Apple cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of the most popular treats for those with a sweet tooth. Here we have the curd texture that melts in your mouth, the pleasant aroma of apples and the incredibly beautiful appearance of the cake, both externally and in section! This dish has many variations and here we have definitely one of the best flavor combinations.

Cook 12 hours before assembling, wrap with foil and refrigerate!

1. Bring eggs and cream to the room temperature.
2. Melt the chocolate in a microwave or in a water bath. Sift the flour and the baking powder.
3. Peel the apples and grate it on a coarse grater (if the apples are very juicy, do not use the juice).
4. Whip the eggs with sugar until lush lightening (4 minutes). Pour the cream in a thin stream (don’t stop whipping!), then stir in the cooled chocolate. Add the grated apples, and mix. At last, add the flour in 2-3 passes, stirring the dough quickly enough with a spatula each time until smooth.
5. Preheat the oven to 170C (338F). Put the dough in a mold or a ring with a diameter of 16 cm (6.3 inch). Bake it for about 25 minutes, focusing on a dry toothpick. Cool the biscuit on a wire rack, and remove it from the mold. Wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight.

Before baking the cheesecake, cut a little biscuit from the top, using a string.

1. Dry the pecans in a dry frying pan and grind them into coarse crumbs.
2. Mix the flour with cocoa, sugar, cereal and pecans in a deep bowl. Set aside.
3. Mix the butter and a maple syrup, over medium heat, stirring (the saucepan should be capacious, as the mass will increase its volume!). Melt them completely and bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp. water and, stirring continuously, cook for a minute. Then add the baking soda and boil again for a minute, stirring.
4. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into the dry mixture, stir first with a spatula, then, when the mixture cools slightly, with your hands.
5. Cover the baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment. Evenly spread out the mixture over the surface. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 180C (356F). Cook for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool and place in a hermetically sealed jar. Set about a fifth of the crumb aside for decoration.

1. Peel the apples, remove the core and the seeds; cut into slices (10-12 from each apple), and place them in a heat-resistant saucepan; pour over the juice, and stir.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar with spices and starch.
3. Put the apples on medium heat, add water and cook, stirring carefully, for 6 to 7 minutes. Add the sugar mixture, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes (don’t stop stirring!). Remove the apples from the heat, cover them and cool completely.
4. Mush 200 g (7.05 oz) of the resulting apples with an immersion blender into a smooth puree and set it aside for the cheesecake. If apples are made in advance, store in a jar with a lid in the cold.

1. Bring the cream cheese, ricotta, yolks and cream to the room temperature. Put the cream cheese and ricotta in the mixer bowl, and whip them at low speed until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the yolks one at a time, and then the applesauce and the cream. Do not whip! Try not to overload the cheese mass with some excess air!
3. Preheat the oven to 115-120C (239 to 248F), put a tray with hot water on the bottom. Cover the baking sheet with parchment. Wrap the mold (d = 16 cm | 6.3 inch) with two layers of foil, then firmly press the edges to the sides of the mold. Grease the bottom and the sides with a thin layer of butter.
4. First place the sponge cake on the bottom, then pour a little cheesecake mass over it. Spread a third of the crumbs evenly; and then lay out the whole mass of the cheesecake and all the crumbs (you can choose the layers order on your own discretion).Bake for about 75 minutes, focusing on your oven. The edges of the cheesecake should grab, and the center should shake slightly as the mold moves.
5. Turn off the oven, and leave it with the door ajar for another 5 to 10 minutes. Then cool the cheesecake completely at the room temperature, without removing it from the mold. Place for 6 to 8 hours in the cold.

1. Gently remove the chilled cheesecake from the ring. Wash the ring and cover it with an acetate foil. Place the cake back to the ring. Cover it with the caramelized  apple slices.
2. Dilute the remaining applesauce with very hot water to a volume of 300-350 ml (10.50 to 12.30 oz). Dissolve the gelatin in the microwave, and add it to the resulting liquid. Mix the mass, and evenly pour it over the apples. Put the mold to the fridge for the cake to stabilize completely.
3. Before serving, put the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes, in order to remove the acetate film easier. Decorate the cake with the crumbs.