No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake

Last week I had a little guest over at my place for a one-night stay. This little guest was none other than the little girl that my mother babysat for the past years since she was like 3 months' old??? Well, she has now grown into a fine little girl whom I still adore so much.  And so her mama "parked" her at my place for a 2-day-1-night stay, and I cooked her favourite noodle soup lunch, and we played baking in my humble kitchen.

Fun for her, and me as well!

Sinking her teeth into one slice of the Oreo Cheesecake once it was set and decorated.

No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake

Makes a 6-inch cake

Bottom base

90g digestive biscuits crumbs 

30g oreo biscuits crumbs 

65g butter (melted) 

Fillings

250g cream cheese 

60g sugar 

2 teaspoon gelatin (dissolve with 1 tablespoon hot water) 

170ml whipping cream 

14 individual pcs of oreo cookies (cream removed), crush with a rolling pin till you get a mixture of fine bits and chunky bits 

Deco (Optional)

Oreo cookies 

1. Mix the crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Spoon cookie base into baking pan and gently press to level base and keep in the fridge. (Do not press base hard as it might be hard and difficult to spoon out to eat)

2. In another bowl, beat cream cheese until soften, gradually beat in sugar until the sugar dissolve. 
3. Whisk the whipping cream in another bowl until thicken.
4. Mix the dissolved gelatin into the cream cheese mixture until well incorporated. Fold in the in the whipped cream until everything well combine. Add in crushed oreo bits and fold in briefly.
5. Spoon oreo creamcheese mixture into baking pan, cover top of baking pan with cling wrap anf allow to chill in the fridge until set. Decorate with Oreo cookies or crushed cookies and enjoy!

Baked Chocolate Cheesecake 巧克力乳酪蛋糕

Last week a no-bake cheesecake was featured. This week, expect a baked one! Yeah I love making cheesecakes! Baked or no-bake ones, Im okay with both. Ask which one I enjoy eating more, you can wait long long for my answer haha! I love them all.

Other than having to clear the packs of creamcheese, I also have to take care of the chocolate bars stashed in a big compartment of my fridge, where I could definitely make good out of that space. 

These chocolates would have made me a real happy girl in the past, but not anymore now. I do not chomp on choco bars like I used to, when I still got that slim (or maybe skinny) bod. Chocolates are very much eaten with caution now. I can live without them now. And so, to get rid of those chocolates, I planned to incorporate them into my bakes. Prep yourself for more choco stuff :D

I tasted the slice of cheesecake right after I was done with the phototakings.  Smooth, creamy and easy on the palate. Not as dense as no-bake ones but still yummy enough for me! I will bake this again!

Shared some with the sis who is also a cheesecake lover and I brought some into office. It is always good to share the calories, no?? :P

Baked Chocolate Cheesecake
Recipe from Grace Kitchen Corner
Original recipe from Nigella Lawson (Nigella Feasts) 9 inches round pan
(I used 6-inch springform pan)

For the base: 
(I used 120g of digestive biscuits and 80g of Oreo cookies without cream)
200g digestive biscuits 
100g unsalted butter (I used 85g of butter and melted it for use)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (I left this out)

For the filling: (I left out the top filling)
175g dark chocolate
500g Philadelphia cream cheese
120g caster sugar
1 tablespoon cornflour
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
150 ml sour cream
½ teaspoon cocoa & 1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

For the glaze:
2 tablespoon cream
55g dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 tablespoon warm water


1. Make the base, process the biscuits to make rough crumbs and then add the butter and cocoa. Process again until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then tips them into a 23cm springform tin. Press the biscuit crumbs into the bottom of the tin to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filing. 

2. Preheat the oven to 180’C. Put a kettle on to boil. Melt the chocolate either in a microwave or double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly. 

3. Beat the cream cheese to soften it and then add the sugar and cornflour, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and the melted chocolate, and mix to a smooth batter. 

4. Take the springform tin out of the the freezer and line the outside of the tin with a good layer of clingfilm, and then another layer of strong foil over that. This will protect it from the water bath. Sit the springform tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filing.

5. Fill the roasting pan with just-boiled water to come about halfway up the cake tin, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it. 

6. Peel away the foil and clingfilm wrapping and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put in the fridge once it’s no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with clingfilm, overnight. 

7. Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve. 

