Category: VEGETARIAN

10 decadent desserts for World Chocolate Day … Have a sweet one ♥

Happy World Chocolate Day… as the saying goes

“As long as there is chocolate, there will be happiness.” Wayne Gerard Trotman

There are days and there are days, and then there’s a special day for CHOCOLATE! We never had days so deliciously marked when we were young, though chocolate was an inherent part of holidays, festivities, birthdays, actually most celebrations. That charm of chocolate was second to none. It made everyone happy!

From the almost emaciated looking Cadbury bars and 5 Star bars we bought locally in India in the 1970’s to the grand kilo slabs of Cadbury Dairy Milk and Maltesers from the UK, Hersheys bars from the States and then the triangular Swiss Toblerone, there was always much to look forward to when visitors from overseas arrived. I can never forget the Cadbury’s vintage red netted chocolate filled Christmas stockings that my aunt would religiously bring for us from the UK, the gold foil covered chocolate coins she would slip in secretly! That was what chocolate dreams were made of!

True to the words by Mariska Hargitay – “Chocolate is the first luxury. It has so many things wrapped up in it: deliciousness in the moment, childhood memories, and that grin-inducing feeling of getting a reward for being good.” 

As I began blogging, chocolate was an integral part of my pantry. Chocolate paired with everything! No trip the the US was complete without big bags of Ghirardelli or Nestle Toll House chocolate chips and tins of cocoa powder. My first stop was always the chocolate aisle in grocery stores, filling the cart like chocolate was going to get extinct. That glee when we flew back home and reached out for the loot! Chocolate always brought joy!

{Get your copy on Amazon HERE}

And then when Penguin Random House India invited me to write a cookbook, how could it be anything else. It was always going to be CHOCOLATE! I loved everything about bringing it to life – writing the recipes, the thoughts that inspired each, styling the frames, then shooting them! It was a wholly consuming affair but so worth it at the end of the day. My daughter designed the entire layout of my cookbook and I loved how good it looked in print. The cherry on the cake, a foreword by Marryam Reshii, an absolute honour for me!

{Get your copy on Amazon HERE}

The idea of a chocolate book is credited to my sweet friend Bina who blogs at A Bit Wholesomely, one she pitched while we were driving around Hyderabad several years ago. I am grateful to Penguin Random House India for believing I could do it, for my family and friends who rallied around me. You can buy a copy here on Amazon. It’s available worldwide now on Amazon and in bookstores too.

These are all memories of a lifetime and when I think of chocolate, I have so many around it, and I bet you do too. I love working with chocolate, I love creating desserts with chocolate, I love styling around chocolate and nothing can stop me shooting it!

PANNA COTTA

So Happy World Chocolate Day to you. Have a delicious one. I leave you with a round up of a few chocolate recipes and you can find a load more HERE! I hope this inspires you to head to the kitchen and stir up some deliciousness!

