Alex Goh's Cheddar Cheesecake

Do you remember the cheesecake that jumped off the table? I wasn't about to give up so easily. I had another go last Saturday. But no. No success. Because ooopss!!! IT did it again!!

It reeked of cheddar cheese in spite of the vanilla essence I added. 

What a big old mess >.< Then it occurred to me that the reason the cake failed to set, even after more than 1 hour in the oven, was the pan size. Ah......

The recipe calls for an 18cm pan (approximately 7 inches) but I mistook that for 6 inches. So I used my tall 6 inch pan. The batter filled the pan nicely, and though the top and bottom of the cake was cooked, the inside was still half done.

My bad. No wonder I ended up such a mess. So I corrected the situation by using my 7.5 inch springform pan.

That poon choi platter from Chinese New Year is really very useful.

I started immediately after cleaning up the mess. How's that for determination? If only I was that gung ho when I was studying for my exams.

And guess what? Look. Look.

As smooth as a baby's bottom. Nary a crack nor a sinkhole in sight. The extra 1.5 inches pan size made a lot of difference.

Please excuse me while I admire my cake.

I couldn't wait to have a taste. But really, you should not slice the cake while it is still warm. Wait for it to cool down completely or else this is what you will get.

Messy cut.

But when you eat this warm..........ooohhhh.........it melts in your mouth. For ultimate indulgence and total disregard for other people, take a spoon and dig into the cake. Don't bother to slice hah..hah...

You don't know how happy I was when this cake turned out right. I was on cloud 10. I floated so high that I baked another one the next morning. 

Well, I finished up all my cheddar cheese and milk, so I need to replenish my supplies. So here's the recipe which I adapted Alex Goh's Baking Code. 

I basically halved the cheddar cheese used because the smell is quite strong when I used the original amount. This cake is good for people who love cheese and want their cheesecake very cheesy. 

Cheddar Cheesecake

Recipe source : Adapted from Baking Code by Alex Goh (page 46)

Note : Alex Goh's instructions are very brief and concise but I have auntified (aka long winded) it for the benefit of my future reference and for readers who are still new to baking.

Ingredient A

- 120ml milk (original recipe 130g)

- 40g butter

- 60g cheddar cheese (3 slices)(original recipe 125g)

- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract (none in original recipe)

Ingredient B

- 20g plain flour

- 15g corn flour

Ingredient C

- 3 egg yolks (original recipe 2 egg yolks)

Ingredient D

- 3 egg whites

- 80g caster sugar

- 1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Method :

1. In a bowl, add milk, butter and cheddar cheese. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water to melt butter and cheese. Keep stirring until mixture is smooth. Take off the heat and set aside.

2. In another bowl, whisk plain four and corn flour to combine. Then sift and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, add egg yolks into the milk/cheese/butter mixture (it is OK if the mixture is still warm but not hot). Add vanilla essence, if using. Then sift in the flour bit by bit and fold into the mixture until evenly mixed. (This mixture is runny and there may be some small lumps of flour. Can sieve the mixture but I find it unnecessary)

4. In a mixing bowl, add eggs whites and cream of tartar. Using a hand mixer, beat egg whites until foamy and gradually add sugar. Beat until stiff peaks.

5. Take 1/3 of the stiff egg whites and mix into the milk/cheese/butter mixture. Then pour this mixture into the remaining stiff egg whites and fold until evenly mixed (I used my bare hand to do this, you can use a spatula or a whisk).

6. Pour batter into a lined 7.5 inch springform pan and bake in a waterbath at 140C for 1 hour 10 minutes or until cake is fully cooked.

7. Leave the cake to cool for 20 minutes in the oven with the door ajar.

8. Remove from oven, unclip the pan and leave the baking paper on for 20 minutes.

9. Let cake cool completely before slicing or chill in the fridge first.

Brief notes to self :

1. Bake in middle rack at 140C.

2. Use 7.5 inch springform pan. Line the bottom and sides. Wrap with heavy duty aluminum foil before baking on waterbath.