Cookbook:Vancouver Cheesecake

| North American Cuisines | Canadian Cuisine | Desserts

Vancouver cheesecake is a light, baked cheesecake variant that uses no crust. It is typically served chilled with fresh berries and a warmed sauce.

Cake

 * 500 ml cream cheese, softened to room temperature
 * 125 ml ricotta cheese
 * 6 large eggs
 * 250 ml whipping cream
 * 80 ml white sugar
 * 5 ml lemon juice
 * 1 vanilla bean, or 10 ml pure vanilla extract

Sauce

 * 250 ml fresh, cleaned raspberries
 * 125 ml water
 * 60 ml brown sugar
 * 30 ml rum

Garnish

 * Raspberries

Cake

 * 1) Preheat oven to 160°C.
 * 2) Beat the cream cheese and ricotta together until smooth, continue beating as you mix in the sugar, then the eggs.
 * 3) Slowly beat in the whipping cream.
 * 4) Add lemon juice.
 * 5) To add the bean, using a sharp knife, slice down the length of the bean, peel open and scrape down the bean to collect the contents. Using a spatula or second knife, scrape the contents of the bean into the mixture. Fold in.
 * 6) Pour into large baking pan, or series of loaf pans.
 * 7) Bake at 150°C for 45 minutes or so, slightly less time in loaf pans. The cake should still be jelly-like in the centre when done. Remove and allow to cool, then refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours.

Sauce

 * 1) Purée raspberries and strain through cheese cloth into a saucepan.
 * 2) Place berry mix on burner at medium, add water. Stir occasionally.
 * 3) When warm, stir in sugar and your rum of choice, and turn burner to high. Increase stirring rate.
 * 4) After sauce has reached a boil, turn down to a low-medium range and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Then remove from burner and allow to cool.

Serving

 * 1) Slice the cheesecake.
 * 2) Sprinkle with berries and drizzle on sauce.
 * 3) Serve.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Store sauce in an air-tight container in the fridge. Can last for up to 2 weeks, heat before serving.
 * If not planning to serve in 3 days, store cake in a freezer, in an air-tight container which will not pop open. Cake should last 2 weeks if properly stored.
 * To ensure quality cheesecake, be certain the ricotta and cream cheese mix is absolutely smooth prior to continuing on to the next step.
 * Of course, the cake can be served without berries, or sauce, but can also be served with berries other than the raspberries used in the recipe as well as an alternative sauce.
 * This cheesecake can also be served on a crust, as with more traditional recipes; this is, however, contrary to the Vancouver-style of cheesecake.