Friday, May 20, 2011

Non-Bake Oreo Cheesecake

Since my brother shifted new home and bringing his 3 kids back home every weekend, I finally have more space and time to spend in the kitchen. I have made steamed cakes, cheesecakes, layered cakes and even chinese dumplings.

Unlike in the past when I posted every single food that I had made, even if they failed and turned out ugly, I'm becoming more and more perfectionist nowadays. So many of them might not appear in my blog because either they fail due to my inexperience in making them or fail in taste and needs some more trials to fine-tune my recipes.


This Non-Bake Oreo Cheesecake is one of the better ones. Believe it or not. This is my first time making non-bake cheesecakes. The one and only fear I have for making non-bake cheesecakes is how to take the cake out after chilling without destroying the cake.

According to this book "The Ultimate Indulgence Cheesecake" by Alan Kok (芝味十足), that I have just borrowed.

1. The cookies used to make the base must be crushed until very fine so that it is not crumbly after making them.

2. Use a piece of hot towel to rub the sides of baking tin for easy removal of cake from the tin.


As I'm using a loose-bake cake tin instead of a cake ring, I also have the challenge of how to transfer the cheesecake from the tin to a plate or cake board safely. From our cheesecake expert Jess@Bakericious,

1) The biscuit crumbs must be pressed firmly to the cake tin base, so that the biscuit base will be tight enough and not crack when you try to unmould it from the cake tin base.

2) Chill it at least 2 hrs before you remove from fridge to pour the cheese batter on it.

3) Use a big spactula to loosen 1 corner of the biscuit base and insert in through the bottom of the base. Slowly lift up the cake a bit and insert another spactula. Cross both spactula to support, lift up the whole cake slowly and transfer to the cake board.

I follow all the tips and manage to transfer my Oreo Cheesecake successfully!
(Not the case for my mango cheesecake, the digestive biscuit base crumble and I fail.)


I like this cheesecake very much and I receive very good response from everyone who eat it. Although I'm using non-dairy cream, the result is still very creamy and does not make you feel greasy after eating too much. Keeping this to my favourite list and it will be perfect for any birthday cakes in future. :)

Non-Bake Oreo Cheesecake (I use half of Jess's recipe, refer to hers for 8 inch tin)

Ingredients (makes one 6 inch loose-base round tin)

Biscuit Base:
50g Oreo cookies
25g melted butter

Cream Cheese Filling:
125g cream cheese
15g icing sugar
30ml milk
1/2 tbsp gelatin powder + 35g water
130ml whipping cream - whipped till medium peak (dairy or non-dairy)

1/2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
5 Oreo cookies, blend finely or crush to small pieces (own preference)

Oreo topping:
3 Oreo cookies, blend or crush till as fine as possible

Method

Biscuit Base:
1. Remove the cream from the Oreo cookies. Blend or crush the cookies as fine as possible.
2. Combine with the melted butter. Press firmly onto the base of the cake tin.
3. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Cream Cheese Filling:
1. Measure water into a bowl and sprinkle in the gelatin (without stirring with a spoon). Set aside to allow the gelatin grains to swell (10 mins) before setting the bowl over a pot of simmering hot water. Stir with a spoon and once the gelatin melts, remove the bowl from the pot and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Beat cream cheese with icing sugar till well combined.
3. Add in fresh milk and mix till well combined. Add in gelatin mixture and mix well.
4. Fold in whipped cream and divide mixture into 2 portions.
5. Fold in crushed Oreo cookies into 1 portion and maple syrup (or honey) and vanilla extract into the other portion.
6. Pour in the white portion into the chilled biscuit base. Level the cream cheese filling and put it into the fridge to let it set.
7. Pour the Oreo cream cheese filling onto the set white cream cheese and level it.
8. Put into the fridge to let it set for 2 to 3 hours. (I put in freezer to have ice cream alike texture)
9. Remove from freezer, sprinkle Oreo cookies on top (or decorate as desire) and put back to freeze it.
10. Slice and serve chilled. (refer to tips above)

Recipe adapted from: Bakericious