Eggless Blue Matcha Chocolate Cavity Cake
I’ve always loved blue as a colour and it’s endlessly fascinating to see the shades of blue that the butterfly pea flower reflects in the blue matcha tea. It seemed right to try a cavity cake with a blue matcha filling, and oh my, we couldn’t stop eating it. There’s something so calming and ethereal about blue in patisserie, and this cavity cake for 2 seems a perfect place for it.
Check out this recipe
Eggless Black Forest Dessert Box
Eggless Black Forest Dessert Box… Fresh cherries mean there's always room for dessert & dessert boxes of course! 
Check out this recipe
Eggless Chocolate Coffee & Vanilla Ombre Cake
When chocolate, coffee and vanilla come together to create a dreamy ombre cake, it can only be good. Here's an eggless Chocolate Coffee & Vanilla Ombre Cake that is as simple as it is delicious!
Check out this recipe
Bittersweet Chocolate Eggless Sable Cookie Tart
Simple to make, eggless, deeply chocolaty with the comforting bite of a cookie in a tart! When you get so much goodness in a tart so easily, there's not much more you need.
Makes one 8" cookie tart
Check out this recipe
Petite Eggless Triple Chocolate Orange Cakes
Petite Eggless Triple Chocolate Orange Cakes … every bit as delicious as they sound. Deep, moist, chocolaty and quite pretty, these turned out to be such fun to bring together,
Check out this recipe
Eggless Nutella Fresh Cherry Tart
Deliciously making the best of summer produce when cherries are in plenty! This nobake tart will hit all the right spots!
Check out this recipe
4 Ingredient Fudgy Chocolate Brownies – Eggless & Gluten-free
Fudgy, eggless, whole grain, one bowl, hand mixed and quite special, you are going to absolutely love these gluten free, millet brownies that come together in minutes.
Check out this recipe
Ombre Coffee Chocolate Panna Cotta…with a deep coffee sauce
Ombre Coffee Chocolate Panna Cotta brings together two things I love the most – panna cotta and desserts in ombre. Loved the way it slid out, one shade slowly following another, the perfect jiggle, charming hues. Made a quick coffee sauce too though the panna cotta is really good on it's own as well. Creamy, deep flavours, satisfying.
Check out this recipe
Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta
Delicious, divine, sinful and silky, if you love a good panna cotta and chocolate is your flavour, then dive right in! This might just be the dessert you are looking for!
Check out this recipe
Eggless Tiramisu Chocolate Tart
Simple pantry ingredients make this delicious tiramisu inspired tart with classic flavours of coffee, Kahlua and mascarpone.
Check out this recipe
Wholegrain Chocolate Buckwheat Sablés
Crisp, deeply chocolate, buttery, wholegrain, eggless, Wholegrain Chocolate Buckwheat Sablés are the yummiest cookies ever! Adapted from The Boy Who Bakes.
Check out this recipe

I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes on chocolate …

“May your life be filled, as mine has been, with love and laughter; and remember, when things are rough all you need is … Chocolate.” Geraldine Solon

Do tag me on Instagram at passionateaboutbaking if you make this, or any other recipe from the blog. I’d love to see it!

Chocolate Vanilla Strawberry Jelly Cavity Cake… just the kind of cavity you will ♥

Eggless Chocolate Vanilla Strawberry Jelly Cavity Cake … as promised last week, here it is, the recipe for this stunning cake. There are cakes and there are cakes, then there are special cakes. This is one of the special ones. They might look like a ton of work, but hey, read on…

Last week I shared the Secret To My Cavity Cake, the how to make it video. Here’s a delicious version of the cavity cake, three layers fill the cavity – dark chocolate, vanilla bean white chocolate and strawberry jelly from scratch. I always have frozen berries in my freezer but you could use fresh ones too. The recipe is a simple one bowl eggless sponge, and the way to make the cavity is as simple as it looks.

WHAT IS A CAVITY CAKE?… you might ask! It’s a cake with a cavity in the middle filled with all sorts of deliciousness. I’ve written a post about it last week, and it’s quite favourite kind of cake at my place. It was also an original idea that came to me one day while playing with cakes and steel cake/cookie cutters!

The steel baking molds I use are from my first visit to Old Delhi, a little shop I found tucked away behind a banyan tree. I returned to that shop in Lal Kuan several times over the years picking up more bakeware, each time making better choices I think! Old Delhi with all its madness and mayhem, the crowds and cacophony, the dusty old buildings, the colour and the energy has always pulled me in.

That was a time almost 20 years ago when vintage food styling props and collectibles, cookie and cake cutters, mousse rings and more meant a trip into Old Delhi, but now good old Amazon brings everything home!

