After baking an oreo cheesecake, I thought there was no other cheesecake which would taste better than oreo cheesecake. I was wrong! Yau told me that he ate a triple layered cheesecake which tasted so good while he was in Malaysia and he challenged me to bake this cake. I was like 'Where on earth am I going to get this recipe from?' When I flipped through the wonderful recipe book I got from Malaysia, I was ecstatic to find this recipe in the book! It is definitely the best recipe book I ever had and it only cost 3.50 pounds (after converting) for this book!
Since Yau said it was the best cheesecake he had ever eaten, I wanted to attempt this cake and see how good it really is. It was indeed the best cheesecake I have ever eaten....even far better than the oreo cheesecake. But baking it? Took me 7 hours.
Recipe book told me that 30 minutes of baking was enough. I looked into the oven when 30 minutes was up but my cake was still wobbly. So, I left it in the oven to bake for a longer period of time and it took me 1.5 hours to bake a layer!!!!! So 3 layers took me 4.5 hours altogether!!!! But satisfaction I got from baking this cake was totally indescribable. A sense of achievement to me. =p
I would probably advise those who have never baked simple cheesecakes before to at least try out simple cheesecakes before attempting this complicated cheesecake. I would say that it is a cake that need lots of experience with cheesecakes because you will need to have the skill to bake this really tough cheesecake. The skills to be able to identify when it is cooked, how to beat the cheese etc... Recipes are only a rough guide (In my opinion). But if you have never attempted a simple cheesecake before and this complicated cheesecake succeed? Then congrats!!! I am proud of you! =p
Triple layered cheesecake from recipe book:
Ingredients for base:
200g digestive biscuits (milled fine)
50g cornflakes (milled fine)
30g soft brown sugar, 125g butter
1 tbsp instant coffee powder (mixed with 1/2 tbsp hot water)
100g cooking chocolate (melted by double-boiling)
Filling:
750g cream cheese (at room temperature)
120g caster sugar, 30g cornflour (sieved)
300ml whipping cream, 4 grade A eggs (lightly beaten)
A: 100g cooking chocolate (melted), 2 tbsps cocoa powder (sieved)
B: 100g white cooking chocolate (melted), 1 tsp vanilla essence
C: 1 1/2 tbsps coffee powder (mixed with 1/2 tbsp hot water), 1/4 tsp coffee oil, 1 tbsp Kahlua (optional)
Decoration:
300g whipping cream, some fresh strawberries and deco gel
Ganache:
75ml whipping cream, 100g cooking chocolate, 1 tsp glucose syrup, some cocoa powder
Method:
1) For base: Heat butter in a pan over low heat. Add in other ingredients. Press mixture evenly onto a 9" loose-base tin. Brush melted chocolate on base and chill until set. Wrap outer tin with aluminium foil. Preheat oven at 140 celcius.
2) For filling: Beat cheese, sugar and cornflour until smooth and creamy. Add in cream. Lastly, add in eggs. Divide mixture into 3 portions.
3) Stir in ingredient (A) into one portion. Pour onto no.(1) and steam-bake for 30 minutes.
4) Stir in white chocolate and vanilla into one portion. Pour onto chocolate layer which has baked through. Steam-bake for another 30 minutes.
5) Stir coffee and coffee oil into the last portion. Pour onto white chocolate layer which has baked through. Steam-bake for another 30 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cake in oven with door closed for 30 minutes.
6) Remove cake from oven and leave to cool completely. Cover cake and chill for at least 6 hours.
7) Remove cake from tin. Cover with whipped whipping cream. Spread a layer of ganache on top. Decorate with ganache at sides. Place strawberries in centre and brush over with deco gel.
Good luck!
