Nutella Swirl No-bake Cheesecake

Back in the beginning of the month it was my lovely cousin's twentieth birthday and we had, as per usual, a big family celebration. For most family occasions, I am given free reign over what kind of dessert to make and my cousin's only request was for something either with chocolate or nutella. I decided to include both, though mostly focusing on the nutella with this no-bake cheesecake.

Funny enough, even though I consider myself to be quite the cheesecake expert having baked dozens over the years, I have only recently started to foray into the world of no-bake cheesecakes. It all started with the mini peanut butter cheesecakes I made a few months ago when my friends came over. Since then, I have come to the realization that there are many flavor combinations I have yet to explore in the no-bake category which makes me quite excited because I now have a whole new world of cheesecake possibilities open to me.

With this cake in particular, I tried to model it somewhat after the pecan pie cheesecake I made for my own birthday, except I made a chocolate ganache layer with chopped hazelnuts over the crust rather than a caramel layer with pecans. The result, however, did not turn out quite as I anticipated as the ganache froze and became difficult to cut into. Since the cake was set in the freezer and not baked like the previous cheesecake, I had not taken that into account.

Also, to make this cake I adapted the recipe from the mini peanut butter cheesecakes but substituted nutella in for the peanut butter. Unfortunately, I don't think my proportions translated well when I converted the recipe from "mini" form into one big ten inch cake. Since there was no gelatin in the cake and it relied purely on whipped cream to give it structure, the resulting cheesecake was very soft, almost like ice cream. Everyone in my actually loved this "soft serve" texture but I wish it had a little more shape to it. I tried to keep it in the freezer as long as possible, transferring it to the fridge mere hours before the party once I piped on the whipped cream topping. Still, even the six hours it spent in the fridge softened the cake and likely it would have had more structure had we eaten it straight from the freezer.

Overall, it was a good venture into the world of no-bake cheesecakes and I will continue to try out new recipes to create the perfect base cake, just as I have with my regular cheesecakes. After that, I'm confident I will truly be the cheesecake queen!

Nutella Swirl No-bake Cheesecake
Note: I think it best to omit the ganache/hazelnut layer from the crust since it clearly did not work for this type of cheesecake. Therefore, I have included the recipe for just a simple crust.

For the crust:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ⅓ cup butter, melted

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and then transfer to an 10" springform pan. Gently press down all along the bottom and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes.

For the cheesecake:

• 2 blocks (16 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup nutella
• 1½ cups powdered sugar

1. Whip the heavy cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy with soft peaks. Set aside in the fridge.
2. Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed for a few minutes, until whipped and smooth.
3. Turn down the speed to low and beat in the sugar. Increase the speed and continue mixing for a few minutes until well mixed.
4. Divide the batter in half. To one half, beat in the nutella until completely smooth and incorporated. 
5. Using a spatula, gently fold the half the whipped cream into the plain batter and the other half into the nutella batter. Make sure all of the whipped cream is incorporated but try not to overmix so that it keeps its airiness. 
6. Pour half the nutella batter into the pan over the crust. Carefully spoon half of the plain batter in small dollops over top. Use a thin spatula or knife to swirl the two mixtures. Repeat the process and swirl again.
7. Put the pan in the freezer for at least four hours, though preferably overnight. Touch the top of the cake to make sure it is solid before removing from the pan and transferring to the fridge.

For the whipped cream topping:
Note: The topping is completely optional. I made stabilized whipped cream and then piped it in a circular pattern across the top. However because the whipped cream cannot be frozen, the cake had to be returned to the fridge rather than the freezer. If you will be wanting to serve the cake much later, I suggest skipping the topping and simply serving the cake as is from the freezer.

