Easter hot cross bun cheesecake
A lightly spiced cheesecake with dried fruit and a hot cross bun base, topped with a chocolate nest.
A festive Easter twist on a classic baked cheesecake. Not only is the flavour of the cheesecake 'filling' part hot cross bun inspired, but the base itself is made of hot cross buns.
Easter has come early here on ~the blog~. Though really, we should be able to enjoy a delicious spiced cheesecake (and hot cross buns) any time of the year, no?
I was initially going to make the base fully out of hot cross buns, just pressing buns that were sliced in half into the bottom of the tin. However, one of my favourite parts of a regular cheesecake is the crumb and butter base, so I couldn’t just part with it so easily. Plus, using a combination gives it more structure and better holds it together.
The chocolate nest is technically edible, however here I used it more as a food safe decoration as it is not pleasant to eat since I used the noodles uncooked. If you plan on eating the nest, I'd suggest frying the noodles before mixing in the chocolate OR using shredded wheat (or similar) instead of noodles. Personally, I think shredded wheat is perfect if you plan on making smaller nests, however it tends to break into much smaller pieces so it's not as realistic looking for larger nests. The cooked noodles also become more fragile and are more prone to breakage when mixing with the chocolate.
The recipe below gives a range for how much spice to put in. 1tsp yields an only very mildly spiced cake - perfect if you only want a hint of spice without being able to taste that WOW THIS IS SPICED. 3tsp would yield a stronger flavour - perfect for lovers of spice, but without overpowering the cheesecake flavour.
Make sure you press the base real firmly on the bottom and sides!
Since a significant amount of the mixture is made from bread, it will be quite airy and almost spongy. You want to make sure it is as compact as you can make it to ensure the crumbs are not too loose. If the crumbs are too loose, not only would it be (IMO) less enjoyable to eat, but it would also mean that the sides and base are more likely to crumble when trying to get it out of the cake tin.
Cheesecake tips:
You do NOT need to bake your cheesecake until it is no longer jiggly. Only bake it until the edges feel spongy to the touch, even if it is still jiggly. The difference is that if the edges ARE still jiggly, they will be jiggly like a Japanese cheesecake or like set jelly, not like liquidy, raw batter.
Don't worry if your cheesecake puffs up whilst baking - it will settle down when it cools.
If you make sure you follow the following tips, you will yield a smooth, uncracked, and structurally sound cheesecake every time:
Make sure your cream cheese especially is at room temperature. You can microwave it on low power for 30 seconds then 10 seconds at a time if necessary
Ensure the cream cheese is completely smooth and loosened before adding any other ingredients, otherwise there will be lumps of cream cheese that you cannot beat out anymore.
Beat the ingredients on a low to medium-low speed with the paddle attachment to ensure that as little air as possible is incorporated into the batter
Periodically scrape the beater and the sides and base of the bowl to ensure the batter is evenly mixed
Ensure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. This will make sure the eggs are properly mixed in
Bake it at a low temperature (like 160°C)
Bake it in a water bath, but make sure the water does not reach over the lowest edge of foil that you wrapped around your cake pan. If water goes in, it will make your base soggy
Do not overbake it (see the above notes)
Cool the cheesecake slowly by leaving it in the oven (turned off) with the door ajar until it is room temperature
Cool the cheesecake fully in the fridge before slicing into it
But PLEASE don't worry if your cheesecake does crack - it will still be absolutely delicious, and you can always cover it with the nest or other toppings like whipped cream, ganache, or caramel!
Recipe
For the hot cross bun cheesecake
Makes one 23cm cheesecake
INGREDIENTS:
310g hot cross buns, roughly chopped or ripped
175g plain biscuits
150g unsalted butter, melted
200g brown sugar
1tbsp (7g) corn flour
1/2tsp salt
1-3tsp mixed spice (depending on spice preference)
750g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
120g sour cream
1tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
100g mixed dried fruit or sultanas (optional)
METHOD:
Prepare the cake tin and biscuit base
1. Line the bottom of a round 23cm springform/ removable based cake pan and generously grease the base and sides. Line the sides if desired.
Wrap the outside of the pan with at least two layers of foil in a criss-cross shape to prevent water leaking into the pan. Ensure the foil extends up the sides.
Ensure you have a roasting pan (or similar) large enough to fit the prepared cake pan and tall enough to fill it several centimetres deep.
2. In a food processor, process the hot cross buns and biscuits until roughly breadcrumb sized or as fine as you can get it. Pour in the butter as you process until it is all evenly mixed. You should be able to press the mixture in your hands and have it hold its shape. If not, add more melted butter.
3. Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared cake tin and firmly press it into the base and up the sides of the tin. You can use the base of a cup to help.
Set aside in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Make and bake the cheesecake batter
4. Preheat oven to 160°C. Boil a kettle full of water and keep it hot.
5. Mix the sugar, corn flour, salt, and spice together in a small bowl until evenly mixed. This prevents the corn flour from clumping.
6. Using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer on a low to medium-low speed until loosened and smooth. Scrape down the paddle and sides and base of the bowl to ensure it is all evenly loosened and smooth. Add the sugar mixture and beat at the same speed until smooth and creamy. Periodically scrape down the sides and base of the bowl with a spatula to ensure an evenly mixed batter.
7. Combine the sour cream and vanilla and beat this into the cream cheese mixture, on a low speed, until fully combined.
8. Beat the eggs in on a slow speed, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape the bowl between each addition.
9. Remove the cake pan from the fridge and place in the roasting pan. Evenly sprinkle the dried fruit (optional) onto the bun base and pour the batter over the top.
Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until the water reaches just below the lowest edge of foil.
10. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until just set. The top may be lightly browned and the edges will feel spongy when pressed. It will still be jiggly, but jiggly like set jelly or a Japanese cheesecake.
Turn the oven off and leave the door only slightly ajar (you can wedge a wooden spoon or something between the door if it doesn't stay open by itself). Leave it to cool in the oven until room temperature.
Once room temperature, run a thin knife or other utensil around the side of the pan to ensure the cheesecake is not sticking to the sides. Remove from the water bath and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
For the chocolate nest
INGREDIENTS:
30g dried vermicelli/ thin rice noodles
Oil for frying (optional)
100g chocolate, roughly chopped or broken into squares
speckled Easter chocolate eggs
METHOD:
1. Break up the noodles into varying lengths and separate them. Fry the noodles if desired. This will make the nests more pleasant to eat, but will also make the noodles more brittle. If you're just using the nest as a food safe decoration, just leave the noodles unfried.
2. Melt the chocolate over the stove or in the microwave. Pour the chocolate evenly over the noodles and mix until each noodle is coated.
3. On lined baking tray, shape the noodles into a nest (or several small ones) by laying some as a base and building up around it. Alternatively, you could line a bowl and follow the shape of it.
Refrigerate until set, then use it to decorate the chilled cheesecake and fill with speckled eggs.
