Birthday Cheesecake with a Twist

Celebrations, Congratulations, Champagne wishes galore
Finally that special day, you’ve been waiting for
Birthday wishes, hugs and kisses, gifts especially for you
Just once a year this day we cheer and raise a glass to you.
21 again. How do you do it?
You certainly have a secret
I wish I knew it
Then I could (look as young) as you
Have (energy and vitality) too
Let’s raise a glass to you dear Judy
Bottoms up! Here’s to a Birthday Cheer!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDY AND WISH YOU MANY MORE!

Now, how better to celebrate your birthday with this show-stopping cheesecake, each slice dazzled with fun, festive chocolate and jelly bean toppings.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups Cracker Crumbs
1/3 cup butter (at room temperature)
3 pkg. (200 gms each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs

For the White Chocolate Sauce:
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chopped white chocolate
2 tsps. Brandy

Coloured Jelly Beans for decoration/toppings

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix cracker crumbs and butter and press onto bottom of 13×9-inch spring form pan.
Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla with a hand beater. Add eggs one by one and mix until blended. Pour over crust.
Bake 30 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours.
To make White Chocolate Brandy Sauce:
Place 1 cup heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Watch carefully so it doesn’t boil over. Pour hot cream over 2 cups of finely chopped white chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon until melted. Add brandy and continue stirring until incorporated. Pour over chilled cheesecake.
Decorate with coloured Jelly Beans to make a colourful cake apt for the festive season.

Baked Cheesecake with Blueberries Sauce

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (unsalted) butter or margarine, melted
Filling:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened (preferably Philadelphia Cheese)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
Dash of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Sauce:
2 cups frozen blueberries
2-4 Tbsp sugar depending on the sweetness of your berries (I used 2)
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp water

Method:
1. For the Crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter, press into buttered 8 inch springform cake tin to form crust on bottom and sides.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add in lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, milk, salt and vanilla.
3. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour filling into crust.
4. Bake at 160 C for 35 minutes or until set.
5. Allow to cool to room temperature, and chill for 5 hours or more before serving.
6. For the Sauce: Place blueberries and sugar in a pan and heat until the blueberries release their juices. Combine cornstarch, juice, and water in a small bowl. Stir together until smooth.
Add the mixture to the pan and stir to mix completely. Bring mixture to boil for a few minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
7.When the cake is set, carefully remove the cake and slide onto a plate. Spoon the syrupy berries on top.

Almond Butter Cake

This moist and Buttery Almond Cake is a favourite with kids who hate whole nuts or raisins in their cake.  Easy and quick.  To get the cake right, use right measurements and oven temperature.

 -145grams Flour
- 50 grams almond powder/meal
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 170 grams butter at room temperature (I use Lurpak)
- 170 grams powdered sugar (powder normal granulated sugar)
- 2 small eggs  (this is important –if using large-use 2 egg yolks + 1 white of egg)

- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
- 12 tablespoons fresh milk

Preheat oven to 180ºC.  Butter and line a 8” square pan or a loaf pan with wax paper.

Sift flour, almond powder, baking powder and salt and keep aside.

Take a bowl and cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy – say about two minutes on medium speed.

Add egg and vanilla powder and beat.  Switch beater to low speed and add half the flour first and half the milk and beat until just incorporated.   Add the remaining milk and flour in two batches.  Do not overmix or the cake will be tough.

Pour batter into the lined cake pan and bake in the pre-heated oven for 40-50 minutes, till the cake tester inserted comes out clean.

You can add sifted icing sugar or vanilla cream on top when cool.  My son prefers it plain.

Butterfly Cake for Someone Special

On your birthday, special one,
We wish that all your dreams come true.
May your day be filled with joy,
Wonderful gifts and goodies, too.
On your day we wish for you,
Favorite people to embrace,
Loving smiles and caring looks
That earthly gifts cannot replace.
We wish you fine and simple pleasures.
We wish you many years of laughter.
We wish you all of life’s best treasures.
We wish you happily ever after!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Glanita !!!!