Baking tins, dessert rings, bread knives, bread molds, muffin trays, icing sets, pastry bags … and lots more in a little shop in Old Delhi. Take the Metro to Chawri Bazaar, and a rickshaw from there. {They seem to have a website too now.}

Matchless Machine Tools, 1730/B, Bazar Lal Kuan, Delhi 110006. Mohd Kashif, Ctc 011 4909 8499 | 093111 50022 | 098213 41808

{Deals in bakery ware, cake mould, bread mould, muffin tray, pizza tray, cake stand, halwai ware, kitchen ware}

And so with my vast collection of cake and cookie cutters, one lazy summer afternoon, the cavity cake was born! Some things just work out well and keep getting reinvented in sooooo many different forms. This Chocolate Vanilla Strawberry Jelly Cavity Cake is just one of them. I’ve made many versions of the cavity cake, in different flavours and shapes as well! They’re always a hit. With a little prior planning, you are going to love making these on a roll!

Do tag me on Instagram at Passionate About Baking if you make this, or any other recipe from the blog. I’d love to see it!

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Chocolate Vanilla Strawberry Jelly Cavity Cake

Another delicious version of the cavity cake, three layers fill the cavity – dark chocolate, vanilla bean white chocolate and strawberry jelly from scratch. I always have frozen berries in my freezer but you could use fresh ones too. The recipe is a simple one bowl eggless sponge, and the way to make the cavity is as simple as it looks. 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, British
Keyword agar agar, baking, cake, chocolate, dessert, eggless, eggless baking, eggless layered cake, fruit, homemade, strawberries, sweet
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
8 hours
Servings 6

Ingredients

6″ eggless sponge

  • 220 g buttermilk/plain chaach
  • 60 g light oil
  • 130 g sugar
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch salt
  • 40 g whole wheat flour
  • 160 g all-purpose flour

Chocolate layer

  • 75 g cream
  • 50 g dark chocolate chopped

Vanilla white chocolate layer

  • 100 ml cream
  • 15 g sugar
  • 1/4 tsp agar agar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean scraped {save shell for strawberry jelly}
  • 20 g white chocolate

Strawberry jelly

  • 100 g frozen strawberries {or fresh}
  • 100 g water
  • 40 g sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla bean shell
  • 1/2 tsp agar agar

Instructions

6″ eggless sponge

  • Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly grease and line a 6″ dessert ring lined with foil or a loose bottom baking tin
  • In a large bowl, add all the ingredients and whisk until smooth.
  • Turn into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until the tester comes out clean.
  • Cool completely and level the cake.
  • Take a 4″ dessert ring, centralise it and few push it all the way through. Gently remove the cut out, transfer the ring gently to your serving platter. Slice one 1 cm layer from the cut out and return to the cavity and push into place to make the base.
  • Moisten the sponge if desired.
  • Pour over the chocolate layer. Place in freezer for 30 minutes to set.
  • Next pour the vanilla layer. Place in freezer for 30 minutes to set.
  • Lastly pour the strawberry jelly layer. Refrigerate for a couple of hours. Pipe the top if desired.

Chocolate layer

  • Heat the cream and pour over the chocolate. Let it soften, then stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

Vanilla white chocolate layer

  • Whisk together the cream, sugar and agar agar and simmer in a saucepan for 3-5 minutes
  • Take off heat, whisk in the scraped vanilla bean and white chocolate. Leave to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Strawberry jelly

  • Place everything in a saucepan and simmer until the berries soften and become mushy, pressing the berries on and off. It should take 10-15 minutes. Strain & cool until the jelly begins to thicken but is still pourable.

Video

  1. Will this work with any cake?

    It will work with a cake which has a tight firm crumb, with eggs or eggless. It’s best to let the cake cool completely. If in doubt, perhaps freeze it for an hour to get a neat cut. Handle with care since once you cut the cake, you are dealing with a fragile cake ring, so GENTLY does it!

  2. Where can I find the steel cutters from?

    Browse Amazon and you will find a selection of steel cutters. I have some on my Amazon shop here. Make sure you use good quality rings. They work best and last the longest!

  3. Can I use gelatine instead of agar agar?

    Yes, definitely though for the jelly I always find agar agar works best. I always do a dry run with a small portion of the filling to check on the setting properties so we don’t have surprises later. A runny cavity filling will spoil all the fun! Since every brand has a different set, it’s best to do a dry run.

