"Marge, it's 3 AM. Shouldn't you be baking?"
Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge. 
We're back again & with another great challenge. It's the Daring Bakers time of the month again, & this time it's CHEESECAKE!! What caught my attention about this month's challenge was the announcement : April 2009 Challenge - Time to get creative! The real challenge this month is to take this basic recipe and play with it. Make it unique. Make a showstopper of a dessert. Add flavor, sauces, decorations – dress it up and show it off. I tried!!
For this month’s challenge, Jenny has picked a basic cheesecake recipe, courtesy of her friend Abbey T., who has tweaked and played with this recipe. She has made many variations, and anyone who knows Abbey, knows to ask her to bring a cheesecake!
We're back again & with another great challenge. It's the Daring Bakers time of the month again, & this time it's CHEESECAKE!! What caught my attention about this month's challenge was the announcement : April 2009 Challenge - Time to get creative! The real challenge this month is to take this basic recipe and play with it. Make it unique. Make a showstopper of a dessert. Add flavor, sauces, decorations – dress it up and show it off. I tried!!For this month’s challenge, Jenny has picked a basic cheesecake recipe, courtesy of her friend Abbey T., who has tweaked and played with this recipe. She has made many variations, and anyone who knows Abbey, knows to ask her to bring a cheesecake! Was surprisingly quick on the challenge this month; surprised myself too. Actually had these beautiful mulberries that the fellow who works for me brought home one evening. We chomped some, then some more, but there were far too many. Mulberries, one of a clutch of Indian berries, are a sign of Spring, but have a very SHORT shelf life. They just drop off the tree once ripe, making a royal mess of the place. They are beautifully coloured, & are plump & juicy.
Checked the Daring Bakers forum that morning, & saw the challenge. Yippee, time to put the mulberries to some productive use! Followed the recipe as is, except for the cream cheese, used curd cheese instead, & got a wonderful cheesecake, though not as rich & creamy as the original would have been. I used a blend of digestive biscuits & almonds in the biscuit base.
I flavoured the batter with concentrated mulberry syrup. The syrup was quite difficult to make coz the berries don't let go of their stalks easily. I macerated the berries for an hour with sugar & then pushed them through a sieve. Phew ... tough work. In the end though, they didn't lend a huge outstanding kick of flavour, just a gentle mild berry flavouring. 
Checked the Daring Bakers forum that morning, & saw the challenge. Yippee, time to put the mulberries to some productive use! Followed the recipe as is, except for the cream cheese, used curd cheese instead, & got a wonderful cheesecake, though not as rich & creamy as the original would have been. I used a blend of digestive biscuits & almonds in the biscuit base.I flavoured the batter with concentrated mulberry syrup. The syrup was quite difficult to make coz the berries don't let go of their stalks easily. I macerated the berries for an hour with sugar & then pushed them through a sieve. Phew ... tough work. In the end though, they didn't lend a huge outstanding kick of flavour, just a gentle mild berry flavouring. The cheesecake itself was easy to bake, with a set of clear cut instructions from the host. You can find the recipe for 'Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake' here @ JennyBakes.com. The water bath ensures that the cake doesn't crack on top while baking. I lined the inside of my tin with double foil too to ensure that no water seeped in. It didn't, but resulted in an uneven side, so I covered the sides with slivered almonds to get rid of the flaw. My base got a bit soggy; suspect that was because of the mulberry syrup ... The recipe itself - a WINNER!!!
I did the top with a mirror glaze coz I remembered seeing a really old DB post at Meeta's @ WFLH for a Strawberry Mirror Cake. More than anything else, I thought it just added to the finish & general appearance of the cheesecake, & gave me a chance to experiment. I love the contrast the 'mirrored' look offers. All in all, it was a fun challenge ... & I did procrastinate typing out the post. I was so excited that I completed the challenge well in time, yet kept postponing putting my words down. Here I am, on D day, editing pictures & typing madly. Sigh...
I did the top with a mirror glaze coz I remembered seeing a really old DB post at Meeta's @ WFLH for a Strawberry Mirror Cake. More than anything else, I thought it just added to the finish & general appearance of the cheesecake, & gave me a chance to experiment. I love the contrast the 'mirrored' look offers. All in all, it was a fun challenge ... & I did procrastinate typing out the post. I was so excited that I completed the challenge well in time, yet kept postponing putting my words down. Here I am, on D day, editing pictures & typing madly. Sigh...Thanks a million Jenny, for such a fun & creative challenge, and for making 'Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake' famous, & very popular indeed! 
Check out what delightful creations the rest of our Daring Bakers have been serving up this month here.
96 comments:
I saw your gorgeous photos on the DB forum previously, but had to stop by to drool over them again! Great job, beautiful work as always Deeba!
Mulberries...never had the pleasure of trying. But, your cheesecake looks fabulous! Just beautiful. Great job!
Your cheesecake is a beautiful creation Deeba!! The picture is gorgous, I mean really gorgous!!
