CAKEWALK

The List:

2 Chocolate Cake w/ White Frosting & Sprinkles
Black Forest Cake (chocolate cake brushed with cherry liqueur and topped with ganache, whipped cream, and cherries)
Chocolate Cake w/ Chocolate Frosting & Ganache
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake (chocolate cake frosted with nutella and topped with chopped hazelnuts)
Reese's Cheesecake
Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
Strawberry Cake
Lemon Cheesecake
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Mexican Hot Chocolate Flourless Cake


Reese's Cheesecake



2 cups oreo crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 8-oz packages cream cheese, room temperature
5 eggs, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup cream
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 bag mini peanut butter cups

1/2 cup peanut butter
6 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat to 350°. Stir together the oreo crumbs and melted butter - add more butter if you can't make crumb lumps with your fingers. Press into the bottom of a spring form pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time. Add sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and cream and mix. Pour half of the mixture into the crust, add a layer of reese's cups, then top with remaining cheesecake mixture. Bake for about an hour, until the edges are set but the middle is still a bit jiggly - if you cook it too long it will crack. Cool slightly then put it into the refrigerator for at least an hour.

For the topping: heat the cream (don't boil). Add in the chopped chocolate, let sit for a minute, then stir. Pour over the cheese Chop up the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler (or microwave). Cool slightly then add all but 1 tablespoon of cream. Stir and then pour over the cheesecake. Put in the freezer while you prep the peanutbutter. Melt the peanutbutter briefly in the microwave, then pour in a decorative pattern over the chocolate. Top with more reeses if you want (they'll melt into the cake if you put them on before cooling the ganache). refrigerate for at least 4 more hours before slicing. enjoy!



Raspberry Cheesecake


this also makes a good standard plain cheesecake if you leave out the raspberry swirl, and a good lemon cheesecake if you add in more lemon juice and zest.



2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
pinch salt

10 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
3 tbsp. sugar

32 ounces cream cheese
1 cup granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons AP flour
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup cream
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract

for the raspberry puree: place the thawed berries and sugar in a sauce pan and simmer to reduce by half. Strain or puree until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and butter, adding more butter if necessary to make the crumbs squishable. Press into the bottom and sides of a springform pan and bake 10 minutes.

Beat together the creamcheese, sugar, and flour. Add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.

Remove ½ cup of the filling and mix it with the raspberry puree. (If you want a more flat cheesecake than my bumpy example, mix a greater proportion of the cheesecake batter with the raspberry puree to get a more consistent texture throughout). Pour the cheesecake filling over the cooled crust, pour raspberry filling in a swirl on top, and use a toothpick to make a pattern. Place the cheesecake pan on a larger baking pan and place in the oven. Bake for 60 - 90 minutes or until the edges are firm and the center is still wobbly.

Let cool slightly, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before slicing. enjoy!



Mexican Hot Chocolate Flourless Cake


i think this was my favorite thing we made (though i didn't get to taste everything). i am a sucker for the spice-and-chocolate combo, but it is also awesome without - the cake is like the best brownie you've ever had, crispy and crunchy on top and gooey-fudgy in the middle.



16 ounces good quality bittersweet (not semi-sweet) chocolate, roughly chopped
4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 cups sugar
12 eggs
2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1+ tbs cinnamon (optional)
a few dashes cayenne, to taste (optional)

Preheat to 350. Line and grease a springform pan.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler. Turn off the burner but keep the bowl over the heat and whisk in the sugar to dissolve. Remove from the heat and add the eggs one at a time, whisking constantly to prevent them from cooking. Sift the cocoa powder and spices into the chocolate and mix.

Pour batter into prepared springform pan and bake for about 40 minutes, until a crust has formed on the top but a fork still picks up some gooey crumbs. Cool and enjoy!