  4. Can the cake be made in advance?

    Yes, certainly. The cake will keep well refrigerated and covered for 2-3 days. If you intend to use fresh garnish, please do so before serving/delivering the cake.

  5. What is the size of this cake?

    This is a 6″ cake and will serve 6 slices.

  6. Do I have to moisten the sponge?

    I always like to moisten sponges gently as it makes them taste better, but that also depends on how long you need to keep it in the fridge, storage conditions etc. Go by your instincts and generally, practice is the best way to learn what works for you!

The Secret To My Cavity Cake … the only kind of cavity you’re going to love!

The Secret To My Cavity Cake; here’s how I make it! This is for all those who have messaged me and waited patiently for a video on how I made the cavity I’m addicted to making, that fun idea that came to me a while ago. Quite a genius idea if I may say so myself ♥!

https://passionateaboutbaking.com/foodpicturesPAB/2022/07/Chocolate-Vanilla-Strawberry-Jelly-Cavity-Cake.mp4
The Secret To My Cavity Cake

What is a cavity cake you might ask? It’s a term I coined! Think of it as the opposite of an entremet perhaps, a cake with a filling vs a cake in a filling. It’s a fun concept, much simpler than you can imagine and it works well with all cakes, with eggs or eggless. It’s a simple technique if you watch the video, and the result is quite neat.

Cavity cakes are colourful, they are fun, they offer a great surprise when you slice them AND they’re simple! Oh and of course they’re a great change from the same old boring cakes we see everyday..

Think about it – colours, layers, flavours, textures – if you can think it, you can do it!.

While thinking of different ideas for my feed on Instagram, I came up with this idea one day, not sure if it would work. Stamped out the centre of an eggless cake with a slightly smaller steel cutter and I thought that was quite neat. Now for the base. I sliced a layer of the stamped out bit and voila, a cavity cake was created. Just a couple of graded steel cake rings is what I needed!

Mango Saffron Shrikhand Cavity Cake was the first cavity cake I ever made, and it was love at first bite! This wasn’t just a simple layered cake. This delicious eggless cake had a cavity filled and then topped with the most indulgent and luxurious saffron shrikhand. That just meant more deliciousness in every bite!

The first time I posted a cavity cake on Instagram, it caused much happiness and a bit of a stir among my followers. To be honest, the level of interest caught me off guard. I was flooded with questions both on the post and in direct messages.

Each time I shared a new cavity cake there was renewed interest, more questions, requests for a how to cut such a neat cavity video etc. It was time to shoot The Secret To My Cavity Cake and here it is on the blog. It’s been recreated several times, with cakes with eggs and without and the feedback has been great.

It’s always nice to get feedback and it’s mostly been around two things – how easy the process is after watching the video, and what a surprise everyone got when the first slice was cut! I agree. Each time I slice a cavity cake, I’m wait eagerly to see the inside, the cavity. It’s always fascinating, the only kind of cavity you’re going to love!

I’ll share this delicious version of the cavity cake next week, so please stay tuned! It’s a layered cake. Three layers fill the cavity – dark chocolate, vanilla bean white chocolate and strawberry jelly from scratch. I always have frozen berries in my freezer but you could use fresh ones too. The recipe is a simple one bowl eggless sponge, and the way to make the cavity is as simple as it looks. Can’t wait to share it!

Do check out several different versions on my reels on Instagram, a few here on the blog.

#egglesscake #chocolatelovers #bakingtherapy #asmr #instagramreels #foodreels #baking #foodreelsindia #sodelicious #caketutorial #simplerecipe #dessert #egglessdessert #dessertideas #sogood #noeggs #easyrecipes #cavitycake #feedfeed #pabrecipes #recipevideo #bakinghack

Eggless Baked Mango Swirl Cheesecake … no cream cheese mango cheesecake!

