Cake of the Day: Cara Cara Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust from ‘Sweet and Tart’
Every day, Yahoo Food features delectable cakes. They taste good, they look good, and they’re made by good people — talented bakers from around the world. Today, Carla Snyder of the Ravenous Kitchen shares a citrus-infused cheesecake from her cookbook Sweet and Tart .
I love the bright orange flavor in this cheesecake juxtaposed with the black, chocolaty crust. (Photo: Nicole Franzen)
Cara Cara Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust
Serves 10
Cara Cara oranges are my new citrus fetish. Seedless and with a pinkish-red flesh, Cara Caras have a tangy cranberry-like zing but with lower acid than most navel oranges. I love the bright orange flavor in this cheesecake juxtaposed with the black, chocolaty crust.
Zesty Tip:
As the cake cools, the crusty sides of this cheesecake contract. Loosening the sides of the pan from the crust will result in a prettier cheesecake with less cracking. Also, cooling the cake in the water bath helps it to cool more slowly, minimizing cracking as well.
42 chocolate wafers (I use Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers)
1 3⁄4 cups sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1⁄2 pounds cream cheese, softened
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
Zest of 3 Cara Cara oranges, plus 1⁄2 cup fresh Cara Cara orange juice
1⁄4 cup Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon orange extract
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the chocolate wafers and 1⁄4 cup of the sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour in the melted butter and process until well mixed and evenly moistened.
Dump the crumbs into a 9-inch springform pan and, using the bottom of a glass or measuring cup, press the crumbs on the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until fragrant and firm. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Beat the cream cheese and remaining 11⁄2 cups sugar in a mixer bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Turn the speed to low; add the cream, orange zest, orange juice, Cointreau, orange extract, and salt; and beat until well mixed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
Bring about 3 quarts of water to boil in a large saucepan. Line the outside of the springform pan with a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil that reaches the top of the pan. Set the springform pan inside a roasting pan and pour the filling into the cooled crust.
Pour the boiling water into a heat-proof pitcher. Pull the middle rack halfway out of the oven and set the roasting pan on the rack. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake for 90 minutes or until the cheesecake puffs around the edges and the center moves just slightly when jiggled.
Remove the pan from the oven. Run a small, sharp knife around the pan sides to loosen the cheesecake and let cool in the water-filled roasting pan on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Transfer the springform pan to the rack and let cool to room temperature, another 2 hours. Cover tightly with plastic wrap (don’t let the plastic touch the top of the cheesecake) and refrigerate for at least overnight, or up to 4 days. Serve chilled.
For the neatest slices when serving, cut the cheesecake with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean with a paper towel after slice.
Reprinted with permission from Sweet and Tart: 70 Irresistible Recipes with Citrus by Carla Snyder (Chronicle Books).
Sweet and Tart: 70 Irresistible Recipes with Citrus by Carla Snyder. (Photo: Nicole Franzen)
For more awesome cake inspiration, visit our Cake of the Day Pinterest board and get to pinning!
More delicious sweet and tart cakes:
Lemon Pound Cake from ‘Patisserie Made Simple’
Triple Lemon Layer Cake from ‘Butter Baked Goods’
Orange & Rosemary Polenta Cake from ‘Citrus’
