marble cheesecake

I made a marble cheesecake for the birthday of my sister-in-law, MF on 8 February 2009. MF is the wife of my brother, LB.

As I used a 9" round pan to make the cheesecake (I have not yet gotten round to buying an 8" round pan yet), the filling was not as high as it would have been had I used an 8" round pan. I would advise that you use an 8" round pan instead.

The beauty of this cheesecake is that it does not require baking. It is easy to make. The only thing is that there is a bit of a waiting time. For example, you have to chill the biscuit base for at least one hour in the freezer, which means that you have to find something to occupy your time while waiting for the base to chill. It is only when the base has chilled that you prepare the cheese layer because the preparation time for the cheese layer is quite fast.

Ingredients

base:
190g digestive biscuits (finely crushed)
75g butter (melted)

filling:
100ml water
2 tbsp gelatin granules / powder
250g cream cheese (softened)
75g castor sugar
250ml natural plain yoghurt
75ml blackcurrant and apple juice cordial (or any other cordial of your choice)

Method

1. Lightly grease and line the base and the sides of an 8" round pan (with removable base) with baking paper and set aside.

2. Combine the crushed digestive biscuits with the melted butter together in a mixing bowl.

3. Press the biscuit crumbs onto the base of the prepared pan. Press down the crumbs to ensure that the base is even. Chill in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator for at least one hour.

4. Measure the water into a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Do not stir. Set the bowl aside for 10 minutes to allow the gelatin grains to swell.

5. Set the bowl of gelatin solution over a pot of simmering hot water. Stir with a spoon continuously. Once the gelatin has melted, remove the bowl from the pot and set aside to cool to room temperature.

6. Whisk the cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer until smooth.

7. Add the gelatin solution and yoghurt. Whisk until the mixture turns smooth.

8. Divide the mixture evenly into two bowls. Add the cordial into one of the bowls and mix well with a spoon.

9. Spoon the two mixtures alternately onto the chilled crust. Level the top and swirl with a skewer or a knife through the mixture to create a marble effect.

10. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight until it is set.

Tips


1. As an alternative to setting the cheesecake overnight, you may want to consider placing the cheesecake in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator until it is set.


2. It is easier to slice the cheesecake using a kitchen knife instead of the serrated plastic knife that cake shops supply whenever you buy a whole cake from them.