Thursday 17 April 2014

Peach and Orange Cheesecake with Sponge Cake Base


This is a cake you want to bake on a day when you have a lot of free time. I never do as I say and I baked this cake on a Saturday when there were heaps of things to do. I had two combs of browning (on the verge of blackening) bananas waiting to be baked and then there's the laundry and the usual housekeeping.

I planned on baking 3 cakes and spent the whole week fantasizing about it while I was at work. Yes, my fantasies are made up of baking exploits - what I was going to bake and how to decorate the cakes. This is how exciting my life is. Really.


Sponge cake base. No so brown but I took it out because it was already set.

My first cake was a disaster. It was a banana cake baked in a bundt pan and I realized too late that the cake was underbaked. What a disappointment. That shall be re-attempted another time. With a heavy heart, I started my next project. This recipe again comes from Allan Bakes Really Good Cheesecakes. My previous bake from this book used a brownie base and this time it is a sponge cake case. That sounded exciting and the best part is, even if I messed up it would be OK because the cheesecake filling will cover it up. Hah...hah....


Not too happy with the messy cut.

Like the previous Coffee Cheesecake, this recipe is meant for two cakes. They must be very flat cakes because I went ahead and baked in one pan and I got myself a cake with regular height. This cheesecake takes up quite a bit of time due  to preparation of the spongecake base. Another thing is that the filling also requires egg separation. All in all you need to beat your egg whites twice, once for the base and once for the filling. Like I mentioned before, don't bake this cake when you are in a hurry. 


Baked filling. So far so good.

My spongecake base turned out alright I guess. While it was cooling, I prepared the filling. The recipe calls for a mix of regular cream cheese and mascarpone cheese. Mascarpone cheese is very expensive here and don't expect this very kiamsiap prudent accountant to fork out extra money for it. Cream cheese is cream cheese is cream cheese. So there.


The mandarin orange slice on the left is hanging on for dear life. Hep! hep! dun let me fall!

I used a little bit extra ingredients for the filling (see, I am not that stingy after all) three instead of two eggs and zest from one whole orange instead of only 1 teaspoon. Oh, and three peach halves instead of two. After baking, I found that my filing was a bit on the soft side and I could not get clean cuts. Perhaps, I should have also increased the cream cheese and cornflour. I consider this a learning experience and will make improvements in my future bake.



So how did it taste? Very good, I must say except that I was a bit overzealous in cutting down on sugar (sometimes I do get complaints that my cakes are too sweet). I figured that the pureed peaches and the topping of peach slices and mandarin oranges are already quite sweet, therefore I should reduce the sweetness of the base and filling so that everything comes together nicely. A point to be noted in future.





Here's the recipe below, and like before, this is my adaptation with notes on the original recipe in blue.










Peach and Orange Cheesecake with Sponge Cake Base
Recipe source : Adapted from Allan Bakes Really Good Cheesecakes (page 40)
Notes :
1. The sponge cake base recipe is meant for two 20.5cm (8") square pans. Batter to be divided equally between both pans. I have used the recipe for only one 8" square pan.
2. Notes in blue are for amounts used in the original recipe.

Sponge Cake Base :
- 80g self raising flour
- 3 medium eggs yolks
- 60ml grapeseed oil (or any neutral vegetable oil)
- 3 tbsp milk
- 25g + 25g castor sugar (original recipe 50g + 50g, please follow. Mine was not sweet enough)
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 3 medium egg whites at room temperature
Note : original recipe included 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar.

Method :
1. Sift flour (and salt if using) three times. Set aside.
2. Using a hand whisk, beat egg yolks, oil, milk, sugar, vanilla and flour until well incorporated.
3. In another mixing bowl, whisk egg whites. Add cream of tartar (if using) and remaining 50g sugar until stiff peaks form.
4. Fold half of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture until well mixed.
5. Then fold in the rest of the egg white mixture.
6. Pour batter into a lined pan and bake at 160C for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. (Mine was done at 20 minutes)(original recipe bake at 170C)
7. Leave to cool of a wire rack.

