Creamy, smooth, crunchy… Hmm, it is a cheese cake. The beauty of the versatility of the cheese cakes is literally endless. Not much is needed to prepare one, apart from a few basic ingredients and a lot of imagination. And it will not be much untrue for me to say that I love all of them. The baked ones, the fridged ones, the fruit ones and the chocolate ones. But this one is slightly different. No need for baking, just some time in the fridge to set and then all senses could be ready for a celebration. As every cheese cake the creaminess of the filling is nicely contrasted by the crunchiness of the biscuit base, but what brings this cake apart is the smoothness and sweetness of the caramel sauce, the flavour and the freshness of the banana, the hardness of the almonds and somewhere there, in-between the layers of sweetness, the unmistakable touch of the sea salt.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 300g digestive biscuit crumbs
- 70g melted butter
For the filling
- 225g mascarpone
- 100g sugar
- 2 eggs (split)
- 2 vanilla packages (Dr. Oetker)
- 3 gelatine leaves
For the topping
- 120g cream
- 75g butter
- 1 vanilla packages (Dr. Oetker)
- 2 table spoons of Golden Syrup
- 1 banana
- 50g roasted almonds, thinly sliced
- Pinch of sea salt
Method
1. Melt the butter and mix it together with the biscuit crumbs. Line the base of a cake form with baking paper. Spread the biscuit and the butter mixture over the base of the cake form, making a smooth base for the cake. Set in the fridge to cool while preparing in the meantime the cheese cake cream.
2. Let the gelatine leaves soften for 5 min in some cold water. Bring 3 table spoons to a boil in a deep pan and add the gelatine leaves. Mix constantly for 2 minutes until the gelatine has melted and has been completely absorbed. Take off the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
3. In a deep bowl add together the mascarpone, vanilla, the sugar, the water and gelatine mixture and the two egg yolks. Mix well with a mixer.
4. In a separate bowl, add the egg whites and mix well to form a meringue. When the mixture start so stiffen add two table spoons of sugar. Mix a few minuets more until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold in gently the egg white meringue into the mascarpone mixture.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with some sure until it has stiffen. Fold it gently the beaten cream into the mascarpone mixture.
7. Take the cake base out of the fridge. Pour over the cheese cream and smooth the top gently with spatula to form the top of the cake. Set in the fridge overnight.
8. To prepare the caramel toffee toping: Set in a pan the cream, the butter, the vanilla and the Golden Syrup and bring to a light simmer over a medium heat. Mix gently at the start letting all ingredients come together then let the mixture gently simmer for 10-15 minutes until the caramel thickens and changes colour into golden brown. Take off the fire, sprinkle over the sea salt and let it cool completely.
9. Roast a handful of thin slices of almonds and let the cool.
10. Cut a banana in thin slices and scatter them over the top of the cheese cake. Pour over the cooled caramel sauce and sprinkle over the almond slices.