Eggless Baked Mango Swirl Cheesecake… Simple, smooth, indulgent, eggless with no cream cheese yet ever so satisfying! Here’s a one bowl version for those of you who find it difficult to source cream cheese, or like me, don’t always have a batch on hand. With vibrant, delicious mangoes in season, mango swirls is just what the Indian summer called for. Take a look!

I just can’t get enough of cheesecakes and when they are as simple as this mango cheesecake, you can almost make it with your eyes shut! Staple ingredients {read nothing fancy, not even cream cheese}, eggless, one bowl and hand whisked, this is what cheesecake dreams are made of.

I love how something so simple can yield such a delicious dessert, how almost no effort can give you something so special. The walnuts in the biscuit base of the mango cheesecake add a nice bite, though that’s optional if you don’t have them on hand.

You might also like the eggless baked Roasted Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake I baked a short while ago though that recipe uses cream cheese. That too is quite a simple recipe and a really nice one if you are looking for an eggless version with cream cheese. You can find it here.

And it’s been years of making and often baking cheesecakes, so I’ve made a handy list of tips that I’ve learnt over time. If you’re looking for ways to get the top looking pretty or perhaps clean edges, I’ve shared what worked for me on this mango cheesecake. If you have any tips, please share them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!

Do tag me on Instagram at Passionateaboutbaking if you make this, or any other recipe from the blog. I’d love to see it!

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Eggless Baked Mango Swirl Cheesecake

Simple, smooth, indulgent, no cream cheese yet ever so satisfying! Makes one 6" cheesecake
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword baking, dessert, eggless, eggless baking, eggless cake, homemade, Indian dessert cake, mangoes, simple, summer dessert, sweet, tropical, vegetarian
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Biscuit base

  • 150 g Digestive biscuits
  • 25 g walnuts
  • 55-65 g clarified butter/ghee, melted, cooled begin with less if the weather is very warm

Cheesecake batter

  • 400 g hung curd/yogurt {from 800g store bought yogurt}
  • 250 g Amul Fresh cream/20% fat cream
  • 396 g 1 tin sweetened condensed milk Save 1 tbsp for the mango swirl sauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 tbsp cornflour

Mango swirl sauce {Makes 150g}

  • 130 g mango puree strained
  • 25 g sugar
  • 1 tsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tbsp ghee

Instructions

Biscuit base

  • Preheat oven to 170C. Grease & line the bottom of a 6” Springform tin.
  • Finely grind the biscuits & walnuts. Stir in the clarified butter/ghee.
  • Turn into the tin & pack firmly to make a base.
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes until light golden brown & fragrant. {keep an eye since it goes from light brown to burnt very fast}. Cool the base completely in the tin.

Cheesecake batter

  • Lower the oven temperature to 150C.
  • Place the hung yogurt in a large bowl & whisk well until smooth.
  • Add the condensed milk, cream, vanilla extract & cornflour. Whisk again until smooth.
  • Pour the batter over the cooled biscuit base, level out and top with the mango sauce and swirl using a chopstick. See video below.
  • Wrap the base of the tin with a double sheet of foil and bake in a water bath at 150C for an hour and fifteen minutes approximately until just firm, then leave to cool completely in the oven. (Slide foil over the top after 15 minutes of baking to keep the surface from browning. Make sure it doesn't touch the batter)
  • Turn off the oven, remove the water bath and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an hour, then cool completely, cover and refrigerate overnight.
  • Gently demold. Top with piped cream, mangoes etc.
  • Serve extra mango sauce on the side.

Mango swirl sauce

  • Whisk all the ingredients in a saucepan until smooth. Simmer over very low heat for 4-5 minutes stirring constantly until smooth and glossy. Cool.

Video

    1. What kind of tin do I bake the cheesecake in?

      A loose bottom, good quality tin works best. I usually use ones from the Bakemaster range at Meyer/Pots & Pans India. I also find that a heavy duty steel dessert ring works quite well too if you line the bottom well with foil. The latter makes it easier to release a cheesecake, though I have to say that practice makes it better each time.
      My baking resources on Amazon

    2. How to get a clean release from the tin?

      Lining the base with parchment will help easy and clean release of the base from the tin. I love the one from Honest Company. You could also lightly grease the sides of the tin to get clean baked sides.