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp unflavored gelatin
• 4 tsp cold water

1. In a small pan, combine the gelatin and cold water and let it stand for a minute until thick.
2. Place the pan over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin dissolves. 
3. Remove from the heat and set aside so that it cools to room temperature, but do not let it set.
4. Meanwhile, start whipping the cream on low speed. Once bubbles start to form, add the powdered sugar and vanilla and increase the speed slightly.
5. Slowly pour in the gelatin while continuing to whip the cream. If the gelatin has set, place it briefly over the heat to loosen it again, however make sure it is not hot when adding it to the cream as it will set upon contact with the cold cream and create chunks.
6. Once all the gelatin has been added, increase the speed to high and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
7. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a decorative nozzle and pipe in any design across the top of the cake. Once finished, return the cake to the fridge until ready to serve. 

Individual Nutella and White Chocolate Mousse Cakes

In addition to making the dolmathes as one of the many appetizers we had during my brother's celebratory dinner last week, I also prepared a dessert. A year ago I bought a "mini cheesecake pan" which I used to make over 72 little cheesecakes last year for my dad's big 50th birthday party. Since that time I have used the pan repeatedly to make miniature cheescakes for various occasions. This year we are having a smaller scale party and I wanted to make individual desserts again but rather than cheesecake I wanted to make mousse cake.

I decided to use nutella rather than chocolate, just for some variety, and when I searched for nutella mousse recipes most came back with just two ingredients: nutella and whipping cream. I wasn't sure if the mousse cakes would hold up without any stabilizing factors in them so I decided to experiment and make one batch regular and add gelatin to the second.

Although both initially came out of the molds easily, after about twenty minutes it was clear that the regular batch was starting to soften and lose its shape while the gelatin ones remained in perfect form. The gelatin definitely was more practical in terms of serving the cakes at a party because they didn't have to be consumed right away. However convenience came at at a price: the regular mousse cakes were definitely creamier and, in my opinion, tasted better than the gelatin version.

Still not satisfied, I decided to experiment further by using slightly less of the nutella mousse and adding some white chocolate flavored mousse to the top of the cakes. I decided to use the gelatin again but this time divide it between the two flavors. The end result was closer to the creamy taste of the regular mousse, though not exactly the same, but still had enough stability from the added gelatin. My mom was extremely pleased with the individual cakes and approved of them for the upcoming birthday party.


Individual Nutella and White Chocolate Mousse Cakes
Note: Makes 12 individual mousse cakes. If you do not own a pan where you can easily unmold the mousse cakes I suggest using a large cupcake liner that can be peeled away.


For the crust:

• ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
• ½ tbsp powdered sugar
• ½ tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp butter, melted

Combine all of the ingredients for the crust in a small bowl and distribute evenly amongst the 12 cups or liners. Bake at 350 degrees for five minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

For the mousse:

• ½ cup nutella
• ¼ tsp espresso powder
• 3 oz (85 g) white chocolate
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 envelope (1 tbsp) gelatin
• 4 tbsp water

1. Mix the espresso powder with the nutella and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup of the whipping cream on a low heat until it starts to simmer and almost boil.
3. While the cream is heating, dissolve the gelatin in the water. Once the cream is heated through, add the dissolved gelatin and mix thoroughly to incorporate.
4. Divide the heated cream evenly between the bowl containing the nutella and another containing the white chocolate. (You may want to pour the cream into a measuring cup so that you know how much is half)
5. Mix the hot cream in each bowl with the ingredients inside, making sure it is well mixed and smooth. Add the teaspoon of vanilla to the white chocolate bowl as well.
6. Beat the remaining 1½ cups of whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form.
7. Add a little more than half of the whipped cream to the nutella bowl and the remaining whipped cream to the white chocolate bowl. The easiest way to do this is to add a little bit of whipped cream to the bowl first, mix it well, then add the rest and gently fold in until no streaks remain.
8. Distribute the nutella mousse amongst the cups, making sure to not let it get on the sides, then top with the white chocolate mousse.
9. Put the mousse cakes in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours to allow the mousse to set then serve by either gently unmolding them or peeling away the liner.