Cheesecake Filing :
- 500g cream cheese at room temperature (original recipe calls for 400g cream cheese + 120g mascarpone cheese)
- 140ml plain yogurt (original 100g)
- 120g (suggest 130g castor sugar) (original 200g)
- 1 tbp orange juice (original 1 tsp)
- zest from 1 whole orange (original 1 tsp)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 3 large egg yolks (original 2)
- 3 canned peach halves (pureed)(original 2)
- 3 large egg whites (original 2)

Method :
1. Beat cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, orange juice, zest, vanilla extract and cornflour until well mixed.
2. Add egg yolks, one at a time.
3. Add pureed peaches and mix well.
4. In another bowl, whisk egg white until soft peaks form.
5. Fold egg white into cream cheese mixture.
6. Pour filling over the cooled sponge cake base and place cake pan into a deep roasting pan.
7. Fill the roasting pan with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
8. Bake at 140C for 1hour 30 minutes. (original bake at 160C)
9. Turn off oven and leave cake to cool in oven for 30 minutes (original 1 hour) with oven door ajar.
10. Remove cake pan from water bath and allow to cool completely.
11. Refrigerate overnight.
12 Unmould and garnish as desired. Serve chilled.




Photobucket

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted by Ann of Anncoo Journal.




This post is also linked to Cook-Your-Books #11 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

44 comments:

  1. Hi Phong Hong, very courageous of you to try one cake after another especially after a not so satisfactory attempt. For me I need time to 'recuperate', hehehe! Nevertheless, it is always worth the effort. What did you do with the failed banana cake? Usually, I'll show my hubby my failed product for him to decide. Poor guy, he always says 'it's edible and finished most of it'.

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    1. Hi Kimmy! Your husband is so supportive, failed cake also he will eat :) I had no choice but throw it away. Could not rescue the cake. But I will bake it again soon.

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  2. When I see the word orange and peach, hmm, automatically feel better already wor (after a crappy day yesterday).. Not polishing you leg ahh (we don’t carpool and you are not my boss, teehee)..

    Eh I thought you wanted to say you baked this cake when there was no water, hehe.. What? Plan to bake 3 cakes that week? Any occasion? OMG your orange peach cheesecake with sponge cake base is so good, macam kat hotel punyer.. Ala, who cares about the messy cuts, it’s home-made, janji sedap !!

    Eh, I book you first.. If we meet up, I want this cake, you make for me k? *Chewaaahh, talk like I’m the boss, eh people never say wana bake for you also la, so please don’t me muka tembok tak malu!”

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    1. i tumpang muka tembok can ah?

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    2. PR : Of course can bake for you if we ever meet up! No problem! Sometimes I am so in the mood to bake, I one shot 3 cakes in a day. Especially now, if no water during weekend I feel very down. No action. This coming weekend is like that. So sian...

      SKucing : Muka tembok anytime can tumpang :D

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  3. I hv the flour...i hv the choc...i hv the banana...but duno why engine cannot start yet...I hv booked marked your previous post..the choc banana cake punya leh

    as for this one...hmmmmmm.....wait and see if that one successful or not ...kekeke

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    1. Same here la.. I have all her ingredients for the chocolate cake.. Except banana.. But banana can get anywhere outside the kedai runcit.. Engine cannot start coz needs to depend on mood also kan? Somemore now water rationing.. Kekadang siau one, suddenly no water then gone case liao..

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    2. SKucing : Baking must be in the right nood. Don't force yourself because the cake won't turn out nice. That's from my experience lah.

      PR : Agree about the mood. Problem is sometimes, when the mood comes - don't have the ingredients. Or got ingredients, no mood.

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  4. PH, I thought mascarpone and cream cheese about the same price? I havent bought it in a while though so maybe the price has gone up a lot.

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    1. Yen, mascarpone the last time I checked is something like 2X the price of regular cream cheese. My pocket refuse to open hah..hah...

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  5. Oh....cheeseeeeee cake! Mana boleh tahan lagi, kekeke...

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  6. I must say you are really rajin to try out Allan's cookbook, I bought both Allan's book but have yet to try one recipe, now is the time accountant busy with closing for year end account and tax preparation....

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    1. Sem, you are right! I bake to release stress. Allan's baking is a bit more time consuming and I take it as a challenge. Also must make my investment worthwhile hah...hah....

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  7. Gosh!!! Your cakes are all so awesome, nicer than at the bakeries. You're in this business or what?

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    1. Ooohhh...thank you, Arthur! Coming from the Sibu food critic that means a lot :) Oh no, not in the business of baking. Once it becomes a career, I'll get tired of it hah..hah...