    3. Is a water bath/bain marie necessary while baking a cheesecake?

      Use a water bath/bain marie if you can. I’ve baked cheesecakes with and without and they both seem to work well. A water bath does help marginally but do ensure that the bottom of the tin is well wrapped in foil to avoid water leaking into the tin.

    4. My cheesecake is overbrowned on the surface!

      First make sure you’ve set the right temperature. Tent the top with a sheet of foil if you feel the top is overbrowning. Make sure the foil doesn’t touch the batter. Take into account that the cheesecake might rise a little while baking. I often elevate the foil using another higher tin from my collection to prop up the foil.

    5. How to get a pretty surface for a baked cheesecake?

      Tent the top with a sheet of foil 15 minutes into baking to get a nice even colour on top. Make sure the foil doesn’t touch the batter. Take into account that the cheesecake might rise a little while baking. I often elevate the foil using another higher tin from my collection to prop up the foil.

    6. What does leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven mean?

      Turn the oven off and leave the cheese in the oven as the oven cools down. The cheesecake will continue to bake in the latent heat. Once it has completely cooled down to room temperature, refrigerate it and chill overnight. Make sure to cover the cheesecake so the top doesn’t dry out to take unnecessary aromas from other things in the fridge.

    7. How to get clean edges while demolding the cheesecake?

      Here’s what works for me, something I’ve been doing for a while now. An hour after the cheesecake has baked and cooled, run the flat tip of an offset spatula around the edges, about 1/2 cm deep, to get clean edges later. Do it slowly and carefully, keeping the spatula completely flat against the sides of the tin. Allow the cheesecake to cool and chill overnight.
      Once chilled overnight, demold gently after running a flat spatula around the edges very carefully. Use the spatula dipped into warm water and patted dry to make the sides uniform if required.

    Nobake Mango Mascarpone Tart …when life gives you mangoes, you make this tart!

    Nobake Mango Mascarpone Tart … When life gives you mangoes, you make this tart! A crisp biscuit crumb gives way to a nice bite of slightly tart mango, then the sweetness of mascarpone floods the palette. The jelly really makes this shine!

    We’ve had a ton of good mangoes at the local bazaar this season and feel truly blessed. As summer advances, different varieties begin to show up. Pairi was the first one that offered beautiful sweet tart bites, next the Ratnagiri Alphonso and these days it’s Kesari.

    Kesari translates to saffron or kesar as the beautiful colour so prettily reflects. Juicy, fleshy, sweet yet slightly tart and oh so vibrant, these were a great choice for this eggless tart.

    Every bite of this No bake Mango Mascarpone Tart is a play of flavours and textures. The crisp biscuit crumb gives way to a nice bite of slightly tart mango, then the sweetness of mascarpone floods the palette. Absolutely delightful if you know what I mean! And then the jelly. It’s like the cherry on the cake. It finishes the tart beautifully, adding it’s own refreshing bite, and a mirror like finish to the dessert!

    “One way can be learned by starting to see the magic in everything. Sometimes it seems to be hiding but it is always there. The more we can see the magic in one thing, a tiny flower, a mango, someone we love, then the more we are able to see the magic in everything and in everyone. Where does the mango stop and the sky begin?” Joshua Kadison

    More MANGO recipes to inspire you! More TART recipes & EGGLESS DESSERT ideas

    Do tag me on Instagram at passionateaboutbaking if you make this, or any other recipe from the blog. I’d love to see it! Thank you for stopping by!