To make the chocolate glaze, very gently melt the chopped chocolate and cream. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Add the golden syrup and mix well. Add the warm water then mix till you got a smooth chocolate glaze. 

8. Pour it evenly on the center of the chocolate cheesecake. Chill in the fridge for few minutes until the glaze slightly set.
Use a hot knife to cut the cheesecake.

Japanese Cheesecake (again!)

3 years ago on this day, we got married.

All these years from our courtship days to dating days, and now as a married couple, you never fail to treat me sweetly.

You aren't a sweet talker.  You show me your love with actions.  You support me in whatever decisions I make and in all things I do.  Thank you Hubby!

I am blessed to have a loving hubby who helps out with the housework. On days that he knows I am burnt out, he will take over all housework and ask me to rest or just concentrate on my baking and cooking.

I am glad that I've got him - A friend, a hubby and a soulmate who willingly listen to whatever I have to say, always being my guinea pig to test and try all food I churn out in the kitchen, and enduring my naggings!

If I could have 1 wish, I wish for many more wonderful anniversary celebrations with this man.

To celebrate our day, I baked this cake that hubby likes alot - the Japanese Cheesecake.

I wanted a reliable recipe so I stuck by Rasa Malaysia's which I used in my other 2 cheesecakes posts.

Japanese Cheesecake
(Makes an 8" or 9" cake)

140g/5 oz. fine granulated sugar
6 egg whites
6 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
50g/2 oz. unsalted butter (I used salted butter)
250g/9 oz. cream cheese
100 ml/3 fluid oz. fresh milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
60g/2 oz. cake flour /superfine flour
20g/1 oz. cornflour (cornstarch)
1/4 teaspoon salt (I did not use this as I used salted butter)

1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, salt, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well. After folding this, I put the mixture through a sieve to get a smooth and lump-free mixture.

Fold in.

Pour mixture over a sieve and let it run through with the help of a spoon or spatula to get a smooth mixture.

Smooth lump-free mixture without creamcheese and flour bits.

2. Make the meringue by whisking egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. You can beat with a stand mixer or handheld mixer. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

3. Take 1/3 meringue and fold into the cheese mixture, then fold in another 1/3 of meringue. After incorporated, pour the batter back to the remaining 1/3 meringue and fold. FOLD GENTLY. (I scooped out 2 tbsp of mixture and added 1 tbsp of cocoa to make some chocolate mixture and scoop into a piping bag) Pour the mixture into a 8-inch round cake pan (lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with grease-proof baking paper or parchment paper). Snip off abit at the tip of the cocoa mixture filled piping bag. Try piping out on a piece of kitchen towel to test the flow before piping out your desired design on the cake.)

I painstakingly piped this out with reference from the internet. PHEW~!

4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hours 10 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F). (Dr Leslie Tay's baking direction: Preheat to 200C (I used 220C for 30min as my oven temp is slightly lower than other oven) non fan forced. Bake for 20min. Lower temperature to 160C and bake for 10min (I did mine at 180C 20min). Turn off oven, and leave cake in oven with door closed for 30min. Open oven door slightly ajar and leave cake to cool inside for 20min. Finally, take cake out of pan and cool on rack)

Ta-daah!

Made specially for my dearest hubby.

Some Notes with reference from Rasa Malaysia:
1. I used an 8″ pan, and I lined the sides of the pan with parchment paper with the paper extending slightly higher than the cake tin by about 1.5”.

2. I left the cake to cool down in the oven with the oven door open, about an hour. This is to prevent sudden change of temperature that may cause the cake to shrink drastically. It’s normal that the cake will shrink about ½ inch to 1 inch after cooling, it’s normal. If the cake shrinks a lot, the main reason is over mixing the egg white mixture with the cheese mixture. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, FOLD VERY GENTLY, do not stir or blend.

Pardon the lousy photo with bad lightings.

I just wanted to show the slight shrinkage of the cake when cooled slowly.

3. Refrigerate the cake (with or without the cake tin) for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Matcha Japanese Cheesecake

Finally succeeded in drawing on my cheesecake! Uber pleased with it even though my drawing could improve further hehe!

