Ricotta Cheesecake with Fresh Fruit

Recipes → Ricotta Cheesecake With Fresh Fruit
Crust :

620g digestive biscuits, crushed to form crumbs

225g butter, melted

900g ricotta cheese

220g caster sugar

1/3 teaspoon salt

35g cake flour, sifted

5 eggs

Zest of 2 lemons

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Fresh fruit to garnish

To Prepare :

Preheat oven to 175C. butter 40 mini tart tins measuring 4cm in diameter.

Mix digestive biscuit crumbs with melted butter and press mixture down evenly in the tart tin to form the crust.

In a mixer with paddle attachment, combine ricotta cheese, sugar and salt on medium speed, then mix in flour. Beat in eggs one at a time and mix in lemon zest and vanilla. Divide mixture between tins.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until filling is set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Decorate with fresh fruit. Serve chilled.

Chiffon Cake With Berries

Yum, is the only word for these light and airy chiffon cakes, which are good on their own and sublime when combined with fresh fruit and whipped cream

Recipes → Chiffon Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

5 large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup water

Filling/Toping :

3 cups mixed berries or other fruit

Whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 160C. grease the bottom and sides of 15 ramekins with butter and set aside

To Prepare The Chiffon Cake :

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl; set aside

In a cake mixer, beat the egg yolks, 1/2 cup of the sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and water on medium speed for about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture and continue beating for 2 minutes. Set aside

In a separate large bowl, combine the egg whites, lemon juice, and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds until frothy bubbles begin to appear. Increase the speed to high and continue beating until soft, glossy peaks form, about 2 minutes. Set aside

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold about 1 cup of egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until just combined; try not to deflate the whites. Working in batches, gently incorporate the remaining egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.

Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins. Arrange the ramekins on the middle oven rack and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven, cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the moulds and remove the cakes. Allow the cakes to cool completely before slicing them in half through the middle.

To Finish :

Cover the bottom half of the cake with some cold, whipped cream and top with some berries cover with the top half of the cake. Cover the cake top with cream and garnish with the strawberries and blueberries. Chill if not serving immediately

Nice & Easy Banana Cake

Cakes are essential fare for special occasions. Besides birthdays, we usually have cakes to celebrate joyous occasions such as anniversary, Father’s Day and Mother’s Day.

Today I would like to introduce one of the cakes that I like mostly, even though is a very simple cake, but I like it very much, Banana Cake.

Recipes → Nice & Easy Banana Cake

Ingredients :

180g butter/margarine

180g castor sugar, 2 eggs

4 ripe bananas, coarsely mashed to get 1 cup

1/8 tablespoon banana essence, optional

3 tablespoons milk, mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice

A (Sifted)

240g plain flour, 1 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

Decoration :

2 ripe bananas, sliced, 1/2 lime

To Prepare :

Cream butter and castor sugar till light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Mix in mashed bananas (pic 2), banana essence, sour milk and A till well-combined (pic 3,4)

Pour into a greased and lined 25cm x 15cm/10” x 6” loaf tin (pic 5,6) or paper cup (pic 7)

Squeeze lime juice over banana slices (pic 8), arrange banana slices on top of the cake as decoration (pic 9)

Bake in pre-heated oven at 180C for about 20-25 minutes till cooked and golden brown

Remove cake from the oven and leave to cool before serving