Easy Microwave Cheesecakes for Two

You know that feeling when you’re snuggled up on the sofa on a Friday night after a long week and a sudden sweet craving hits you? You search your freezer, fridge and cupboards but nothing appeals.

Nope – it’s going to have to be a home-baked treat. But you can’t mess around pre-heating the oven, waiting for chocolate to melt in double boilers, greasing baking trays or any of that nonsense. That’s where these cheesecakes come in.

 I was sat at home last Friday night when I was suddenly hit with a cheesecake craving. I’d been looking at microwave mug cakes earlier in the day and thought ‘microwave cheesecake – why not?’

There are only two of us living at home, so two tiny individual portions of cheesecake was perfect for us. The fact that it took minimal effort and minimal time – most time was spent waiting for the dessert to cool down – was also ideal.

I really love this microwave cheesecake. It doesn’t taste exactly like an oven-baked cheesecake, but hey – it takes 3 minutes to cook in the microwave and less than 5 minutes to prep! The taste and texture are similar, but not quite as firm or as fluffy as an oven-baked cheesecake. My Official Treat Taster wasn’t as keen as I was, but he finished off his ramekin and kept giving mine sideways glances and puppy eyes.

Using different ramekin sizes and microwave settings will give you different results, so you’ll have to experiment. (That is just a round-a-bout excuse as to why you get to eat a lot of cheesecake.) My round ramekins were about 3” wide and I had a bit of cheesecake filling left over, so you may want to try slightly larger ramekins.

Easy Microwave Cheesecakes for Two

Ingredients

4 tablespoons cookie crumbs

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup cream cheese (full fat or light – your choice!)

4 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 egg

Topping of choice – jam, chocolate, peanut butter, Nutella, fresh fruit...

Recipe

1. Melt the butter and pour it into a small bowl with the cookie crumbs. Mix well until all the liquid has been absorbed. Divide the cookie mix into 2 small ramekins and press down to form the base. Cook in the microwave on medium for about 1 minute or until puffy.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, cream, vanilla, powdered sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Scoop evenly into the ramekins and cook in the microwave on medium for 2 minutes or until the edges are fully set but the middle is still a bit wobbly.

3. Leave to cool slightly before placing in the fridge for around 2 hours to fully set. Sprinkle on the topping of your choice and grab a spoon.

Go, on then. Since it’s Friday and you’ve worked so hard this week you can eat them both.

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White Chocolate Cookie Dough Cheesecake with a Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust

Happy 4th of July! Although I’m not American and don’t reside in the US, I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and celebrate American Independence Day. And what better way to celebrate a US holiday than with a dessert which incorporates cookie dough and chocolate chip cookies?

I’ve had this recipe sat in my to-post list for quite some time now but never got round to it because the images are –ahem– lacking in the pretty department. 

See what I mean?

But you’re just going to have to trust me on this one. This cheesecake has definitely been one of my favourites. The traditional crust studded with chocolate chips guards the fluffy, delicate filling which is laced with a creamy white chocolate and hides the childish yet decadent cookie dough balls resulting in a great big plate of yum. 

Now get away from the computer, grab a cool drink and go enjoy your 4th of July celebrations!

White Chocolate Cookie Dough Cheesecake with a Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust

Ingredients

Crust:

½ cup crushed cookies

¼ cup melted butter

¼ cup chocolate chips

Filling:

1 cup cream cheese (softened and at room temp)

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

½ + 2/3 cup white chocolate chunks/chips

Enough cookie dough to make 12 cookies

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and add the melted butter to the crushed cookies and stir until the butter has been absorbed. Fold the chocolate chips in and press into the base of your cake tin. Bake for around 15 minutes until the crust just begins to turn a darker brown.

2. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and eggs together. Separately melt ½ cup white chocolate and stir into the cheesecake filling with the vanilla essence. Fold in 2/3 cup of white chocolate chunks/chips and pour the filling on top of the crust.

3. After whipping up your favourite cookie dough, separate it into 12 balls and drop them into the cheesecake mix wherever you like – you can add them randomly or create a pattern around the edge.

4. Bake for around 35 minutes or until the edges are set but the centre is still a little wobbly. Remove to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before slicing and eating.

It may not look like it but any recipe that includes chocolate chip cookies or cookie dough so counts as a 4th of July dessert.

Here are the link parties I take part in.

