As much as I enjoy eating these Jelly Cheesecake, photographing them proved to be an extremely frustrating and uninspiring experience - quite possibly because all the imperfection rendered during cutting and slicing them (e.g. jagged edges) were magnified in ghastly detail through the camera's lens.
A very popular non-bake cheese cake in Singapore, this recipe has been blogged over and over again by food bloggers in Singapore. More well known as Strawberry Jelly Heart, this was possibly the brain child of a local home bakery who had first encapsulated a heart-shaped strawberry in jelly over cheese cake.
The pleasing combination of digestive biscuit base, cheese cake and jello is extremely easy to make-if there was ever a Cheesecake for Dummies, this would easily qualify as one. The only thing that one needs to focus on is to make it look pretty... which wasn't difficult until I started slicing it.
This is an overall crowd pleaser, everyone loved it when I served them - the cheesecake is not overpowering while the digestive biscuit base is fragrant and buttery. The Jello?... brings back childhood memories...
For those who are interested, Valerie Kong conducts a very good and meticulous class for this and other cheesecake recipes. However, the recipe has become well tested in many blogs, an example is Happy Home Baker's blog.
Recipe ( from HHB)
base:110g digestive biscuits(about 8 pieces), chopped into fine crumbs
40g melted butter
filling:
250g cream cheese, soften at room temperature
50g icing sugar
1 tablespoon gelatin powder
40ml boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 box Jelly crystal (strawberry flavour)
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
Some strawberries, cut into heart shapes
Method:
1. Mix biscuit crumbs & melted butter together and press firmly with the help of a spoon onto the base of a 18cm cake tin. Chill for 30 minutes.
2. Place gelatin powder and boiling water in a bowl. Heat a pot filled with some water until just simmering and place the bowl inside the pot. Dissolve gelatin and boiling water in the bowl. Keep warm.
3. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese , icing sugar and vanilla essence until smooth & creamy. Blend in gelatin solution and mix well.
4. Pour the cheese mixture into the cake tin. Layer the strawberries on the cheese mixture. Chill for at least 3 to 4 hours.
5. Dissolve the jelly crystal in the cup of boiling water, followed by the cold water. Pour the jelly on the cheese mixture. Let it set before removing from the cake tin.
40g melted butter
filling:
250g cream cheese, soften at room temperature
50g icing sugar
1 tablespoon gelatin powder
40ml boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 box Jelly crystal (strawberry flavour)
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
Some strawberries, cut into heart shapes
Method:
1. Mix biscuit crumbs & melted butter together and press firmly with the help of a spoon onto the base of a 18cm cake tin. Chill for 30 minutes.
2. Place gelatin powder and boiling water in a bowl. Heat a pot filled with some water until just simmering and place the bowl inside the pot. Dissolve gelatin and boiling water in the bowl. Keep warm.
3. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese , icing sugar and vanilla essence until smooth & creamy. Blend in gelatin solution and mix well.
4. Pour the cheese mixture into the cake tin. Layer the strawberries on the cheese mixture. Chill for at least 3 to 4 hours.
5. Dissolve the jelly crystal in the cup of boiling water, followed by the cold water. Pour the jelly on the cheese mixture. Let it set before removing from the cake tin.
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34 comments:
These look very pretty! Cleanly sliced too! By the way, do you use a square or round tin? Lined?
@To Food With Love - I used a square tin, lined at the bottom with aluminum foil.
It looks perfect to me. I couldnt slice so nicely like yours.
very pretty, and I think you did a great job photographing them.
I can come around and say, dear, it's homemade so you should be proud it looks authentically so with nipped off jello imperfections and all yada-yada-yada...
But I won't, because I do it too. A crumb falls off a piece of my sliced cake and I either patch it back and wipe if off.
What I'll say this though - sometimes just a little bit of imperfection gives life and soul to the subject, especially if it's not staged. Makes it real, otherwise everything would look like those Japanese food displays made out of plastic. Heh...
Those jellies look pretty to me. I love the colour and the fruits you've added. Really yummy!
That looks sooo pretty! I think you did an awesome job with the photos ;) Thanks for posting, i was always curious about this recipe and now i know!
These look so refreshing and inviting! You did a great job cutting them...love the heart shaped strawberries. ;)
Darling! I agree they seem so refreshing~
So pretty! I love the heart-shaped strawberry hidden in the jelly the most, very tempting!
I have never been a fan of jello unless it is with cream cheese. I haven't had the combo in so long I had forgotten it. Thanks for putting it up there for me to eat!
The photos looks so delicious, luxurious.
They are so cute! I love the jello with the fruit in it. It`s so colourful and adorable! Never seen anything like it, so unique. Great job!
These are absolutely gorgeous! Love your photography too. If someone gave me one of these, I couldn't help but smile.
Gorgeous! I have been meaning to make this ever since having it at a bloggers get-together. Thanks for the post.
Another famous cake that i did not know, Thanks for sharing so now i know..^^..Immediate bookmarked, this is too beautiful, am sure my kids will love this as they like jelly very much!
I hate how slight imperfections in baked goods seem to magnify themselves on camera. it's kind of like how they say that the camera adds ten pounds.
These do look pretty delicious to me! Jello and cheesecake? How fun!
the creamcheese filling looks really really smooth!!! can imagine the way it glides over the tongue. LOL
and what imperfections? now now, don't be too harsh on yourself! looks perfect to me!
I love the idea of incorporating jelly. I have a homemade yogurt and jelly recipe that I have concocted during the molar-erupting stage of my little girl. since she wasn't eating a lot then, not even milk, i had to make sure she would enjoy eating something soothing to the gums and nutritious too, enter yogurt and jelly layered smoothie...
Now that she is past that stage I have not ended my love for jelly til now. Your recipe is awesome!I am excited to try other fruits too. Love your post!
I love the heart strawberry! I've been in your shoes being annoyed at small imperfections when photographing but honestly it still looks great to me!
The cheesecake looks great Shirley! The heart shape strawberry is super cute.
What a delicious looking pics! Love it.
love the idea! and great photos as always!
tell me, does the fruit keep up it's shape for a while in them? can one prepare them a day ahead of time?
Jennifer : yes, the fruit keeps it shape very well in the jelly. It keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Veri nice! Im just curious how did u get the strawberry heart shape so perfect??
Feli
@Feli : Use a cookie cutter :)
Hi! Can i ask how long can the cheesecake be kept in the fridge (Chiller/freezer) without spoiling?
Ash =)
@Ash- since this is basically jelly, cream cheese and biscuits, it can keep quite well in the fridge. Make sure you keep them in an air tight box other wise the cold air in the fridge will dry out the cheese cake. I have kept it in the fridge up to 5 days and it is still good.
Thanks Shirley! =) I suppose you left in the chiller? Can I ask if you had used salted or unsalted butter?
@Ash, no I just left it in the general section of the fridge. For baking, always use unsalted butter, you will be able to control the taste better.
Thanks Shirley for the advice =) Ash
Thanks shirley!! Hahah! Y haven i tot of that!! I think i must be completed mesmerised by this sweet sweet darling cheesecake of yours!! am so gonna try it out for xmas!!
Regards,
Feli
FOR BEST CHRISTMAS CHEESE CAKE RECIPE.
How beautiful and mouthwatering!
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