Christmas Cake – my Christmas Variation of Cheesecake
from Thomas Sixt
Hi, I am a German Chef and Food Photographer. The imparting of cooking knowledge is my great passion. Everyone can cook for himself and with this website I would like to contribute to its success. Cooking questions I answer you gladly at the end of the articles. Have fun and good luck!
Table of Contents
1. The Preparation for the Cake
Our Christmas cake is baked as a cheesecake in a water bath. It’s the only way to make it perfect!So we enter the race with a 28cm springform pan, a deep oven tray, aluminium foil and 1/2 l water.
2. Preparation Cake Base
Here’s some great news for you: Preparing the cake base is a breeze! All you need is speculoos, some butter and salt. The speculoos are best finely chopped. This works well with a mortar or a food processor that can do this. Add the butter in liquid form and add a pinch of salt. Pour everything into the greased springform pan and press it flat on the bottom. You are already through 🙂
3. Prepare Filling for Christmas Cake
Now comes the next step in our baking pleasure: The delicious cheesecake filling. So here… What do we need:- Cream cheese (please, I do not want to advertise… but only Philadelphia will do)
- Then you need sugar, starch, a good portion of vanilla extract (liquid extract – no powder!), eggs, lemon rub and juice and cream.
4. Baking and Waiting Time
Now we need heavenly patience: Baking in a water bath only works at a low temperature in the oven (approx. 120-140° ‘C’ top/bottom heat). That is why it takes a good 90 minutes. Afterwards the kitchen cools down and has to be put in the fridge for about 6 hours.5. Caramelize Christmas Cake
All the time I am looking forward to this part of our baking story: the caramelisation of the cheesecake after baking and cooling down. Now, once again in order of repetition:- the Christmas cheesecake is baked
- the Christmas cake cools down
- put the Christmas cake in the fridge for at least 6 hours
- the cake is lightly sprinkled with brown sugar
- the cake is caramelised with a Crème Brûlée burner
6. Prepare Cherry Garnish
I love this combination of a sweet, creamy cake and a fruity side dish. I find cherries with cinnamon to it fine and Christmassy. Of course my cherries come across a little thickened like a sauce with lots of cherries in it. This is simply rounder and more beautiful in taste.
7. Recipe Christmas Cake
For your Christmas bakery I will now show you the recipe with all steps and pictures. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me using the comment function at the bottom of the page.Christmas Cake
Prepare Christmas cake step by step with the instructions of cooking professional Thomas Sixt.
Cousine
Keyword
Preparation Time
30 Min.
Cook Time
90 Min.
Ingredients
|
Kuchen-Boden |
||
| 220 | g | speculoos (finely crushed) |
| 1 | pinch | Salt (I use primal salt or Himalayan salt) |
| 75 | g | butter (melted) |
|
Kuchen-Füllung |
||
| 900 | g | cream cheese (I take original Philadelphia) |
| 300 | g | Sugar (fine brown sugar) |
| 30 | g | starch |
| 2 | tsp | vanilla extract (I recommend the liquid vanilla extract) |
| 2 | pc | eggs |
| 175 | ml | Cream (fresh whipped cream) |
| 1/2 | pc | lemon, peel and juice (I use an organic lemon) |
|
Für das Karamellisieren |
||
| 4 | tbs | brown sugar |
|
Kirschen |
||
| 100 | g | pickled morello cherries and juice (out of glass) |
| 6 | tbs | Sugar |
| 1-2 | pinches | cinnamon |
Instruction
Preparation water bath
Preheat the oven to 180° C
Grease a 28 cm diameter springform pan well with butter.
Wrap the springform pan well with aluminium foil and prepare it waterproof for a water bath in the deep oven tray.
Cake base
Crush the speculoos with a mortar and crush it finely.
Melt the butter.
Mix the speckulatius crumbs, butter and a pinch of salt together.
Pour the resulting short pastry into the mould and press it firmly flat against the base.
Put the filled springform pan aside for the next steps.
Filling
Put cream cheese, cream, eggs, sugar in a bowl.
Add starch, liquid vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon rubbing and mix.
Pour the filling compound into the springform pan.
Spread the mixture on the cookie dough.
Reduce the oven temperature (top and bottom heat) to 120-140° C
Place the springform pan in the deep oven tray. Pour 1/2 l water on it. The cake should be well protected by the aluminium foil in the tin.
Bake the cake in a water bath for a good 90 minutes or let it set.
Let the cake cool down after baking and put it in the refrigerator for about 6 hours.
Caramelize cake
Sprinkle the well-cooled cake with 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar and caramelise with the Crème Brulee burner until a light brown, crisp thin crust is formed.
Prepare cherries
Place the pickled cherries in a sieve. Collect the juice. Place the drained cherries separately.
Put the cherry juice with cinnamon and sugar in a saucepan or casserole on the stove and let it simmer at low temperature for about 20 minutes. – Optionally you can also add 1-2 tablespoons of rum.
Then pour the boiled and thickened juice back over the cherries.
Serve
Arrange the freshly caramelized cake pieces with the cherries decoratively and serve.
Bon appetit!
Video
8. Calories (kcal) Cherry Cake, the Nutritional Values at a Glance
9. More Recipe Ideas…
with cherries:
Cherry pie with puff pastry
Simple cherry gratin
cakes and pies:
Lemon muffins
Apricot tart with puff pastry
Apricot cake with shortcrust pastry – Apricot tart french style
Christmas:
Tarte recipe from cookie dough
Leave a comment