPACINO CHEESE CAKE

Brownie Batter:
75 g butter
75 g brown sugar
100 g granulated sugar
112 g milk chocolate
20 g dark chocolate
2 eggs
5 ml vanilla extract
˝ tsp salt
5 ml instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 tbsp (15 ml) hot water (optional)
45 g flour

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat with sugar. Use a heat-resistant spatula or a wire whisk to mix. At first, the liquefied butter will settle over the sugar. Keep stirring until the sugar and butter have completely combined. The sugar will be somewhat granular, but it will have incorporated the butter into single smooth mass.

Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Add both chocolates. Whisk until smooth. Add eggs and whisk until mixture is thick and shiny. Add vanilla, salt and optional dissolved coffee granules. Mix to blend. Add flour and whisk only until smooth. 

Cheese layers:
4 x 250 g cream cheese
3 eggs
˝ cup sugar
125 ml heavy cream
1 tbsp cornflour
1 ˝ tbsp coffee liqueur
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp dried coffee granules

Preheat oven to 150°C. Wrap foil tightly around the bottom of a 25 cm springform pan. Spray the pan with vegetable spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment papers. Spread the brownie batter evenly onto the bottom of the pan. 

Place cream cheese eggs, sugar, cream cornflour and coffee liqueur in a mixer and mix until smooth, scraping the bottom and sides dislodge any unwhipped pieces of cream cheese. Divide mixture in half. Add coffee and water mixture to one half. Pour coffee mixture over brownie batter and then plain mixture over.

Bake for approximately 30 – 40 minutes, then raise the temperature to 180°C or an additional 15 – 20 until the cake is slightly puffed but not at all brown on top. The center should be slightly jiggly but not fluid underneath the surface. Tap it lightly with your finger to see if it is done.

Turn off the oven, open the oven door and cool for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely before placing it in the fridge overnight. 

To unmold the chilled cake, run a paring knife around the edge of the pan. Place the pan over low heat and move around in circles so that the heat is applied evenly to bottom of the pan. This should take no more than 10 seconds. Run the tip of a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Remove the side of the springform pan and a wide spatula underneath the parchment paper. This will slide easily off the pan and onto a serving plate.

Dust lightly with cocoa and icing sugar and garnish with berries.

CHEESE, CHOCOLATE & RASPBERRY CRUNCH

185 g self-raising flour
30 g cocoa powder
250 g unsalted butter
2 tbsp of any berry liqueur (framboise)
95 g caster sugar
95 g light muscovado sugar
250 g good-quality dark chocolate
185 ml brewed black coffee and 185 ml water, or instant coffee made up with 2 tsp instant coffee and 370 ml water
2 eggs, beaten slightly
250 g raspberries, plus extra to serve
(Serves 8)

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 22 – 23 cm springform pan and line the base with baking paper. Sift flour and cocoa powder together into a bowl and set aside. Put butter, framboise, sugars, chocolate, coffee and water in a heavy-based saucepan and stir over low heat until everything melts and is thick, glossy and smooth. 

Stir into the flour and cocoa. Beat well until smooth and glossy again, then beat in the eggs. This will be runny: don’t panic, and don’t add more flour; the chocolate itself sets as it cooks and then cools. 

Pour into the prepared pan until you have covered the base with about half of the mixture, then cover with the raspberries and pour rest of mixture on top. You may have to push some raspberries back under the cake batter by hand. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes. 

When it is cooked, the top will be firm, and probably slightly cracked. Take the cake out of the oven and place on a rack. Leave in the pan for 15 minutes and then turn out.  Place cake on meringue base and cover with second meringue layer, pressing down gently.

Meringue Base:
4 egg whites
150 g caster sugar
100 g roasted almonds, ground
40 g cornflour
20 g icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper and draw a 23 cm circle on each. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and gradually beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time. Beat at top speed for 15 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.

Mix almonds, cornflour and icing sugar, then very gently fold in beaten egg whites by hand. Divide the mixture in half and carefully spoon into the marked circles, keeping the meringue within the edges. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes. Cool on the trays on a wire wrack.

Cook's Note: Simonsberg has just introduced a delicious sweet cream cheese with a hint of lemon, perfect for a baked cheesecake.