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    No bake Mango Mascarpone Tart

    When life gives you mangoes, you make this tart! A crisp biscuit crumb gives way to a nice bite of slightly tart mango, then the sweetness of mascarpone floods the palette. The jelly really makes this shine!
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American, British
    Keyword agar agar, dessert, eggless, fruit, homemade, mangoes, nobake, simple, summer dessert, tropical, vegetarian
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 5 minutes
    Servings 6 people

    Equipment

    • 1 saucepan small
    • 1 Hand blender {optional}. Or use a ziploc alternatively
    • 2-3 bowls
    • 8" Tart tin loose bottom
    • 1 balloon whisk
    • 1 strainer

    Ingredients

    Tart base

    • 160 g digestive biscuits
    • 55 g clarified butter/ghee melted, cooled

    Mascarpone filling

    • 100 g Amul Fresh cream / 20% fat cream
    • 1 tsp agar agar
    • 30 g sugar {to taste}50g white chocolate chopped
    • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
    • 100 g mascarpone

    Mango Jelly

    • 50 g mango puree strained
    • 90 g water
    • 20 g sugar to taste
    • 1/2 tsp agar agar
    • 200 g diced mango {reserve a few pieces for the garnish}

    Instructions

    Tart base 8”

    • Place digestive biscuits in a processor and blend to a fine meal. Or crush the biscuits in a ziploc bag.
    • Stir in melted clarified butter/ghee. Work up the sides of a tart tin, then press firmly to make the base.
    • Place in the freezer for an hour while you make the filling. Once chilled and firm, gently loosen the edges of the chilled tart shell and return to the tin in the freezer.

    Mascarpone filling

    • Place the cream, sugar and agar agar in a saucepan and whisk until smooth. Simmer over very low heat for 3-4 minutes stirring often to activate the agar agar.{You can also do this in the microwave at 30 second intervals, reduced to 15 towards the end. Whisk well between each heating, just until the cream begins to thicken at the edges.}
    • Pour this over the white chocolate and leave to stand until the chocolate melts. Add the vanilla and whisk until smooth.
    • Whisk in the mascarpone just before you need to pour it in. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired.

    Mango Jelly

    • Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Strain and leave until cool but still pourable. The jelly will set at room temperature if left for an hour or two and can be reheated if required.

    Assemble – See video

    • Scatter the diced mango over the chilled tart base.
    • Pour the mascarpone filling over the mangoes, leave a little space on top for the jelly. Leave the tart in the tin and place in the freezer for an hour, then remove to the fridge and leave to set overnight.
    • Pour jelly over the set tart and place in freezer for 10 minutes for the jelly to set.
    • Gently demold the tart and garnish with diced mango, fresh rose petals and mint.
    1. Can I use gelatin instead?

      Yes you could. Usually, agar agar and gelatin are equally substituted, for eg 1tsp agar agar powder = 1 tsp gelatin powder.
      Please use it as per instructions as gelatin needs to be bloomed, not cooked.

    2. Why didn’t my tart set?

      It could be any of the following reasons.
      1. Brand of agar agar
      2. Incorrect measurement of agar agar.
      3. The mixture not simmered/heated/cooked enough to reach 79C to activate the agar agar.
      4. The tart was not left for long enough in the fridge.

      Pro Tip: Make a small portion of the filling and test the set in advance. Different brands might have slightly different setting properties. I use the one from Urban Platter mostly.

    3. How do I get a clean tart shell?

      1. Use a loose bottom good quality tart shell. Here’s the TART TIN I use. It’s available on Amazon.in.
      2. Line the base with a circle of parchment. This is optional but I find it useful.
      3. Begin by building the sides first, nice and neat and firmly built to the top. Use your fingers or a spoon. Once the sides are built, make sure they are parallel to the edges, scrape off any extra to the bottom so you get a straight, flat wall right around. Once this is done, firmly push the remaining crumbs to form the base, then neaten up the edges where the base meets the walls.
      4. Once done, place the whole tin in the freezer for about an hour until it is frozen, then gently push the base up, applying equal pressure all around to loosen the biscuit shell. Once loose, return to the tin and leave in the freezer until required.
      5. Always be gentle when handling the biscuit base since it isn’t baked. Once the filling has set, the tart isn’t that fragile.