Nutella Bomb Cupcakes

I did something new for my birthday this year and took a trip with my closest friends from nursing school. Originally I wanted to take a week long trip to some sort of sunny destination but in order to be able to accommodate everyone's schedules and budgets I settled for a weekend trip to Whistler instead.

Rather than bake a cake and worry about transporting it to Whistler, I decided to make two different kinds of cupcakes and was able to get some plastic carriers from the local store. One of the recipes I had previously seen a few weeks ago and couldn't get out of my head due to its fun name: "Nutella Bomb Cupcakes".

At first I considered mixing it with another recipe that featured a Nutella filling, to really make it full of Nutella, however once I baked the cupcakes I saw that they were quite soft and moist and I wasn't too sure they could stand up to a filling. Nevertheless they were delicious and personally my favorite between the two types I baked. This cupcake experience confirmed that I prefer a Swiss meringue buttercream instead of regular American buttercream as I often find the latter too sweet while the Swiss meringue buttercream is just right, despite being more tedious to make.

Nutella Bomb Cupcakes
Makes about 12-13 cupcakes (The recipe actually is for 13 but I slightly overfilled my 12 and it turned out fine).

For the cupcakes:

• 1 cup flour
• 1¼ cups sugar
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder 
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¾ cups room temperature water
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 large egg, at room temperature

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Add the oil and sour cream and mix until blended.
3. Add the water in ¼ cup at a time and mix until combined.
4. Mix in the vinegar and vanilla to blend.
5. Add the egg and mix until combined.
6. Divide the batter equally in a well-greased or cupcake-lined tray.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out almost clean. 
8. Cool for five minutes in the pan before removing and allowing to finish cooling on wire racks. 

For the Frosting:
Note: I made half of the original recipe because personally I don't like too much frosting and the recipe claimed to make more than enough. I actually did not have enough to frost the last cupcake but I was okay with that. The recipe below is the original amounts.

• 4 large egg whites
• 4 oz (113 grams) sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1½ cups (16 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 2" chunks
• ½ cup Nutella

1. Combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a large heat-proof bowl.
2. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water (making sure it does not actually touch the water). 
3. Heat the egg white mixture until it reaches 145-150 degrees Fahrenheit, whisking frequently so as not to get scrambled eggs.
4. Remove the bowl from the heat, and whip the egg whites on medium-high until they become fluffy and double in volume. The bowl should be cool to the touch (this will usually take several minutes).
5. Turn the mixer down to medium low, and add the butter in one chunk at a time, until it has all been incorporated. If the mixture looks curdled at this point, this is normal. Just keep whipping for a few more minutes until it comes together. If the mixture looks soupy, you can add a few cubes of chilled butter, or stick the whole bowl in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes and then continue beating.
6. Once the buttercream has become smooth, add the Nutella and beat until incorporated.
7. Transfer the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.

Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Torte

To say that I have been dreaming of making this cake for a while is an understatement. I first found this recipe back in March and wanted to make it for my own birthday. However in preparation for the cheesecake contest that never happened I made a chocoloate cheesecake. No worries, I told myself, I decided to make it in May for my cousin's birthday. But unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) the guest list was too big and I knew the cake wouldn't be able to feed so many people so I opted for making macarons instead.

My next attempt at making this cake was for my aunt's birthday mid-August but once again the opportunity passed as she decided to go on vacation and did not celebrate her birthday with us this year. After that my brother's birthday was next on the list and I spent a week convincing him to let me make this cake for him. This time I actually bought all of the ingredients and started to make the cake. But due to the fact that I was working all week leading up to his birthday, including two night shifts, I realized the cake had too many steps for me to be able to complete it in time so I changed gears and made cheesecake instead.

Luckily, another occasion presented itself quickly and I since I already had the chocolate genoise baked I was determined to finally finish this cake. My older cousin, who spent the last five months in Europe studying and traveling, was coming home and the whole family was invited to come over for dinner. I eagerly volunteered to bring dessert and planned to finish the cake the day before.