Another stunning post... love the mulberries!
Thats a fabulous cheesecake...looks gorgeous...
Truly, your cheesecake is a work of art... Your cheesecake belongs in a museum, it is so beautiful!
That is the most beautiful cheesecake. I have not seen mulberries in ages. Well done!
Another success challenge!
This is one gorgeous cheesecake Deeba - mulberries remind me of growing up.
Gorgeous photos! This cake looks SO yummy! :)
Beautiful work, as always :) I've never seen an actual mulberry before. Thanks for the pics!
Oh yum - it looks so delicious! You always take the best pictures!
Beautiful prepared, decorated and photographed. I didn't know about the mulberry before.
That is absolutely stunning Deeba! And Mulberry is such an unusual but brilliant flavour and I can imagine how well it would contrast with the creamy cheese :D
So absolutely beautiful! Your photos are stunning and the cheesecake sounds delicious!
Gorgeous Deeba!
Love the idea of mulberries in a cheesecake.
And those lady bug pictures? Way cool!
Lovely cheesecake Deeba..gorgeous pictures !!!
Absolutely gorgeous! Love the almonds placed along the crust...just adds so much elegance.
Beautiful..just gorgeous!
As always your work is gorgeous... Love your decorations. This is a showstopper cheesecake!
I'm imagining the flavors and fabulous photos and uhmmmmm
Deeba, your cheesecake is fantastic! I've never tried these berries, but they sure look succulent and delicious!
Oh my, beautiful cheesecake. Well done. I love your selection. :)
This cheesecake is absolutely beautiful! Your photos are stunning and the cheesecake looks gorgeous!
Cheers,
Miette.
Wow... so lovely, and combining mulberries and almond looks so delicious, Deeba!
So beautiful and I'm certain was delicious!
I remember your fab picture on the forum I think you cake is beautiful and mulberry is so homely it makes me think of summer and playing with my brothers and sister under blue skies. Yes your photos are so professional Bravo on a great challenge and hope the words come easier next month.
As always beautuful photos and the ultimate in combinations Deeba. I have heard of mulberries, we even have them here, but they are a much tinier version:D
Deeba I am so impressed!! This cake looks just lovely!! The mulberries remind me of the song - here we go round the mulberry tree (or is it bush...) Simply wonderful!
Mulberries look interesting and the cheesecake looks brill! You certainly were creative!
(You've also been very naughty!)
Oh wow, looks absolutely delicious and the pictures are really a sight.
As usual, what else is there to say other than... supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! LOL LOL
Beautiful Deeba!
I saw the ladybug! Was that real? How cute!!
This is very creative. Never ever cooked or baked with mulberries. I would love to now!
Absolutely stunning pictures! I haven't had mulberries in years, but I don't remember them being quite so long. You got some real beauties there.
Congratulations on a truly great challenge entry. (And I procrastinated on the post writing and photo editing, too!!)
Your cheesecake is incredible. And the most creative take I have seen on this month's DB challenge. GREAT JOB.
That is so beautiful! The mulberries look fantastic.
I've seen the bushes full of fresh fruit and have tasted mulberry jam, but never tasted on fresh. I bet the cheesecake was delicious with these. Nicely done!
deeba, I fell in LUST with your cheesecake a month ago when you first posted the photos of it at the DBK forum. The mulberries look so delicious and juicy, and your mirror came out a lot better than mine. Also, your photos..WOW! Amazing everything!
Wow, so beautiful! Your photos are gorgeous!
The most beautiful cheesecake I have ever seen! The topping has the a wonderful unusual color!
Mulberry, that is something that I want to try. never seen it here yet though. Your cheesecake look absolutely delicious.
Cheers,
elra
This cheesecake with that wonderful mulberry topping.... is literally over the top w/a wonderful flavor combination!!!
Love the look of your cheesecake, very pretty with the mirror and mulberries!
Love the cute ladybug in the pictures :)
Wow! Wonderful pictures and wonderful cheesecake!
picture perfect cheesecake! it belongs in cookbooks and magazine covers! :) Very impressive!
That is so perfect. Absolutely gorgeous. I would love a slice of that. Mulberries...so unique!
I have never mulberries before - I learn something new all the time from you!
Very pretty cheesecake :-) Well done !
oh deeba, i'm loving the pictures. how i have missed you and when i check back on your blog, you serve up this delicious, sinful looking cake!! beautiful :) xx
Looks gorgeous Deeba, makes me want to try it!
Yep, that is a showstopper for sure!
Love the photos of fresh mulberries.
LL
WOW Deeba this is absoluteky beautiful and look soo yummy!!!! beautiful pics.xoxoxo Gloria
Absolutely exotic! Your cheescake is beautiful. We used to have a mulberry tree in our garden - I can taste the flavor now.
Well you did get creative. It looks beautiful and how I would love to taste the mulberry! Beautiful.