      Tip: Please don’t remove the biscuit base from the tin before filling it. If you do, the tart will collapse with the pressure from the yet to set filling.

    Fresh Cherry Cheesecake Cups … pretty desserts that taste as good!

    Fresh Cherry Cheesecake Cups… When colours, textures and flavours come together to scream delicious, delicious, delicious! These are nobake, quick, from scratch and taste amazing. Everything comes together in perfect harmony, the flavours and textures really please the palette.

    The heat wave sweeping the plains of North India is unrelenting at 42°C. However, the hotter it gets, the better the stone fruit we see at the bazaar. Cherries are bursting with juice and sweetness, tempting you to play with them in dessert. Here’s a quick, fun and really satisfying way to use them.

    A crisp biscuit base, juicy cherries, then a smooth white chocolate cheesecake filling topped with a sweet slightly tangy cherry jelly from scratch. It might look involved but it’s far from it. The cheesecake batter and the jelly pair very well indeed, that mirror finish ruby red jelly {#nogelatine} my favourite part!

    Simple hand mixed, fuss free desserts like this make summer quite bearable, This was like diving into the ocean, so refreshing!

    Do tag me on Instagram at passionateaboutbaking if you make this, or any other recipe from the blog. I’d love to see it!

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    Nobake Fresh Cherry Cheesecake Cups

    When colours, textures and flavours come together to scream delicious, delicious, delicious! A crisp biscuit base, juicy cherries, then a smooth white chocolate cheesecake filling topped with a sweet slightly tangy cherry jelly from scratch. It might look involved but it's far from it. Makes 3 X 220ml servings
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword agar agar, cake, cheesecake, cherries, chocolate, dessert, eggless, fruit, homemade, no bake, simple, summer dessert, sweet, vegetarian
    Prep Time 30 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Chilling time 4 hours
    Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
    Servings 3 people

    Ingredients

    Cherry jelly cheesecake

    Biscuit base

    • 85 g Digestive biscuits
    • 25 g clarified butter/ ghee softened
    • 150-200 g fresh cherries pitted

    Cheesecake filling

    • 150 g Amul Fresh cream / 20% fat cream
    • 35 g castor sugar {to taste}
    • 1 tsp agar agar
    • Few drops almond extract {or vanilla}
    • 100 g white chocolate chopped
    • 150 g cream cheese room temperature, whisked until smooth

    Cherry Jelly

    • 75 g fresh cherries pitted
    • 165 g water
    • 35 g castor sugar
    • 1/4 tsp agar agar
    • Juice of 1 lime

    Instructions

    Biscuit base

    • Place the digestive biscuits in a processor /ziploc bag and blend to a fine meal. Stir in melted clarified butter/ghee.

    Cheesecake filling

    • Place the cream, sugar and agar agar in a saucepan and whisk until smooth. Simmer over very low heat for 2-3 minutes stirring often. Strain and pour this over the white chocolate and leave to stand until the chocolate melts. Add the almond extract and whisk until smooth.
    • Whisk the chocolate mix into the cream cheese just before you need it. Taste and adjust sweetness as desired. Use immediately.

    Cherry Jelly

    • Whisk the ingredients (except the lime juice) together and simmer for 5-7 minutes over very low heat until the cherries soften and break down.
    • Strain and add the lime juice. Leave to cool to room temperature. The jelly can be reheated gently and cooled to pourable consistency before using. If you pour hot jelly over the cheesecake filling, it’ll make the jelly cloudy.
    • Assemble – See Reel on https://www.instagram.com/p/CdVWolEASo-/
    • Press the biscuit base firmly into the bottom of the ramekins ( weck jars or glasses), approximately 35g in each.
    • Top with a layer of pitted cherries, 10-12, to make a flat layer.
    • Pour the cheesecake filling over the cherries and place the ramekins in the freezer for 30-45 minutes until the cheesecake is firm.
    • Gently pour the jelly over the cheesecake. Chill for 3-4 hours or overnight.

    Video

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