Cream Cheese Cake

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make a cream cheese cake? Gather the ingredients for the cake base. You can use any shortbread cookies you like — almost anything works here, even the cheapest and simplest. Use good-quality, aromatic butter. Take it out of the refrigerator ahead of time so it comes close to room temperature.

2. Step 2:

   

   In a deep bowl, crumble the cookies, add the softened butter, and mix until evenly combined.

3. Step 3:

   

   Tip the crumb mixture into a parchment-lined springform pan (8–9 inches / 20–22 cm in diameter), level it, and press it down firmly. Put the pan in the refrigerator.

4. Step 4:

   

   Prepare the ingredients for the filling. The cream should ideally be 33–35% fat. Use soft cream cheese with no added flavorings. Wash and dry the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Wash the lime in hot water and pat it dry with paper towels.

5. Step 5:

   

   Pour 50 ml of cold boiled water over the gelatin and leave it to bloom. Choose the kind of gelatin that's bloomed in cold water. If yours is different, prepare it according to the package directions.

6. Step 6:

   

   Grate the lime zest on a medium grater. Squeeze out the juice. Combine the cream cheese with the powdered sugar, pour in the juice, and add the lime zest.

7. Step 7:

   

   Beat the cheese mixture with a mixer on low speed until smooth.

8. Step 8:

   

   In a saucepan, cook a syrup from the 50 ml of water and the sugar (the syrup is ready at 108°C / 226°F).

9. Step 9:

   

   While the syrup cooks, whisk the egg yolks until pale. Keep whisking and pour the hot sugar syrup into the yolks in a thin stream. Continue whisking until the mixture turns pale and creamy.

10. Step 10:

    

    Warm the gelatin over low heat until it dissolves.

11. Step 11:

    

    Separately, whip the cream with a mixer or blender into firm, stable peaks.

12. Step 12:

    

    Stirring constantly, pour the melted gelatin into the cheese mixture.

13. Step 13:

    

    Add the yolk mixture to the cream cheese mixture and stir. You can use a mixer for this.

14. Step 14:

    

    Gently fold the whipped cream into the filling, using a silicone or any other spatula.

15. Step 15:

    

    You should end up with a fluffy, springy mixture, like the one in the photo.

16. Step 16:

    

    Spread the filling over the cookie base. Smooth the top and refrigerate for 3–5 hours.

17. Step 17:

    

    Take the cake out of the refrigerator. Remove the springform ring.

18. Step 18:

    

    Decorate the cake as you like. I melted some white chocolate and stirred in grated tangerine and lime zest. I quickly drizzled the chocolate over the cake and decorated it with lime, kumquat, and mint. And here's how lovely it turned out.