Tiramisu Charlotte Cake

Assalamualaikum.

The girls and I decided to have an all girls lunch/dinner/gossip/bonding session last Wednesday. We feasted on Nasi Lemak, Rendang, Fruit Tart , Chocolate Cake, Tiramisu and bottles and bottles of Barbicans. It was a fun day to let loose. Sit around and just chat like nobody’s business.

I wanted to make Tiramisu for awhile now. The last time I made it was a year ago. That time I made a Tiramisu trifle so this time I decided to my hands on a Tiramisu cake. It wasn't a complete success but wasn't a complete disaster either. My friends liked it. But it wasn't as coffee-ish as I would like it to be. But then again, they are not coffee crazy like I am. If it is a coffee flavored cake…it BETTER taste like coffee. So next time, I’ll be sure to drench my vanilla sponge cakes in coffee. DRENCH DRIPPING COFFEE GOODNESS NEXT TIME!

Making Tiramisu is not hard AT ALL. You could simply make an easier version buy substituting the vanilla sponge cakes to ladyfingers or savoiardi which is not even expensive. Mine was a  dollar for a humongous packet of cookies. Also, Mascarpone can be quite pricey especially in Malaysia. So for this recipe, I usually use cream cheese. It’s cheaper and STILL delicious. It’s easy, its delicious and its pretty. What could go wrong?

original recipe from: here

Vanilla Sponge Cake

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F
2. Sift the dry ingredient i.e. cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside
3. In a big bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and well combined.
4. Beat in the egg yolk, eggs and vanilla into the butter mixture, one at a time.
5. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the butter mixture alternately. Starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
6. Divide cake batter in two 9-inch lined and oiled springforms.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean after being inserted in the middle of the cake.

Coffee mixture

1 cup of hot water

1 teaspoon of instant coffee powder

2 tablespoon of sugar

1. Mix everything together and set aside

Filling and frosting

1 cup of cream cheese

2 cups of heavy cream

¾ cup of icing sugar

1. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until light and well mixed. Set aside
2. In another bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
3. Using a spatula slowly fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

Tiramisu Charlotte Cake

2 Vanilla cakes

Filling and frosting

Coffee mixture

Ladyfingers or savoiardi

1. Place one of the vanilla sponge cakes on a serving plate.
2. Using a knife, stab and make holes in the cake.
3. Using a spoon, slowly pour coffee on the top of the cake. Use as much as you need.
4. Cover the top of the cake with half of the filling and frosting mixture.
5. Repeat the same steps with the other cake layer. However, save some of the filling and frosting mixture to cover the sides of the cake.
6. Once the sides of the cake is iced, cut (if needed) about 1 cm-2 cm of the ladyfingers and arrange them on the side of the cake.
7. Refrigerate overnight to let the cakes and ladyfingers to soak in the flavors.
8. Cover the top of the Tiramisu cake with chocolate powder or shaved chocolate.

 

 tie a ribbon around it and sprinkle some chocolate powder :)

The ladyfingers-around-the-cake makes this Tiramisu cake a Charlotte cake. It’s a “decorating” technique where cakes/pudding/tarts are surrounded with a wall of ladyfingers or breads. It’s easy to do and works perfectly as a gift. Just tie a ribbon around it! No hassle and PUFF, a sophisticated and decent looking cake is created.

There are a few changes that I would make next time.

First, THE COFFEE FLAVOR  I need more of it! I’ll definitely take my time to make sure every inch of my cakes is filled with coffee. Also, I’d add some coffee mixture on the filling and frosting mixture as well. Oh wait..maybe I could put some coffee powder in my cake too? Ehehehe.

Second thing is, I need a better ribbon and learn a better way to tie a proper ribbon.

Third thing that I may or perhaps YOU may want to change is the ratio of the cream cheese and heavy cream.  I used more cream in this recipe, it is a lot lighter and less cream cheese concentrated. If you want a heavier and cheesier taste, feel free to switch the ratios of the two.

Since kak Isma’s birthday is next week , we decided to use this cake as her birthday cake. Yeay!

Thank you for being a great kakak to all of us here! HUGS!

Okay I need to make dinner and continue studying. Meehun Sup for dinner. Yeay! 

