Cake That! Technical Challenge – Decadent Raspberry & Chocolate Cheesecake

So this is the second cake I’ve baked this week. Both I’ve been incredibly proud of, one was a 7 layer rainbow cake with chocolate icing for my nephew’s third birthday, it was a huge success however that’s not the cake I’m sharing today. Today’s cake is a cheesecake, my favourite dessert.

Last month I was invited to take part in Best British Bloggers & Euphorium Bakery’s Cake That! A baking competition centered around the structure of one of my favourite tv shows The Great British Bake Off. For the final three months of this series I’d have to share three bakes.. a signature bake, a technical challenge and a showstopper. For my signature bake I went for my Double Chocolate Cake with Fresh Cream & Salted Caramel. My entry was chosen by past GBBO winner John Whaite as the winner! I was over joyed that someone who can actually bake properly liked my cake!

Anyway, this month for the technical we were given a list of current Euphorium Bakery cakes and the challenge was to try and replicate it or make your own version. I went for the Florid Fruit Cheesecake, choosing to really challenge myself and do my own spin on it. As I knew I didn’t want to do a baked style cheesecake, I chosen instead to make the base cake rather than biscuit and I attempted to make a rapsberry compote which ended up more like a coulis. There are four parts to this recipe which is a lot more complicated than anything I regularly post, but believe me.. this is possibly the best thing I’ve ever eaten (and made!)

 

 

Ingredients
For the Cake
175g Caster Sugar

175g Unsalted Butter

3 Eggs

2 tbsp Vanilla Extract

2 tbsp Milk
4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
150g Plain Flour
3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

For the Compote
500g Raspberries

50g Caster Sugar

2 tbsp Water

For the Topping
400g Cream Cheese
6 tbsp Chocolate Icing Sugar
1 Vanilla Pod

600ml Double Cream

For the Decoration

Punnet of Raspberries

Bar of Dark Chocolate

Spring Form Cake Tin, Grease Proof Paper, Mixing Bowl, Wooden Spoon, Hand Mixer, Sieve, Scales, Cooling Rack, Measuring Jug, Knife, Whisk, Teaspoon, Tablespoon, Two Pans, Hand Blender, Pastry Brush

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4. Line a spring form tin with grease proof paper.
2. Cream the sugar and butter together. Add the eggs, vanilla, milk and vegetable oil and beat until smooth.
3. Sift the flour and cocoa powder until the mixture and beat again. Once there are no lumps, pour it into the cake tin and bake for 25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile make a start on the compote. In a large pan add the 500g raspberries along with the two tablespoons of water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer for 3-5 minutes. Put aside to cool.
5. Once the compote is cool, blend then put into the fridge.
6. After the cake is baked, leave it to cool. I left it over night in the fridge but you don’t have to do this, just until you are 100% sure the cake is cool.
7. Once both the cake and the compote are cool, using a pastry brush spread a layer of the raspberry mix over the cake.
8. For the topping, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks.
9. In a second bowl mix the cream cheese, vanilla and icing sugar together until it’s fully combined the fold it into the whipped cream.
10. Pour it onto the cake and smooth with a palette knife and put into the fridge to set.
11. Melt the dark chocolate and drizzle over a sheet of grease proof paper then put this in the freezer to solidify.
12. Once the topping is set, remove from the tin and put onto a plate. Top with left over compote, fresh raspberries and dark chocolate shards.

I apologise for the coherence of this recipe. I am the worst at writing out recipes, but if you do manage to make it (the measurements are right!) I can assure you, it tastes blooming amazing!