(Love from Joyce, Sylvia and Joyce)

For the Basic Cake :

Butter – 125 grams
Milk – ¾ cup
Eggs 3
Vanilla essence 1 tablespoon
Sugar 250 grams
Flour 235 grams
Baking Powder – 3 tsps.
Sift maida and baking powder. Melt butter over heat with milk. Beat eggs till creamy. Gradually add sugar and vanilla essence.   Then add cooled butter mixture and flour in small quantities.  Beat till all is incorporated and you have a light mixture.  Pour into the lined pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes at 180 deg. C. If using the gas oven….with no temperature settings…use gas mark 3.5.
Have a drawing/picture of a butterfly and trace it on wax paper. When the cake is cooled, put the traced wax-paper outline on the cake and cut the cake along the outer outline. Cut the cake into two halves and sandwich the cake with icing, if desired. Make buttercream icing (recipe below). Colour it as per the colours you require and keep aside.
Cover the whole cake with a thin white crumb icing and leave in the refrigerator to harden. Ensure that the top is smooth. Put the wax paper on the surface of the icing and trace the outline and inner patterns by pricking with a small pin through the wax paper. This will leave small tiny pin-holes on the surface of the cake; with the inner pattern now traced on the crumb icing. If its very faint, just try and connect the pinholes (Have the drawing/pattern) in front of you just in case you missed any lines, Using a star nozzle, pipe on the pin-holes/pattern with coloured icing.
For Fluffy White Buttercream Icing :

1/2 cup white shortening (use Crisco)
2 sticks (226 grams) butter (I use Lurpak butter)
2-3 tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla powder or essence
4 cups icing sugar (well sifted – +/- 20% depending on the humidity condition in your kitchen)
2 tablespoons cornsyrup
Beat butter and shortening together. Add milk and vanilla essence and icing sugar. Continue beating till cream is all fluffy…add corn syrup at the end.
Colour as desired. I use Wilton Paste Colours. I needed a double batch of icing to decorate the cake.

A Perfect Apple Cake

This Apple Cake is super easy to make, light and delicately flavoured.  It can be summed up in one word  “Perfect”.  I have served this ample times to my guests and they have always been charmed with it.   Serve it warm or cold with a blob of ice cream or whipped cream;  either ways it is a winner.   Please try it……

Recipe :  4 large apples, 2 large eggs, 100 grams butter melted and cooled, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 3/4 cup flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, pinch of salt, 3/4 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons rum, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence and 1/2 cup slivered almonds.

Sieve flour, baking powder & salt together and keep it aside.  Peel and core apples and cut them into small square chunks.  Beat eggs with a whisk till they are light and foamy.  Add sugar and whisk till dissolved.  Then add rum and vanilla essence and mix.  Add half the flour and half the butter, followed by remaining flour and butter.  Add cinnamon powder.  Switch to a wooden spoon and fold in the apples and ensure that all of them are coated with the cake batter.

Take an 8 inch pan and grease it and line base and sides with wax paper.  Gently pour the batter,  smooth the top and sprinkle the slivered almonds on top.   Keep in a preheated oven (170 deg C) and bake for 50-60 minutes till the top of the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted comes out clean.  If you want the top of the cake to be soft;  cover the cake immediately with a foil.  This ensures that the top crust of the cake is soft.  Enjoy

Chota Bheem Buttercream Cake

You tumble and run
You’re so much fun
You’re already turning three
Happy Birthday, Daniel (our Chota Bheem)

With love to you from the three Aunties at “Bring On The Chef In You” ,
We bring to you your favorite Chota Bheem,
May You always be adventurous and fun-loving
And eat as many ladoos to become strong like him.

P.S: A lot of  credit for this cake should go to Uncle Alex,  as he was fully involved in making this cake for his favourite nephew Daniel,  right from baking two of them, to the icing, colouring and putting the finishing touches. For once both of us (Syl and me) enjoyed being directed, guided and corrected ;).    His enthusiasm and excitement was so sweet and childlike.  I overheard some plans to open a bakery in Al Ghusais-Sharjah too ….now Ceasers will have some competition…….ha ha .

