Mulberry Cheesecake … getting creative with the Daring Bakers
“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.
Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
96 Comments
toontz
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!
Chris
Mulberries…never had the pleasure of trying. But, your cheesecake looks fabulous! Just beautiful. Great job!
Bunny
Your cheesecake is a beautiful creation Deeba!! The picture is gorgous, I mean really gorgous!!
ButterYum
Another stunning post… love the mulberries!
Poornima Nair
Thats a fabulous cheesecake…looks gorgeous…
Astra Libris
Truly, your cheesecake is a work of art… Your cheesecake belongs in a museum, it is so beautiful!
glamah16
That is the most beautiful cheesecake. I have not seen mulberries in ages. Well done!
Dragon
Another success challenge!
Cakelaw
This is one gorgeous cheesecake Deeba – mulberries remind me of growing up.
Sara
Gorgeous photos! This cake looks SO yummy! 🙂
Natalie
Beautiful work, as always 🙂 I’ve never seen an actual mulberry before. Thanks for the pics!
Kerstin
Oh yum – it looks so delicious! You always take the best pictures!
Barbara Bakes
Beautiful prepared, decorated and photographed. I didn’t know about the mulberry before.
Lorraine @NotQuiteNigella
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 😀
Little Miss Cupcake
So absolutely beautiful! Your photos are stunning and the cheesecake sounds delicious!
Tartelette
Gorgeous Deeba!
Love the idea of mulberries in a cheesecake.
And those lady bug pictures? Way cool!
Parita
Lovely cheesecake Deeba..gorgeous pictures !!!
Michelle
Absolutely gorgeous! Love the almonds placed along the crust…just adds so much elegance.
Beautiful..just gorgeous!
Elissa
As always your work is gorgeous… Love your decorations. This is a showstopper cheesecake!
cookemila
I’m imagining the flavors and fabulous photos and uhmmmmm
Vera
Deeba, your cheesecake is fantastic! I’ve never tried these berries, but they sure look succulent and delicious!
Julia @ Mélanger
Oh my, beautiful cheesecake. Well done. I love your selection. 🙂
Miette
This cheesecake is absolutely beautiful! Your photos are stunning and the cheesecake looks gorgeous!
Cheers,
Miette.
Zita
Wow… so lovely, and combining mulberries and almond looks so delicious, Deeba!
HoneyB
So beautiful and I’m certain was delicious!
Audax Artifex
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.
Bellini Valli
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
Dharm
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!
Nicisme
Mulberries look interesting and the cheesecake looks brill! You certainly were creative!
(You’ve also been very naughty!)
Jo
Oh wow, looks absolutely delicious and the pictures are really a sight.
vibi
As usual, what else is there to say other than… supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! LOL LOL
Beautiful Deeba!
Dawn
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!
Angela @ A Spoonful of Sugar
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!!)
Eliana
Your cheesecake is incredible. And the most creative take I have seen on this month’s DB challenge. GREAT JOB.
anna
That is so beautiful! The mulberries look fantastic.
Andrea
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!
Lisa Michelle
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!
Jamie
Wow, so beautiful! Your photos are gorgeous!
Soma
The most beautiful cheesecake I have ever seen! The topping has the a wonderful unusual color!
Elra
Mulberry, that is something that I want to try. never seen it here yet though. Your cheesecake look absolutely delicious.
Cheers,
elra
Lucy
This cheesecake with that wonderful mulberry topping…. is literally over the top w/a wonderful flavor combination!!!
linda
Love the look of your cheesecake, very pretty with the mirror and mulberries!
Love the cute ladybug in the pictures 🙂
Ina
Wow! Wonderful pictures and wonderful cheesecake!
Olga
picture perfect cheesecake! it belongs in cookbooks and magazine covers! 🙂 Very impressive!
Debbie
That is so perfect. Absolutely gorgeous. I would love a slice of that. Mulberries…so unique!