Take care! Wasalam.

Till then, 

Love,

Sofhan Hasni

Classic New York Cheesecake with Mixed Berry Topping/ Marble Chocolate Cheesecake

Assalamualaikum!

I remembered the first time I made cheesecake. It was for Eid when I first got here. When I first got here I didn't really know how to cook. I would go on Google and search for recipes (still do) and go to Loblaws after school and try make a decent meal out whatever I bought. We were ambitious. I was at least. Kuew Teaw (I still don’t know how to spell it) Hong Kong la, Tomyam from scratch la, apple strudles  la..and of course..cheesecake. I finally tried making a cheesecake again about a month ago and made another two on Thursday and Friday. Again, these cakes are made for a birthday. A special someone who is devoting her life for charity work. She is none other than our bonda in Montreal, Auntie Sabria. Illya and I stayed at her place when we first got here. She is always on her feet cooking for shelters, homeless people, weddings, iftars, Islamic gatherings and the list goes on. She is well known in Montreal for her contribution and of course, her big heart!

Auntie Sabria loves cheesecake, so for her birthday celebration with MSA McGill, I decided to make her a cheesecake. Since a lot of people were coming, I was told to make two cakes. Mind you, I have NOT mastered the art of making a crack-less cheesecake. My springform pan is too big for my roasting dish thus I can’t use the water bath system. Oh well.. I’m not sure if that would stop these cheesecakes from cracking. It’s really puzzling when a website tells you NOT to open the oven door as the cold air would somehow make the cake crack while other sites tells you that you should take it out immediately or some would say use water bath, some say you don't, some say check your oven….Whaaa? I really think we should have a Global Cheesecake Conference to actually come to an agreement and stop confusing clueless newbie baker like I am. Oh stahp!

I made a classic new York cheesecake with two different variations! Yeay!

Original recipe here

Classic New York Cheesecake

1 ¼ cup of finely crushed graham crackers

¼ cup of melted butter

¾ cup sugar

1 kg of creamcheese (4 packages)

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit (300 degrees if using a dark nonstick springform)
2. Spray the insides of a 9-inch springform. Set aside
3.  In a bowl, mix the crushed graham crackers and melted butter together. Press firmly on the bottom of spring form.
4. Bake for 10 minutes and set aside.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until well combined.
6. Add in the sour cream and vanilla and continue mixing.
7. Add in the eggs into the mixture. One at a time.
8. Pour the mixture on to the baked crust and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour.
9. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest in the oven for another hour with the oven door slightly ajar.
10. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

 You’ll see that by this time, the middle part of the cheesecake would still be jiggly. But really, it’s done. It’ll firm up once it cools. And yes. I kid you. You are DEFINETLY welcomed to dig right innnn!Do it..I won't judge..

   

Mixed Berry Topping

¼ cup of strawberry jam (or any berries)

1 tablespoon of water

Strawberries and blueberries (Or any of your choice)

1. Mix the jam with water and heat it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
2. Spread the jam over the top of the cheesecake.
3. Arrange the berries on the jam.

 Chocolate Marble Cheesecake

½ cup of melted chocolate

1. At step 8 (refer to NY cheesecake above), add dollops of melted chocolate in the cheesecake batter.
2. Using a knife or bamboo skewer, swirl the melted chocolate around the batter to create a marble effect.
3. Put in oven as stated in previous recipe.

  

Oh hello Grand Canyon!

Err.could this pass as art?=P

Sorry this photo is extra bad. had to rush to deliver these babies!

 

Since the marble cheesecake cracked, I melted some more chocolate and filled in the cracks. I then refrigerate it for about an hour to let the chocolate set. Teehee.

The cheesecakes were absolutely delicious! Oh wait! I didn't try the marble chocolate one. Oh well, I hope it tested great too. Hihi. Making cheesecake are definitely easy BUT, tedious if you want to make it EXACTLY perfect! If I’m eating on my own, I wouldn't mind if there’s a Grand Canyon in the middle of my cheesecake. HECK! It’s cheesecake for God sake!

Okay. Now I’m hungry..=.=’

Goodnight Lovelies!

Wasalam.

Till then,

Love,

Sofhan Hasni