Thanks so much for participating in this challenge! I think the addition of the mirror really makes this a stunning centerpiece. And honestly, I thought mulberries were something made up by potpourri companies, and learned a lot from your pictures.
Sigh.. this post made me reminisce about the mulberry tree I had when I was little, I used to sit for hours picking the fruit as soon as they are ripe.
Scrumptious looking cheesecake you got there.. Great photos as always, especially with the lady bug =)
Your cheesecake is beautiful. I have never had a mulberry. Now I am dying to try one
Wonderful creative idea. Are those really what mulberries look like?
Absolutely gorgeous, Deeba. I love the color. This makes my mouth water! :o)
Hello Deeba,
I don't know what to say, gorgeous cake and wonderful photos... so beautiful and creative ...
Mulberry Cheese cake!!!
Deeba, your cheesecake presentation is over the top! I love, love, love what you've done to it. How on earth could you cut into it...it was so beautiful.
Your work continues to inspire me.
:)
Margie
oh deeba this looks incredible. i have not had mulberries in years. what a yummy idea!
I'm so curious as to what mulberries taste like but from your photos, it looks like I could eat buckets! (along with the cheesecake please!)
I'm so curious as to what mulberries taste like but from your photos, it looks like I could eat buckets! (along with the cheesecake please!)
I'm so curious as to what mulberries taste like but from your photos, it looks like I could eat buckets! (along with the cheesecake please!)
What a delightful cheesecake! I'm not sure I could've cut into it! It looks gorgeous!
OMG...looks so divine, oh boy...you have put lot of effort to make this...I suppose. The mulberries...looks so kool. I love the finished cake picture so much, very tempting...feel like grabbing from the screen!!
Deeba that is truly outstanding! I love your lady bug crawling around. My grandmother had mulberry trees all over but I don't remember ever having eaten any other than in jam.
I love that you did the mirror from another challenge, that's pretty smart!
Thanks for the visit!
I love how you met this challenge. Mulberries, what a brilliant idea. Your photos are gorgeous, too, and I'm looking at them and trying to figure out how you did it all. What an amazing presentation of not only the cheesecake challenge but sharing the beauty of it all with your photo skills.
Beautiful cheesecake Deeba!
You always tease me with those mulberries :) I can't find them here :(
That looks wonderful! I've never seen actual mulberries before - how interesting! I love the mirror glaze. That really ups the fanciness of your cake! I'm sure it tasted delicious as well!
Beautiful and so creative. I love using ingredients that you have already. My In-law have a huge mulberry tree, I wonder if it has the mulberries, if so i have to get my hubby to pick some for me.
gorgeous!
You are so talented, you have decorated this beautifully :) I would have a hard time eating it!
Mulberries grow pretty wild here - such a great choice. Now that picture of the cake lifter with the reflection - that needs to be submitted to a magazine - fabulous.
That is an absolutely gorgeous cheesecake. I never knew what a mulberry was. Maybe I still don't.
Mmm, your cheesecake looks amazing!! The mulberries sound divine =D.
Your photos are unbelievably beautiful and the cheesecake itself, boy, I'm drooling hard...... Thanks for sharing it! It just looks too good.
Wow! That cheesecake is gorgeous! Great capture with the ladybug too. :)
The colour is brilliant. What can I say, Deeba :) As usual, great effort and beautiful cheesecake!
Taht is one of the prettiest cheesecake I have seen in the last couple of days! Good Job Deeba..and beautiful presentation as always.
Oh, Deeba! It's so pretty! Really ... it's one of the prettiest ones I've seen. Nicely done!
are mulberries available already?? I saw peaches in the market and was surprised... June fruits in April!
This looks delish :)
Looks wonderful. Great choice of flavours! The colours in your pictures really pop too :)
Homagosh! I have never eaten mulberries. Your cxake looks absolutely delis!
WOW,very creative deeba.love the smooth and clear berry glaze:)
Mulberries!!?? Where did you find them! What an amazing idea!!! I'd LOVE to try a Mulberry Cheesecake!
Your photos and the cheesecake itself are pure romance. I wish I'd had this at my wedding! Lovely!
I remember squishing mulberries from a particularly messy tree at my elementary school, but I don't think I ever knew they were any good to eat! Your presentation is lovely, looks delicious.
Stunning! What a beauty. They are lucky to eat this cake.
Fab cheesecake! Love the mulberry idea!
Your cheesecake looks great, and I love the mirror glaze!
Your cheesecake looks really pretty Deeba. That must one fo the very unusual flavours in a cheesecake. Way to go.
Loved your mulberry picture.
Fabulous cheese cake , you are indeed an artist as well as a good cook. well done beaaaauuuuuutifull. :) xxx
Of all the cheesecakes this one is the most beautiful! The photos look professionally done WoW! I'm going to have a look around your site now. See you online. :)
Mulberries and cheesecake sound wonderful! Beautiful pictures!
Wow! very inspiring!
amazing pics!
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