Summer 2022 is peaking here in India and mangoes are everywhere! One of my favourite desserts in the world are cheesecakes, and this baked cheesecake which is topped with dulce de leche and fresh mangoes are to absolutely die for. It tastes super yum and is a must to bake, if you’re an avid baker. It’s a fun activity altogether. Lets get to the recipe, but first lets take a peek at basics.
What is a Cheesecake
A cheesecake is a cake usually comprising of two layers – the bottom layer being made with biscuits (like graham crackers or digestives) while the main part of the cheesecake is made with cream cheese, sugar, heavy cream and eggs amongst other ingredients.
Cheesecakes can be both baked or chilled. If you are a baking a cheesecake, you will still have to chill it overnight in order for it to set – but has a softer less jelly-like texture. On the other hand, a non-bake cheesecake is simply made by chilling the pan in the fridge using binding agents like Gelatin or Agar-Agar to help set your cake.
How to make Dulce De Leche?
Dulce De Leche essentially corresponds to sweetened cooked milk. There are multiple ways to make it – from scratch, using milk and sugar or making it with condensed milk.
There are still couple of ways to make Dulce De Leche using condensed milk – in the oven or on the gas. I will here share with you the easiest way to do-so. To make the sweet spread, simply take a vessel, put an un-opened can of Condensed Milk the vessel and fill the vessel with water until the can is fully submerged. Keep this pan/vessel on low to medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour and remove. When slightly cool, remove the can and open it. You will see cooked darker condensed milk and it’s just yum!
How to create a Water Bath
For your cheesecake to not-crack and be Instagram friendly, it’s advisable to make a water bath for your cheesecake. Its a very simple process, you would just require a roasting tray and water.
Place your Cheesecake Pan in the roasting tray right before baking and fill the tray with water! Put the entire roasting tray into the oven as opposed to just the pan going into the oven.
Tips to Bake a Great Cheesecake
1. Temperature: Use room temperature Cream Cheese. To make a lush batter of your cheesecake, it is to better to use softened cream cheese, otherwise it won’t blend together as finely as it should.
2. Don’t Over mix: Once you have mixed the sugar and cream cheese using a whisk or an electric whisk properly. It is advisable to shift gears and use a spatula to mix in all the other ingredients. Don’t over mix, just mix till its all well combined.
3. Avoid Opening the Oven too much: Every time you open the oven to check on your cake, you change the temperature of the oven, which can lead to cracks on the cake. Best to just let it be for 55 minutes
4. Use a Water Bath: I can’t stress how important it is to follow this one step. Just a reminder here, so you don’t miss out on this one. More details for this is given above as well.
Baker’s Cornstarch
While you be surprised to know, cornstarch being added to a cake is a thing! Now, please don’t add it to a normal cake, round, rectangular, loaf etc. Adding baker’s cornstarch to the cheesecake can provide durability to the cake allowing the cheesecake to hold up better and to help with its formation, thereby reducing cracks and unevenness.
Spring Form Pan
Layers of this Cheesecake
Someone once rightly said “a recipe has no soul, you must bring soul to the recipe”, so here I am, trying to bring my passion for food into easy to make recipes from around the world.
My name is Sohail Nath and I welcome you to my happy place, @boy.eatsworld.
This blog, my creativity’s nest covers travel inspirations, authentic yet homemade recipe and food blogs.