I guess I watched too much Running Man that giraffe was the first animal I wanted to draw on this cheesecake!  If you are a Running Man fan, you will know what's with the giraffe ;)

Needed practice first to be sure I could draw quite steadily before working on the 2nd one. 2nd animal drawn was a piggy, and it was meant for a girlfriend (I cannot afford to have a blotched job for this giveaway!!).  I made 2 cheesecakes :D

Made specially for a nice girlfriend.

On a Japanese cheesecake baking craze? Yup, I think I am. Western no-bake and baked cheesecakes just have to take a back seat for now.

Matcha Japanese Cheesecake
(Makes an 8" or 9" cake)
Adapted this recipe from here and added matcha powder to it.
140g/5 oz. fine granulated sugar
6 egg whites
6 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
50g/2 oz. unsalted butter (I used salted butter)
250g/9 oz. cream cheese
100 ml/3 fluid oz. fresh milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
60g/2 oz. cake flour /superfine flour
20g/1 oz. cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tsp matcha powder (I will up it to 3 tsp next round as 2 tsp was too mild, not much matcha taste)1/4 teaspoon salt (I did not use this as I used salted butter)

1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture. Fold in the matcha powder, cake flour,  cornflour, salt, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well. (This time round, I put the mixture through a sieve to get a smooth cheese mixture, you may skip this step if you dont mind little lumpy bits at bottom of cake)

2. Make the meringue by whisking egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. You can beat with a stand mixer or handheld mixer. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

3. Take 1/3 meringue and fold into the cheese mixture, then fold in another 1/3 of meringue. After incorporated, pour the batter back to the remaining 1/3 meringue and fold. FOLD GENTLY. (I scooped out 3 tbsp of mixture and added 2 tbsp of cocoa to make some chocolate mixture and put into a piping bag to pipe the drawings on the cake batter after pouring the balance mixture into the lined pan) Pour the mixture into a 8-inch round cake pan (lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with grease-proof baking paper or parchment paper).

4. Preheat oven to 200C (I used 220C for 30min as my oven temp is slightly lower than other oven) non fan forced. Bake for 20min. Lower temperature to 160C and bake for 10min (I did mine at 180C 20min). Turn off oven, and leave cake in oven with door closed for 30min. Open oven door slightly ajar and leave cake to cool inside for 20min. Finally, take cake out of pan and cool on rack.

Japanese Cheesecake

Inspired by the Japanese Cheesecake fb post by Dr Leslie Tay from ieatishootipost, I made one too. I followed Dr Tay's oven baking direction by putting it on high and bringing temperature slightly lower, then resting it and all and it brought about really good results. The cake rose nicely with no cracks, not much shrinkage when cooled and was cottony soft, so soft that it literally melts in your mouth. I aren't joking.

Hubby ate it first and told me "the cake's good, it is so soft, I prefer this to western style cheesecakes!" I did not believe him lor. And so I tried a slice, and it was gobbled up in no time. It was that nice.

Yup, I haven't eaten store bought Japanese cheesecakes before. I made one long long time ago and it was a flop, it was so heavy and cakey. That was my first and last encounter with baking and eating this cheesecake. It was not until I saw Dr Tay's post on his FB that I decided it was time to give myself and the Japanese cheesecake a second chance.  No regrets trying it out. I did it and will do it again. Different flavour next round!

Japanese Cheesecake
Recipe by Rasa Malaysia
(Makes an 8" or 9" cake)

140g/5 oz. fine granulated sugar
6 egg whites
6 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
50g/2 oz. unsalted butter (I used salted butter)
250g/9 oz. cream cheese
100 ml/3 fluid oz. fresh milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
60g/2 oz. cake flour /superfine flour
20g/1 oz. cornflour (cornstarch)
1/4 teaspoon salt (I did not use this as I used salted butter)

1. Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler. Cool the mixture. Fold in the flour, the cornflour, salt, egg yolks, lemon juice and mix well.

2. Make the meringue by whisking egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. You can beat with a stand mixer or handheld mixer. Add in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks form.

3. Take 1/3 meringue and fold into the cheese mixture, then fold in another 1/3 of meringue. After incorporated, pour the batter back to the remaining 1/3 meringue and fold. FOLD GENTLY. (I scooped out 2 tbsp of mixture and added 1 tbsp of cocoa to make some chocolate mixture) Pour the mixture into a 8-inch round cake pan (lightly grease and line the bottom and sides of the pan with grease-proof baking paper or parchment paper).