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  8. aiyo!! aiyoyo!! aiyoyoyo!! peach and orange!! i love this combination, and it reminds me of the limited edition peach and orange sundae McD has every CNY period, haha, so festive and so joyous lah.. and i think you should write-in to McD and suggest them to sell peach and orange cheesecake lah, you supply them the recipe, and i think they will be selling like hotcakes!!

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  9. yoh, i really like this cheesecake lah, looks so delicious!! i always love something citrus, love the zest, and great combination of the fragrance and sweetness of peach to go with it together.. the cheese looks so rich and fluffy, once pop into my mouth, it melts immediately!! mmmmmm, i can feel it inside my mouth and then my stomach now~~ awesome!! :)

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    1. SK, so funny got so many aiyoyos! No lah, McD already make so much money, I'll keep this recipe from them hah..hah...The flavour is good and I need to make some improvements due to the changes that I made, Glad that it turned out nice. And thank you for the compliments!

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  10. Hi Phong Hong,
    I was wondering when is your next cheesecake, and did not expect it so soon! Haha! You sure do love cheesecakes! Try making your own mascarpone cheese when you have the time, and if you are in the mood for it! It is easy and do not take up much time.
    Your cheesecake certainly looks yummy with all the changes you've made. And I love peaches, even the canned peaches!
    Thanks for linking!

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    1. Hi Joyce! Yes, I remember your recipe for mascarpone cheese. Just that I am too lazy hah...hah...

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  11. Love the peach and orange flavours in this cheesecake... so rich and creamy!

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    1. Hi Mich! Yes, it is a good flavour pairing especially for a cheesecake.

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  12. Cake must be yummy & delicious! Love the bright colour combination of peach & orange, so sweet looking.

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    1. Karen, it is good and I copied the decoration from the book hah..hah....

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  13. This sounds like an interesting combination. Looks scrumptious!

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    1. It is pretty good but I need to make some adjustments due to my meddling with the original recipe.

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  14. Hi Phong Hong, Cheesecake is also my favourite. Your cheesecake looks very yummy, with peaches and oranges. Yummm...
    Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. Hi Ann! I can't live without cheesecake hah...hah...

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  15. Oh wow, I really want to try this. You are the cheesecake MASTER! I love this!

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    1. Hi Cathleen! I would rather think I am a slave to the cheesecake. I love cheesecake and would go through great lengths to bake one!

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  16. Poh Hong OMG! I我佩服你到五体投地。You arer really ver.......y rajin. You are a career woman and manage to have some spare time for baking, laundry, house chore...... And I really have to praise you for making such a difficult cake. I malu lah. I am a full time house wife but can't be compared to you. I am very malas. Shame on me. I want to stay near you so that I can have free cake and food from you. lol. Ya by the way, I love your cheesecake and i think it is a very good combination.

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    1. Veronica, you are hilarious! You made me laugh hah..hah...no lah...I am not as rajin as you think I am. I can't even bake bread, you know or not? I have been admiring the things you bake and I should be the one hoping for your freebies hah...hah...Anyway, thank you for the compliments. If we were neighbours, we would be busy exchanging goodies!

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  17. Phong Hong, your cake looks really fluffy & creamy! You're a very ambitious baker, dreaming about baking all the time. Hahaha!

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    1. Hi Shirley! I dream of baking bread now hah..hah..

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  18. I'm glad this beauty worked out!!! I love the idea of layering cheesecake on top of sponge cake...a scrumptious idea!!!

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    1. Lizzy, I will try more cheesecakes with sponge cake base. There seems to be endless variations out there and I want to bake (and eat) them all :)

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  19. Gosh !!!That looks sooo........sinful!
    Totally irresistible!
    Friend,your cake always make me drooling..........like V.B. said ,wish i can be your neighbour.
    Regarding the Mascarpone cheese, here another kiamsiap housewife always do the same thing as you ,ha .........

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    1. Hi Aunty Young! Hee..hee...I used to use Philadelphia cream cheese. Now I found Tatura, a cheaper alternative :)

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  20. Phong Hong, if I have time, I also like to try baking a cake on top of a sponge cake. We are experiencing cold weather now & it has always driven me to bake some naughty food like baked cheesecake, hehehe. Your orange cheesecake looked there!

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    1. Hi Jessie! I think we tend to get hungry faster when it is cold. Dangerous lor!

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  21. The cheese cake looks creamy and luscious! I haven't done a satisfactory sponge base cheesecake and yours here is making me excited to try again.

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    1. Thank you! My sponge cake wasn't 100% OK and me too have to try it again :)

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