Coffee Cheesecake

As promised I’m posting this recipe after re-correcting and re-testing it. The first time I tried making it, the top cracked due to lack of whip cream added to the melted chocolate. But after re-adjusting the ratio of whip cream to the semi-sweet melted chocolate, it turns out marvelous!

Coffee Cheesecake Side view

To make cheesecake it’s quite simple and cheap really. You don’t need to buy Philadelphia cream cheese as its quite costly. Instead, head out to your nearest baking ingredients shop and get them. It’s far cheaper since it’s brandless and the quality of the cheese is the same. I got mine at only RM8.00/ 250gm, while the Philadelphia cream cheese cost around Rm14.00/250gm. I saved almost Rm5!

For the base of the cheesecake, I used the cheapest biscuit crackers around which was Tesco cream crackers, Rm2.99/pkt. You can also use graham or digestive biscuits if you wish. If you prefer to be more experimental like me, I’ve mixed chopped almonds into the crushed crackers to add more flavour. Baking is all about experimenting new boundaries, so don’t be scared to test it out!

Below are the ingredients:-

• 500gm cream cheese (room temp)
• 250gm plain yogurt
• 3tbsp instant coffee mixed with 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup melted butter + 3tbsp
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup whip cream
• 100gm semi-sweet cooking chocolate
• 4tbsp cake flour sieved (optional)
• 400gm cream crackers crushed with blender/food processor
• 30gm chopped almonds
• 50gm Almond Flakes

1) Cream sugar, butter, yogurt until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, mixing it well at each interval. Add the cheese and mix well. (note: best to break the cheese into smaller parts to mix it easier.)

2) Add the instant coffee mix and sieved cake flour. Mix it well. (note: the flour is optional as it will give a slightly tougher texture for those who do not like the creamy soft texture of full cheesecake)

3) Melt the chocolate in a water bath. You can refer to the process of melting it here.When the chocolate has melted, in the same bowl itself, mix the whip cream in, gradually adding it abit at a time. Mix it well until it becomes light and fluffy.

4) Add the butter (3thbs) in the crushed cream crackers and mix it thoroughly. If you don’t have a food processor, you can manually crush the crackers with your hands or putting them in a plastic bag and pounding them with your rolling pin.

Once the crackers has turned into breadcrumbs, mix the chopped almonds. Take a spring form cake pan, lined the crushed crackers mix at the base of the pan. Press the mixture down firmly with your hands and cover all the cracks. Then line the top with almond flakes. Put them in the oven at 200 degress celsius for 10mins until golden brown then leave ur oven on to preheat it.

5) Cool the pan first for 10mins or so before adding the cheese batter. Then take the chocolate mix and drop spoonfulls into the cheese batter, however you wish to design it.

6) Put the cheesecake in the oven at 175 degrees Celsius for 1hr in a water bath/ double boil baking. (refer below for double boil) Don’t ever open the oven in the 1st 30mins of baking time to avoid the moisture from escaping and causing the cake to crack. After an hour, let the cake be cooled in the oven for another hour, leaving the door slightly open.

Chill it overnight before serving. Serves best with tea.

**Double Boil: Put a tray of water at the bottom of the oven with the cake on top on another tray/ level.

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