Chocolate Swirls Cheese Cupcakes

I had this recipe for a very long time, till I can’t remember when was it. It was a Sat morning and I just feel like baking something. Looking through my list of recipes I found this. As I had bought quite a few packs of cream cheese, so its a good chance to use them up.

Taste is rather rich and taste really nice with the addition of the chocolate on top. Not too sweet..

Adapted from Table Bread

2 x 8oz packages kraft cream cheese (room temperature)
2/3 cup sugar
2tbsp cornstarch
1tbsp pure vanilla extract
3 small eggs (room temperature)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 175degree. Makes 12 standard size muffins

1. Put one package of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. 2. Blend in the remaining package of cream cheese.
3. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, then the vanilla.
4. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
5. Beat in the sour cream just until it’s completely blended. Be careful not to over mix!
6. Scoop the batter in the cupcake liners and leaving about 3/4 cup of batter.
7. Mix in the cocoa powder into the remaining 3/4 cup batter and mix well.
8. Drop a heaping teaspoon of chocolate batter in the center of each, pushing it down slightly. Using a small knife, cut through the batter just until dark swirls appear.

Place the muffin tin in a large shallow pan and add hot water until it comes about 1 inch up the sides of the tin. Bake the cakes until set and slightly puffy, about 45 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the water bath, transfer the tin to a wore rack, and let cool for 2 hours. Cover the cakes with plastic wrap (do not remove from the tin) and put in the freezer until cold, at least 1 hour.

To remove the cakes, lift them out with your hands and peel off the liners. Place the cakes, top side up, on a serving platter or individual desserts plates. Top with the chocolate curls if you wish and refrigerate. Serve drizzled with the hot fudge sauce, if you wish. If there are any cakes left, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

Baked New York Cheescake

This is taken from Florence’s blog again. But I wasn’t so successful, my cake sank and cracked thou it still taste nice. I strongly think and confirmed that my oven is the cause of it. (-.-”’). I WANT A NEW OVEN!

Ingredients: (for 20cm springform cake pan)
Base:
100g digestive biscuits (crushed)
50g unsalted butter (melted – 1 minute on HIGH in microwave)

Filling:
500g Cream Cheese
100g Castor Sugar
3 Eggs
65g Whipping cream
50g Valrhona White Chocolate (melted via double boil)
1/2 zest from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp vanilla essence or 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Toss crushed biscuit crumbs into melted butter.
2. Press this biscuit mixture over the bottom of a lined springform pan and leave aside.
3. Cream cheese and sugar together till smooth and add in the eggs one by one beating till smooth and then add the rest of the ingredients and beat well.
4. Pour filling onto cake base and bake over a hot water bath at 150C for 40 minutes.
5. Remove the water bath now and continue to bake cake till cooked. It may take another 20 – 30 minutes. Remove when cooked and chill completely.

Strawberry Hearts Cheesecake

This is my improved version of the Strawberry Hearts Cheesecake. It looked very pretty too. I’ve did it for my combined cg meeting. Had a good time then. =)

Ingredients for Biscuit base:

400 gm. Digestive Biscuits
170 gm. Melted Butter

For biscuit base: Blend biscuits until fine and then mix with melted butter and mix thoroughly. Press into a 11″ Square tray (Cos I only have 11” at home). Chill in the fridge to let it harden.

Ingredients for Cheesecake:

400 Philidelphia Cream Cheese
12 gm. Gelatine Powder
80 gm. Sugar
1/2 cup Hot Water
1/4 cup of Strawberry yoghurt drink
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Essence

Cream cream cheese, sugar and vanilla essence till creamy.
Add in the strawberry yoghurt and mix well.
Stir gelatine powder with boiling hot water until it dissolves.
Add in gelatine mixture gradually and mix until smooth. Pour on top of chilled biscuits. Chill for another 5-10 mins.

25 halved Strawberries

Use a knife to trim it into heart shape
Arrange cut-out heart shaped strawberries on top of cheese fillings.
Chill for for another 10 mins.

For topping:

1 box of strawberry flavored jello
500 ml water

Dissolve Jello in 250 ml boiling water, then pour in 250ml of cold water and stir well.
Let it completely cool.
Pour over the set cream cheese filling and put into the fridge again to let it set until firm. Please be gentle when you pour the jello over, if not the cheese topping will be damage.

Pictures – 2 Tablespoon Brownie & Japanese Cotton Cheesecake

This brownies is made by Caihui and Constance! Not bad, very nice for a first try hehehe. =)

Recipes can be found in earlier post.

Bailey’s Cheesecake

I have tried this some time back. Got this recipe from Imperial Kitchen, posted by Stefanie. It was really easy and taste very good too. Bought a bottle of Baileys caramels, so finally got to use it with this recipes.

Bailey’s Cheesecake by Imperial Kitchen

Base:
150g digestive biscuits
75g unsalted butter melted
1 small pack crushed Maltesers
1 Cadbury Crunch candy crushed

Top:
70ml Baileys
500g
softened cream cheese
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sifted plain flour
200ml sour cream
200g caster sugar
20 cm Springform tin

HOW:

Grease and line the Springform tin (i grease the sides and line the base normally)
Crush the digestives add the butter and the crushed candy…use a food processor,much easier.
Use this mixture to line the base of the tin even it out and then place in the FREEZER.

Cream the cheese and sugar together,till well blended.
Add eggs one at a time,beat in vanilla,lemon juice,sour cream and flour.
Stir in alcohol.
Pour over the digestive base and place in a preheated to 180C oven..on a lower shelf.

Bake for about 45 mins but keep checking, when the cheesecake is almost set but still has a wobble in the middle, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in to cool down(still in the oven), I can’t expain how important this is it makes the cheesecake really smooth and delicious. When the oven is cool remove and refrigerate overnight,slice and serve.