Caffè mocha marble cheesecake

I treat myself to a slice of this cake on rare occasions due to my strict stomach ulcers diet, and for that reason, I have been going back and forth whether I should post the recipe or not. Nevertheless, Shavuot is coming up this weekend, which gives me good excuse to share it so others can enjoy it too.
What’s better than a caffè mocha in the form of a creamy marble cheesecake? The mocha swirl on top is so delicious, so even if you are not a coffee drinker, like I am, you’ll love this decadent cake!

Bakers notes:

• Originally I used Lotus Biscoff cookies for the cookie crust but you can use graham crackers or digestive cookies as I used here.

• Preferably bake the cake the day before you want to eat it, so it has time to chill in the refrigerator overnight.

• Use good quality cocoa powder, I like to use Valrhona.

• If Tnuva 5% Quark white cheese is not available, use low fat cream cheese instead.

Caffè mocha marble cheesecake

Makes one 9in/22cm cake

Ingredients
For the crust:
Unsalted soft butter for greasing the pan
200 gr. plain digestive cookies *see notes
60 gr. unsalted butter, melted

For the cheese filling:
250 gr. 5% Tnuva Quark white cheese, room temperature *see notes
200 gr. light cream cheese, room temperature
400 ml. sour cream, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs

For the mocha swirl:
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
1 tbsp hot whole (3% milk-fat) milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Lightly butter a springform pan and wrap exterior with heavy duty aluminum foil.

In a food processor, finely grind cookies. Add butter and pulse to combine.

Press mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake on the lower rack for 12 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F/170°C.

Place Tnuva Quark white cheese and light cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on low speed until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add sour cream, sugar and eggs and beat just until smooth, don’t overmix.

In a small bowl whisk together coffee and hot milk until dissolved, add cocoa powder and 1/4 cup of the cheese filling and whisk until well combined.

Pour cream cheese filling over the crust. Drizzle mocha filling in a circular pattern over cheese filling. Using a knife, make circular strokes to create swirls. Set springform pan in roasting pan and place onto the lower rack of your oven. Pour boiling water into roasting pan to reach 1 inch up sides of the springform pan and bake until the cake is set but still a little wobbly in the center, about 1 hour.

Turn the oven off and let cake cool in the oven for 1 hour. Refrigerate, uncovered until firm, 4 hours or overnight.

Happy Shavuot! xx

*This recipe was originally published in Laisha Magazine.

Banana, tahini and spelt cake + variations {gluten free option}

I baked a cake and ate it, too!

Eating a slice of cake is a rare treat for me! I have been living with peptic ulcer for the past year and just as I was getting used to my very restricted daily diet, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis. I was relieved to learn the cause for the chronic pain in my hands, but the diagnosis limited my diet even more.

There are only a handful of foods I don’t like to eat, so it was difficult to accept the need to eliminate so many of my favorite foods from my diet; despite the benefit to my own well-being.

The list is long: dairy; legumes; all wheat products except spelt; caffeinated and alcoholic beverages; high-fat foods including chocolate and butter; and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards, and more. Added to the list are members of the solanaceae/nightshade family: tomatoes and tomato products; potatoes; eggplant; bell peppers and chili peppers. Most desserts have to take a hike, including cakes, cookies, pies, pastries and doughnuts. And hit the road spicy, acidic, and fried foods!

Good Heavens… WHAT’S LEFT?!  I felt uninspired to cook and blog but I’m reinventing my thinking and focusing on what I CAN eat, instead of dwelling on what I can't. As I slowly adjust to this new restrictive diet, I admit I feel a lot better, energized. I’m very excited to explore new ingredients and develop new recipes.

Bananas are a great source of potassium, magnesium, manganese, and fiber, plus vitamins B6 and C. I read that adding three bananas to a healthy diet may help prevent ulcers and reduce ulcer pain. You can simply eat bananas, add them to a smoothie, or consume them in any other way you may enjoy.

This incredibly moist banana cake is made with olive oil and tahini! Just the kind of cake that satisfies my sweet tooth cravings! Whenever I have very ripe bananas, that's a good excuse to make it.  Okay… so maybe I leave them on purpose to over- ripen, just so I can make it. :-)

I love to eat this cake warm, straight out of the oven. Have a wonderful week and go make yourself a sweet treat! XOXO

Banana, tahini and spelt cake + variations {gluten-free option}

Makes one 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf cake or 6 cup bundt cake

This cake is really easy to make.  It’s not too sweet and has a perfectly fluffy and moist texture - thanks to the combination of olive oil and tahini.

Baker's notes:

• Baking times may vary between 30 to 38 minutes depending on the shape and material of the pan you are using.
  

• If using a bundt pan, make sure to grease the pan thoroughly, and dust it with flour. This will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.

Ingredients

Unsalted soft butter for greasing the pan
1 1/4 cups white spelt or gluten-free flour all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon for dusting the pan
2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 small or 2 medium bananas)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup raw tahini
½ cup light brown sugar, packed or demerara sugar
125 ml (1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil

Variations:

Banana chocolate chunk cake - add 50gr. chopped dark chocolate 50% cocoa.

Banana nut cake - add 1/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts to the batter and sprinkle on top as well.

Banana blueberry cake - add 1/2 cup fresh blueberries.

Banana chocolate marble cake - mix 2 TBS sifted dutch cocoa powder with 2 TBS boiling water and add to third of the cake batter, whisk to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan alternating plain and chocolate. Swirl with a knife.

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the lower third

Grease pan with butter using a pastry brush. Dust pan with flour and tap out any excess flour.

In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the rest of the wet ingredients.

Combine both and whisk just until you get a smooth batter. (Over mixing will result in a chewy, dense texture).

Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30-38 minutes *see notes.

Cool cake 10 minutes in pan; then turn out of pan onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Covered tightly in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, cake will keep fresh at room temperature for up to 4 days.