4. Bake cheesecake in a water bath for 1 hours 10 minutes or until set and golden brown at 160 degrees C (325 degrees F). (Dr Leslie Tay's baking direction: Preheat to 200C (I used 220C for 30min as my oven temp is slightly lower than other oven) non fan forced. Bake for 20min. Lower temperature to 160C and bake for 10min (I did mine at 180C 20min). Turn off oven, and leave cake in oven with door closed for 30min. Open oven door slightly ajar and leave cake to cool inside for 20min. Finally, take cake out of pan and cool on rack)

Cook’s Notes (Rasa Malaysia):
1. I baked the cake in 9” round tin, did not line the sides.

2. If you use a 8″ pan, it is very important to line the sides of the 8” pan with parchment paper, make sure the parchment paper extends higher than the cake tin by about 1.5”.

3. If springform pan or loose base cake tin is used, wrap the base of your cake tin with 2 layers aluminium foil, to prevent seepage.

4. I baked the cake on the lowest shelf in the oven (to prevent cracks on top and over browning).

5. The purpose of using double boiler is to melt the cheese, butter, and milk mixture. I heated and simmered the water in the double boiler ON the stove. For the water bath, I used hot water.

6. I left the cake to cool down in the oven with the oven door open, about an hour. This is to prevent sudden change of temperature that may cause the cake to shrink drastically. It’s normal that the cake will shrink about ½ inch to 1 inch after cooling, it’s normal. If the cake shrinks a lot, the main reason is over mixing the egg white mixture with the cheese mixture. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, FOLD VERY GENTLY, do not stir or blend.

7. Refrigerate the cake (with or without the cake tin) for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Chicago Cheesecake

Went home after work on Monday and told hubby that I am gonna bake a Chicago Cheesecake after dinner.  His eyes lit up and said "Really?!! Okie okie!"

I have not eaten CBTL's Chicago Cheesecake before and hence do not know how it tastes like, but heard ravings about how good it is. Got to do one that is creamy, silky smooth and tangy tasting like CBTL's.

Googled and found a recipe by Bakericious .  I like that the cheesecake need not be baked in a waterbath! So I made it.  Hubby gave a thumbs up. Brought some for the peeps in office and I got positive feedback on the cheesecake.  Hmm, this recipe is definitely a keeper!  I will bake this again :)

Chicago Cheesecake
(for 6" cake pan)

Crust:
64g unsalted butter, softened and cut into chunks (I used salted butter and omitted the salt)
20g icing sugar
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
64g all-purpose flour
pinch of salt (I omitted)

Filling:
500g cream cheese, softened
100g granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon zest
3/4 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup buttermilk (original recipe calls for sour cream) - I do not have both, so I substituted it with 1/3 tbsp lemon juice mixed with enough milk to make up 80g and let stand for 5 minutes
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium egg yolk
2 medium eggs

For the crust:

The baked crust with pricky holes from the fork made before I send them into the oven

1. Best the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined.
3. Add the flour and the salt and beat on low speed until just combined.
4. Press the crust evenly into the bottom of the pan.  Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. (I just put in the freezer for 10 minutes)
5. Pre-heat oven at 175 degree.
6. Prick the chilled crust several times with a fork and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
7. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

For the filling:
1. Pre-heat oven at 175 degree.
2. Beat the cream cheese on medium-low speed to break it up and soften it.
3. Add half the sugar and the lemon zest and beat on medium-low speed until combined.
4. Beat in the remaining sugar, flour and salt until combined, about another minute.
5. Mix the vanilla extract with buttermilk and add into the batter to beat till combined.
6. Add the egg yolk and beat for one minute.
7. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat to combine after each addition.
8. Grease the side of the cake pan.  Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet or aluminum foil to catch any spill.

No spills!

9. Pour the filling onto the cooled crust and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the cheesecake is firm around the edges and barely jiggles in the centre. (See! No need for waterbath! Yeah :P)

Cheesecake when removed from the oven continues to cook for that 3 hours, and that is why we need to remove it when it still has a slight jiggle in the middle. When it finally cools down after the 3 hours or so, it sets nicely in the fridge and you will get that silky smooth and creamy texture.

10. Transfer to wire rack and cool for 3 hours then wrap tightly with plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours and up to 4 days.
11. Unmould the cheesecake and serve.

Enjoy!