I am happy to report that my much anticipated cake fantasy came to life and the result was delicious. I'm not going to lie and say it was easy, but then again no mousse cake really is. On the contrary it was time consuming and the directions were a little confusing. But the end result was well worth the effort. I especially enjoyed the hidden layer of nutella spread over the chocolate genoise between the layers of mousse. The mousse itself had a rich raspberry flavor and was velvety smooth. My family enjoyed the cake and I felt accomplished for finally making it after nearly six months.

Chocolate Raspberry Bavarian Torte

For the chocolate genoise:

• 3 large eggs + 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup flour
• ⅓ cup cornstarch
• ¼ cup cocoa powder

1. In a heat-proof bowl, vigorously whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt, Place the bowl over pan of simmering water and continue whisking until the mixture is warm.
2. Once warm, remove the bowl from the water and beat until mixture is cooled and increased in volume This will take 5-7 minutes, and the batter should be thick and leave a trail when the beaters are lifted from the bowl.
3. Sift together the flour, cornstarch and cocoa.  Add the dry ingredients to the beaten egg mixture, gently folding in with a rubber spatula.  
4. Pour the batter into a well-greased 8" round cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or until the cake springs back when touched with finger. 
5. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely.

For the raspberry mousse:

• 24 oz (680 grams) frozen unsweetened raspberries
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin powder
• 2 cups heavy cream

1. Combine the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into bowl.  You should have about 2 cups of raspberry pulp and juice combined. Set aside ¼ cup of the juice for the raspberry syrup. Cool to room temperature.
2. Add ⅓ cup boiling water to the gelatin and stir for 1-2 minutes to dissolve. Add the dissolved gelatin liquid to the raspberry purée.
3. Beat the heavy cream at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold the raspberry mixture into the whipped cream.

For the raspberry syrup

• Reserved ¼ cup raspberry juice from above
• ¼ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup water

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the raspberry juice then allow to cool.

For the assembly:

Note: In addition to the above ingredients, you also need to warm 1 cup of Nutella for 30-45 seconds in the microwave so that it becomes easy to spread.

1. Level the cake with a serrated knife then cut the chocolate genoise horizontally into two equal layers. 
2. Place one 8" layer, centered, in the bottom of a 9" springform pan, cut side up. Brush with half of the raspberry syrup and spread half of the Nutella over the cake layer.
3. Pour half of the raspberry mousse over and around the sides of the cake. Lightly drop the pan on the counter top one or two times to ensure the cream settles into the empty ring around the genoise.  
4. Top with the other cake layer and brush with remaining syrup and Nutella. 
5. Cover with remaining raspberry mousse. Drop on the counter top as before.  The cream  should completely fill the pan. Level the top with a large off-set spatula. 
6. Cover and refrigerate until the mousse sets, at least 4 hours.

Nutella Ice Cream

Whenever I come across recipes for no-churn ice cream I always pay attention and when I saw this one featuring nutella I knew I had to try it out. In my family the main ice cream connoisseur is my brother and he typically loves anything containing chocolate. As this ice cream contains both nutella and cocoa powder I knew it would be perfect for him.

What I didn't anticipate was how smooth and creamy it would be, no doubt thanks to the sweetened condensed milk. My brother said it was just like eating gelato and after tasting it I would have to agree. Once again my taste buds are pleased but my waist line is not after discovering this easy to make ice cream.

Nutella Ice Cream

• 10.5 oz heavy whipping cream
• 6 oz sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup nutella
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Whip the heavy cream on medium to high speed until soft peaks form.
2. Combine the sweetened condensed milk, nutella, cocoa powder, and vanilla.
3. Add a large spoonful of the whipped cream to the nutella mixture and stir to loosen it up. 
4. Using a spatula, fold the nutella mixture into the whipped cream until no streaks remain. Pour into a seal-able container and put in the freezer for at least 6 hours or long enough for the ice cream to set.