BC
I have never mulberries before – I learn something new all the time from you!
sunita
Very pretty cheesecake 🙂 Well done !
diva
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
Namratha
Looks gorgeous Deeba, makes me want to try it!
Lori Lynn
Yep, that is a showstopper for sure!
Love the photos of fresh mulberries.
LL
Gloria
WOW Deeba this is absoluteky beautiful and look soo yummy!!!! beautiful pics.xoxoxo Gloria
Heather
Absolutely exotic! Your cheescake is beautiful. We used to have a mulberry tree in our garden – I can taste the flavor now.
noble pig
Well you did get creative. It looks beautiful and how I would love to taste the mulberry! Beautiful.
Jenny
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.
ice tea: sugar high
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 =)
Ruth
Your cheesecake is beautiful. I have never had a mulberry. Now I am dying to try one
Gretchen Noelle
Wonderful creative idea. Are those really what mulberries look like?
Hanaâ
Absolutely gorgeous, Deeba. I love the color. This makes my mouth water! :o)
Arlette
Hello Deeba,
I don’t know what to say, gorgeous cake and wonderful photos… so beautiful and creative …
Mulberry Cheese cake!!!
coffeegrounded
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
MeetaK
oh deeba this looks incredible. i have not had mulberries in years. what a yummy idea!
pixie
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!)
Arundathi
What a delightful cheesecake! I’m not sure I could’ve cut into it! It looks gorgeous!
Malar Gandhi
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!!
MyKitchenInHalfCups
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!
Junie Moon
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.
Marija
Beautiful cheesecake Deeba!
You always tease me with those mulberries 🙂 I can’t find them here 🙁
Tanya
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!
newlyweds
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.
Chantal
gorgeous!
meeso
You are so talented, you have decorated this beautifully 🙂 I would have a hard time eating it!
giz
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.
Molly Loves Paris
That is an absolutely gorgeous cheesecake. I never knew what a mulberry was. Maybe I still don’t.
Lauren
Mmm, your cheesecake looks amazing!! The mulberries sound divine =D.
singinghorse
Your photos are unbelievably beautiful and the cheesecake itself, boy, I’m drooling hard…… Thanks for sharing it! It just looks too good.
Amanda
Wow! That cheesecake is gorgeous! Great capture with the ladybug too. 🙂
A_and_N
The colour is brilliant. What can I say, Deeba 🙂 As usual, great effort and beautiful cheesecake!
Rachel
Taht is one of the prettiest cheesecake I have seen in the last couple of days! Good Job Deeba..and beautiful presentation as always.
creampuff
Oh, Deeba! It’s so pretty! Really … it’s one of the prettiest ones I’ve seen. Nicely done!
Raaga
are mulberries available already?? I saw peaches in the market and was surprised… June fruits in April!
This looks delish 🙂
Y
Looks wonderful. Great choice of flavours! The colours in your pictures really pop too 🙂
Nikki
Homagosh! I have never eaten mulberries. Your cxake looks absolutely delis!
Yasmeen
WOW,very creative deeba.love the smooth and clear berry glaze:)
Teanna
Mulberries!!?? Where did you find them! What an amazing idea!!! I’d LOVE to try a Mulberry Cheesecake!
Zoe Francois
Your photos and the cheesecake itself are pure romance. I wish I’d had this at my wedding! Lovely!
mary
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.
Helene
Stunning! What a beauty. They are lucky to eat this cake.
Ruth E
Fab cheesecake! Love the mulberry idea!
lisaiscooking
Your cheesecake looks great, and I love the mirror glaze!
Aparna
Your cheesecake looks really pretty Deeba. That must one fo the very unusual flavours in a cheesecake. Way to go.
Loved your mulberry picture.
Ricardo
Fabulous cheese cake , you are indeed an artist as well as a good cook. well done beaaaauuuuuutifull. 🙂 xxx
dandelion
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. 🙂
Christina
Mulberries and cheesecake sound wonderful! Beautiful pictures!
Shwe
Wow! very inspiring!
amazing pics!
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