Italian Cheesecake

To celebrate Jen's birthday, we invited some friends over for an appetizer/dessert party. A few months prior, I had promised Jen I would make her whatever cake she wanted...it started off as brownie pudding, then changed to lemon yogurt cake, then carrot cake (until I realized I made that for her last year). She finally settled on something...a Dobos Torte. 


For anyone unfamiliar with a Dobos, it's probably one of the tastiest desserts I've ever had. It's named after its creator, a Hungarian baker named Dobos, and it really is a sight to see. It consists of multiple layers of a vanilla-like sponge cake (we're talking really thin layers, so the cake totals upwards of 15-20) layered between a German chocolate whipped filling. It's one of those desserts that you see and think...how the heck did they do that?!


Jen's aunt Gagi makes a very impressive Dobos torte - so during one of her visits to Chicago, I asked her to show me how to make it. After seeing a finished product, I was not surprised to learn how intense a process it is. But oh so worth it! I won't share the Dobos recipe on here, since I got it from Gagi and it's not mine to share, but here's a picture. I have to say, I felt pretty excited about the final masterpiece:

 

But I will share the recipe for the Italian cheesecake I made to accompany the Dobos at the dessert party.


Here is how you make a simply delicious Italian cheesecake:


Crust
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan (I use Pam Baking Spray). Set aside.

2. Melt butter in a small bowl in the microwave.
3. Place graham cracker crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl and combine with a fork.
4. Add melted butter and gently mix with a fork until fully combined.

5. Dump the crust mixture into the pan and spread over the entire bottom of the pan.
6. Press down on mixture gently with a large spoon or measuring cup and press excess up the sides of the pan.

7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.
*Note: You can certainly crumble graham crackers in a food processor to get the crumb-form you need for this recipe, but I find it easier to just buy a box of graham cracker crumbs. They may cost a little more, but it does save some time and you can find them in the baking aisle at any grocery store.


Filling
Ingredients:
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
16 0z. whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 pint sour cream


Strawberry Topping
Ingredients:
1 pint strawberries, washed and diced
Sugar (amount to your liking)


Directions:
1. The night before you plan to serve your cheesecake, dice up the strawberries and place them in an airtight container with the desired amount of sugar. This is called "macerating" the strawberries...sounds dangerous, I know!
2. Stir occasionally, leaving in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Remove from refrigerator and serve on top of sliced cheesecake.


4. Melt butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Set aside to cool.
5. In a large bowl with a stand- or hand-mixer, combine the cream cheese and ricotta cheese until well incorporated.
6. Add the sugar, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, cornstarch, flour and cooled butter.
7. Add the sour cream and stir until just incorporated.

8. Add mixture to prepared springform pan (crust should be cooled).

9. Bake for one hour (the center will still be very jiggly).
10. Turn oven off and leave in the hot oven for one more hour.
11. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
12. Place cheesecake in refrigerator to cool completely before serving.
*Note: making a cheesecake without a crack in the top is a feat I have not yet mastered. After much searching for techniques on-line and consulting with more frequent cheesecake-bakers, I have yet to be able to make a crack-less cheesecake. However, this recipe turns out so wonderfully-tasty, the crack doesn't even matter. Just decorate it with whipped cream or pre-slice it and display on a serving tray, and your guests won't know the difference!

This is me with the Dobos torte, cheesecake and fruit/cheese/meat tray
before it was consumed by all our guests!

Swiss and Parmesan cheeses, spicy Hungarian sausage and salty Proscuitto
alongside sweet strawberries, kiwis and grapes.