Ben 10 Fondant Cake

This  Ben 10 Cake was made specially for a 5 year old who is celebrating his birthday today.  

What’s warm, loving and has “U” in the middle ?

It’s a     “H U G” !!!!!!!!

And we are sending you one to say……..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY  NEIL

Have a wonderful day  with lots of cake and lots of presents !!!!!!

Love from Aunties Joyce, Sylvia and Judy

Communion Cake

Check out the cake that I made for  Dylan,  a close friend’s son, for his First Holy Communion party. 

The Fruit Cake, which was served with wine after the cake cutting ceremony.

Orange Chiffon Cake

Happy birthday, our precious friend,
Our love for you, we wish to extend.
Experiences filled, with joy and laughter,
Special memories, we shall recall after.

From the beginning, you made us smile,
Accepted us, without any trial.
Never judged or jumped to conclusions,
Exciting friendship; random infusions.

We cannot ask, for anything more,
So many things, we simply adore.
Hope this birthday never ends,
In our hearts, time transcends.

By Martin Dejnicki

 You think you’re special because its your birthday today ?  That’s complete nonsense… you’re special every day.  Happy Birthday Sylvia and thank you for being YOU !!!!

We have dedicated this Orange Chiffon Cake to you and hope you like it.

Love,  Judy and Joyce

Orange Chiffon Cake :

6 large eggs (separate yolks from egg white), 260 grams cake flour, 100 grams sugar, 3 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, ¾ cup orange juice fresh, ½ cup corn oil,  2 tablespoons orange zest, ½ teaspoon orange essence, ½ tsp cream of tartar.

Preheat oven to 170 deg C. Sift flour, baking powder & salt and combine in a large bowl.  In another bowl, add the orange juice, oil, egg yolks, orange zest and essence.  Whisk to form a smooth mixture.   Beat egg whites on low speed, gradually adding sugar and cream of tartar till glossy stiff peaks form.  Create a well in the flour and add the liquid mix a little at a time.  Beat the batter till smooth.  Do not overmix.  Gradually fold the foamy egg white mixture.  Pour into a prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or till skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean.

Decorate with fondant icing and flowers.

Chilled Strawberry Cheesecake

Shaly,  this  Strawberry Cheesecake is made specially for you on your birthday from the team of  “Bring On The Chef In You”.    It is unfortunate that you don’t get to taste it but only feast your eyes on it,   but worry not sweety,    some day, some place…we will make sure you have at least a bite .  Till then we taste it and add inches to our ever expanding waistlines ;). 

Shaly,  wishing you a day as special as you are,  with beautiful moments and happy surprises to cherish all through the year.    Lots of love and hugs from  us,   Sylvia, Joyce and Judy.  

Recipe :

10-12 ladyfinger biscuits – spread on a spring-form pan (for the base).   For the cheesecake – 4 /5 cups of yogurt,  ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons gelatin,  2 cups cream, 1 teaspoon strawberry essence.

Hang yogurt  in a muslin cloth for a few hours or overnight.  Discard the whey.   Beat the yogurt with powdered sugar till smooth and light.  Keep aside.  Sprinkle the gelatin over 4 tablespoons water and melt on low heat stirring continuously.  Do not let it boil; remover from fire and cool for 4-5 minutes to room temperature.   Add the melted gelatin to the yogurt mixture and stir till well mixed.   Beat cream till light peaks form.   Fold to the yogurt mixture.  Add strawberry essence and chill in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.  Pour over the biscuit base and allow to set in the refrigerator, covered with a foil. 

For the Strawberry Glaze :   1 cup strawberries,  1 cup water, ½ cup sugar,  ½ teaspoon strawberry essence,  1 teaspoon gelatin (mix with 1 tablespoon warm water).    Put the strawberries, water and sugar in a small vessel and heat till the sugar is melted and the strawberries are mushy.  Add ½ teaspoon of strawberry essence and the gelatin mixture.   Mix and heat till you get a shiny glaze.

Unmould the Cheesecake from the Spring-form pan after it is set and spoon the glaze over it.  Cut into neat wedges and serve chilled.