Vanilla Latte Cheesecake
I made the Brownie & Vanilla Latte Cheesecake stack for my son's birthday, it went down a treat but I thought the cheesecake needed a little more work. As we had a couple of hot days & I didn't want to bake I decided to make a type of "melt 'n mix" base. The base was so good I simply had to use it in a recipe.
This recipe was designed specifically to be made with Bakers' Magic gluten free flour. The finished baked product will not be the same if you use another gluten free flour and you will need to adjust the recipe, particularly if the flour you're using contains rice flour.
Ingredients
Base
65 g Dark chocolate (I used 70% Callebaut callets)
65 g Butter
1 tsp Vanilla extract
25 g Water
50 g Brown sugar
50 g Hazelnut meal
25 g Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour
10 g Cocoa powder
Coffee cheesecake layer
80 g Brown sugar
250 g Philadelphia cream cheese (room temperature)
125 g Thickened cream
7 g Coffee (I used Moccona - with a hint of caramel)
35 g Hot water (just boiled)
1 1/2 Gold strength gelatine leaves
Vanilla Cheesecake layer
65 g Caster sugar
250 g Philadelphia cream cheese (room temperature)
125 g Thickened cream
15 g Vanilla bean paste
15 g Vanilla bean extract
35 g Hot water (just boiled)
1 1/2 Gold strength gelatine leaves
Ganache
50 g Thickened cream
70 g Dark chocolate
Choc coated hazelnuts
100 g Hazelnuts (skinless)
50 g Dark chocolate melts
Method
Base
Pan size - I have made this cheesecake in a 23 cm springform pan & a tin (19 cm x 19 cm). I thought the springform pan was too big but I don't have a smaller springform pan, I ended up using the tin. Initially I lined the square tin with clingwrap & then used 2 pieces of baking paper that would overlap the sides (these are the handles to get the cheesecake out). One piece of baking paper was from East to West, the other from North to South. On top of the overlapping baking paper I put another piece the size of the base. This last piece makes it easier to move the cheesecake off the overlapping baking paper on to a serving platter. I used a little bit of non-stick spray to keep the baking paper in contact with the tin.
Regardless of the pan you use the base needs to be covered with baking paper.
Combine the hazelnut meal, Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour & cocoa in a bowl.
Melt butter in a saucepan with the water & vanilla extract. Turn up heat & allow the butter/water to just start to boil. Reduce heat to low.
Stir in the brown sugar.
Add in the dark chocolate. Stir the mix, if the chocolate is not melting increase the heat slightly.
When the chocolate has melted add in the hazelnut, Bakers' Magic Gluten free flour & cocoa. Stir to combine.
Transfer mix to the prepared pan & smooth into place. I gave the pan a little shake.
Place in freezer until you are ready to pour in the coffee layer.
Coffee Cheesecake
Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water for approximately 5 mins.
Cream the cream cheese & brown sugar.
Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides & cream the mixture a little longer.
Add the thickened cream.
Beat the mixture until uniformly smooth.
Dissolve coffee in the hot water just prior to adding the gelatine leaves.
Take gelatine sheets out of the water, remove excess water & transfer to a container containing the coffee/hot water. The gelatine should immediately dissolve.
Add the gelatine to the cream/cheese mixture & stir to combine.
Pour the cheesecake mix on to the base.
Refrigerate for ~1 hour before preparing the Vanilla layer.
Vanilla cheesecake
Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water for approximately 5 mins.
Cream the cream cheese, caster sugar, vanilla bean paste & vanilla extract.
Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides & cream the mixture a little longer.
Add the thickened cream.
Beat the mixture until uniformly smooth.
Take gelatine sheets out of the water, remove excess water & transfer to a container containing the hot water. The gelatine should immediately dissolve.
Add the gelatine to the vanilla/cheese mixture & stir to combine.
Pour the cheesecake mix onto the coffee cheesecake layer.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
When the cheesecake has set bring it out of the fridge. If the cheesecake is in a springform pan run a knife around the edge prior to taking off the side, then transfer cheesecake to a serving platter. If the cheesecake is in a tin gently lift the cheesecake up & out of the tin using the overhanging baking paper. Run a knife around the edges & gently peel off the baking paper. Use a long sharp knife to cut off the edges of the cheesecake. Carefully transfer the cheesecake to a serving platter by putting a wide spatula between the base sized baking paper & the larger pieces of baking paper.
Store the cheesecake on the serving platter in the fridge.
Roasting & coating hazelnuts
Turn oven on to 120 C (fan forced). Spread hazelnuts on to a lined baking tray & put them in the oven. Bake them for ~20 - 30 minutes. Turn off the oven & leave the tray in there.
Melt the dark chocolate in a cereal bowl or similar sized container.
Bring the tray of hazelnuts out of the oven.
Add 1/3 - 1/2 of the still warm hazelnuts to the chocolate. Roll them around to coat them, then transfer them back to the tray. I tipped the bowl to one side & let the hazelnuts drop onto the tray. Try and separate most of the hazelnuts before the chocolate sets. I used the clusters of coated hazelnuts for the corners of the cheesecake.
Ganache
Heat the cream to near boiling, add in the chocolate & stir until it is smooth. Let it cool slightly.
Take the cheesecake out of the fridge & spoon a bit of the ganache on the edges, allowing it to drip down the sides. If there is not enough ganache to drip down the sides add a bit more. Before the ganache sets sprinkle on some of the choc coated hazelnuts & plain hazelnuts.
Store in the fridge until just prior to serving.
Simply enjoy!