Nutella Espresso Mousse Brownies

I can't believe it's been a month since I posted any new dessert recipes. I guess after all of my holiday baking I took somewhat of a break from desserts and focused more on cooking, as well as bringing back some favorites from the past. Last night, however, I had the perfect excuse to bake something new as my family came over to see pictures from my parents' recent trip to Australia.

These brownies turned out to be a huge hit amongst my family members and were received with much more enthusiasm than I had anticipated. That's not to say that I didn't think they would taste bad; I was just surprised at how much everyone loved them and how many questions I received about them.

The original recipe called for making the brownies in an 8" x 8" pan but my pan was occupied at the time. However I used my super math skills and calculated that using a round cake pan with a 9" diameter would yield the same result without me having to adjust the quantities. True, the baking time was slightly less but that just made the whole thing faster and by using a springform pan I was able to just pop the entire thing out and slice it like a cake instead of into squares, as is typical of a brownie.

The truth of the matter was that the recipe was super easy and kind of reminded me of a cheater's version of a double layered chocolate mousse cake. The espresso flavor was quite pronounced in the mousse but I think it complimented the nutella well. My only complaint would be that I felt the brownie layer was too dense compared to the airy mousse and it felt like two separate desserts in my mouth. My mom, a lover of dense, fudgy brownies did not feel the same. I would have paired the mousse with a lighter, more cakey brownie and I might try that in the future.

Nutella Espresso Mousse Brownies
Note: I used a 9" springform pan and therefore my "brownies" turned out to be more of a cake. The directions posted below reflect the original brownies, meant for an 8" x 8" pan. If using a 9" round cake pan, keep the quantities the same and decrease the baking time by 5 minutes. 

For the brownie layer:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking powder

For the mousse layer:

• 2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 1 tbsp hot water
• ¼ cup nutella
• 1 cup heavy cream

1. Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the instant espresso powder in the melted butter until dissolved. 
3. Add the sugar and beat until fully incorporated. 
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. 
5. Stir the dry ingredients into the mixture just until incorporated then pour into a well-greased or parchment lined 8" x 8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
6. To make the mousse: dissolve the instant espresso in the hot water and then whisk with the nutella. 
7. Beat the heavy cream on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Take a spoonful of the whipped cream and whisk into the nutella espresso mixture to loosen it. Add the mixture to the rest of the whipped cream and gently fold in with a spatula until no streaks remain.
8. Pour the mousse over the cooled brownie layer and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to allow the mousse to set then remove from the pan and cut into squares.

Nutella Brownie Bites

I think that this has become one of my favorite brownie recipes. Not for the fact that it tastes great, which it does, or because it uses Nutella, and who doesn't love that, but because it uses only four ingredients and bakes in under ten minutes. I honestly can't think of a simpler brownie recipe and for that reason alone it ranks highly among the many brownies I've made.

Although the brownies tasted delicious, with a wonderful hazelnut flavor accented by the chopped nuts on top, when I served them everyone at the table said they had wished it had more of a gooey center. I supposed that naturally, people associate brownies as moist and gooey, or at least chewy. This brownie was more airy and cake like rather than fudgy. I think that in the future, I will bake it for 1-2 minutes less and see if that keeps some of the gooiness inside. Also, I'm curious as to how these would turn out if I baked the entire batter in a regular pan and then cut it into pieces. Because I loved this recipe so much, and I'm sure I will be making it again, I will definitely try experimenting with it and see what happens.

Nutella Brownie Bites
Note: A single batch makes 12 mini brownies.

• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1 large egg
• 5 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the nutella and egg until smooth and blended.
2. Add the flour and whisk until combined.
3. Spray a 12-cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray or line with paper or foil wrappers. 
4. Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each cup about 3/4 full.
5. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts over top of each cup.
6. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Next time, I'm going to try 8 minutes and see how that turns out.