A happy birthday and a recipe for a most decadent cheese cake

The best cheesecake we know

A couple of weeks ago I turned 39. I must confess I wasn't too thrilled about it. Though I never hide my age the passage of time is starting to be cruel. I cannot ignore anymore the signs time is marking on my face and skin. This year I allowed myself a bit of dark, moody brooding before the big day. It didn't last long tough, because we all took a day off and went to celebrate my birthday weekend in the north part of Israel with all my family, parents and brothers included. It was a perfect day. Unpredictable great weather with beautiful deep blue sky dotted with white clouds (we call it The Simpsons sky), empty roads with no traffic jams and an almost completely empty national park. We hiked the short but challenging Arbel cliff that hangs over The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), combining adventurous rock climbing on ladders with history and archaeology. The Arbel is a fort built into the rock like something out of Game of Thrones, which makes it a great place for pretend knight dual or hide and seek. 

   

The Arbel

Hiking the Arbel mount

thorns of summer

We ended the day in a lovely family gathering at the hotel lobby where we all stayed. We had a cake of course, with only one candle; I think the heat from 40 candles would've caused a fire.  

All together now

Since we've recently celebrated the Jewish holiday of Shavuot every Israeli and Jewish food blog had recipes for cheesecake. Although I was reluctant at first my friend and food blogger Foodbridge convinced me to publish my version for cheesecake.  It is my daughter's favorite because it combines perfectly sweet, savory and sour flavors.

Cheesecake recipe modified from Doram Gaunt's cookbook "A tall man cooks".

A 22cm tin lined with baking paper.

Cake base:

150gr savory gluten-free pretzels (Osem has a special edition for Passover from potato flour) or any savory crunchy gluten-free crackers.

125ml (half a cup) Nutella spread.

75gr butter

The filling:

4 eggs

250ml (1 cup) sugar

500gr 5% white cheese – Quark cheese (gvina levana)

200gr soft ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 table poon corn starch

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Ganache topping (Not necessary)

100gr dark chocolate at least 60% cocoa solids

100ml whole cream

Preparation:

1.       Making the cake base:  In a food processor grind all the ingredients to crumbs. With moist hands take the base and flatten it on the bottom of the cake tin and chill for one hour in the refrigerator.

2.       Heat the oven to 150 centigrade

3.       Prepare the filling: bit together the eggs and sugar (at least 5 minutes in an electric mixer), add the cheeses, and lemon zest and mix. Dissolve the corn starch in the lemon juice and add to the mixture.

4.       Assembling the cakes: pour the mixture on the base and bake for 50 minutes until the cake is stable. Cool the cake for at least 5 hours in the fridge before serving.

5.       If you want to top the cake with ganache, boil the cream, take it off the heat and immediately add the chocolate, mix and cool. Spread carefully on the cake and let it cool for another hour.

Have a bite

Birthday celebration gluten-free

Well, we're now in the midst of winter, not a very harsh one I'll admit but still finally we have a  great weather. The end of the year and the beginning of the new one is a time for many birthdays of both family and friends. These events echo the birthdays we celebrate at the end of summer of other family members. Since we're partying I was reminded of the great gluten-free cake I made for my eldest birthday. Hope you'll enjoy it.

Summer is when dozens of farewell parties at school and other places are celebrated. And since parties mean food, as a celiac family we need to be prepared.  In our household, summertime is among many other things, birthday time because both my daughters were born in the height of summer.  Each year there is a whole festival: A party with the class and with the family, very specific present requests and of course for each event a candle lit birthday cake.

So when my gluten-free daughter is invited to any of the mentioned festivities we usually prepare her own dessert (a piece of gluten-free cake I make or buy) and because she’s very mature and responsible she sticks to munching potato chips and pop-corn, staying away from the pizza and hotdog in a roll. I must admit that once in a long while a conscientious parent from the class will call me in order to prepare a real meal without gluten. There was a mum that cooked especially for my girl a corn based pasta Bolognaise.

When we entertain at our house it is much easier. The cakes are gluten-free and my girl gets to gobble a lot of pizza without wheat. Her latest birthday party with the class included watching Shrek 4 in 3D. With the mounds of pop-corn from the cinema, I supplied the cake that was my own version of a recipe that my daughter saw in a cookbook and liked very much.

For a festive and yummy cake you’ll need:

Ingredients:

For the sponge cake

4 medium eggs

225gr soft butter

Cup of sugar

1 cup soy flour

2/3 cup corn starch (Gilam gluten-free flour)

2 tea spoons baking powder

For the chocolate cream

200gr chocolate 60% cocoa solids

100ml cream 38%

20gr butter

A 22cm round baking cake tin

1. Pre-heat an oven to 180C and oil the tin and place a piece of oiled baking parchment.
2. Break the eggs to small bowl and stir them well with a fork.
3. Mix the butter and sugar until you get a foamy mixture, and then add the eggs while mixing.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder and add them while mixing.
5. Pour the mixture to the tin and bake for 30 minutes.
6. While the cake cools, melt the chocolate with the butter and cream either in the microwave or in a double bath on the gas. Mix the chocolate and cream to unified crème.
7. Slice the cake in the middle so you'll get 2 parts. Smear some of the chocolate on the bottom cake and then place the second half to create a "sandwich". 

The cake cut in half

Putting the cake together

1. Coat the cake with the rest of the chocolate.

Coating with chocolate

Happy Birthday!

For more information about gluten-free dining you can leave your comments and questions and I'll be happy to answer.