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S’mores Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

I’ve got a bone to pick with you, Nigella. (I’m not sure what the odds are that Nigella reads my food blog, but I’d like to think that they’re in my favor, so humor me and pretend, too.)

I was searching for a new chocolate cake recipe to try and was drawn in by your Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake. I decided to follow the measurements and recipe exactly – no matter how much I wanted to alter it to make it my own – in order to get the best result. What did I get? Two bricks. Not even thick bricks. Two very hard, very flat brown bricks which I sandwiched together with frosting and called a cake.

There are so many things that could have factored in to the disappointment of this cake – the fact that it is now over 100°F outside thanks to the calima, maybe my oven wasn’t fully preheated before I put the cake batter in or maybe I just suck at following recipes. However, after discovering that I can’t even bake a cake, my ego needs a boost so I’m going to blame you, Nigella. I’m sure you’ll get over it, just like I got over craving a wonderfully soft chocolate cake but ended up chomping on a chocolate paperweight.  

So forget the cake and let’s focus on the frosting. The gooey, sweet and sticky Toasted Marshmallow Frosting that just screams summer.

Oh yeah. Thankfully, the frosting turned out great. Toasting the marshmallows really makes a difference and adds a whole other level of flavor to this frosting, reminiscent of roaring fires and sleeping under the stars. This frosting sets really well, so if you’re looking for a gooey texture, bang your piece of cake in the microwave for about 10 seconds to get wonderfully gooey frosting.

S’mores Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients

2 cups marshmallows (I used my homemade marshmallows. You should, too!)

¼ cup butter

2 tablespoons cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Graham cracker

Recipe

1. Using your favorite chocolate cake recipe, bake your cake and leave to cool. Don’t frost the cake until it’s completely cool.

2. Place the marshmallows in a bowl that can withstand head and blast them with a mini blow torch (or flame thrower, as I prefer to call it) and toast until they’re brown – not black! – all over.

3. Using a hand-held processor, blend the marshmallows until you’ve got a thick gooey syrup. I wouldn’t recommend dumping the marshmallows in a blender to do this. If you haven’t got a hand-held processor, use a hand-held whisk or even a fork to blend.

4. Add in the butter, cream and vanilla and beat until well incorporated.

5. Use half the frosting to sandwich the two chocolate cake layers together and use the remaining frosting to coat the top of the cake. Sprinkle on crushed graham cracker crumbs and you’re done!

Be thankful I didn’t post the chocolate cake recipe I used whilst you’re eating a moist, soft chocolate cake and I’m building an extension using my left-over pieces. 

Here are the link parties I take part in.

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Red Velvet Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

Before I made this recently I had completely forgotten about how much I love Red Velvet Cake. The texture is so soft and well, velvety and the colour is always so enticing. The cake is not overly-sweet but the cocoa powder creates a wonderful hint of chocolate.

Because there are only two of us at home – although I love the idea of eating half of a huge cake, my health-conscience feels very different – I only made half a cake. I made the batter using the measurements below, but only poured it into one cake tin. I cut the cake in half vertically and layered it. I’m sure cutting the cake horizontally and layering it that way would work, too, but I’m just not that confident with my cake-cutting abilities and less-than-razor-sharp knives.

Traditionally, Red Velvet Cake is topped with delicious Cream Cheese Frosting, but if any of you guys remember my rant from last week you could probably have guessed that wasn’t going to happen. Fortunately, I can make whipped cream frosting without any problems, so I thought it would make a good substitute – it’s wonderfully light and white just like Cream Cheese Frosting.

Not that I’m making excuses, but my Official Treat Taster says he prefers Whipped Cream Frosting to Cream Cheese Frosting anyway. But looking back at my attempts at making Cream Cheese Frosting... I can’t blame him!

Red Velvet Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

Ingredients

Cake

125g sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

10g cocoa powder

57g unsalted butter, at room temperature

150g granulated white sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

120 ml buttermilk

1 tbsp liquid red food colouring

1/2 tsp white distilled vinegar

1/2 tsp baking soda

Whipped Cream frosting from Joy of Baking

120ml double cream

1/2tsp vanilla extract

1tbsp sugar

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 175C/350F and grease a round cake tin. In a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.

2. In another bowl, beat the butter until soft then add the sugar and whisk until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

3. Separately, whisk the buttermilk with the red food colouring.

4. Add half of the flour mix to the butter and sugar, followed by all of the buttermilk then the rest of the flour mix and fold together until just incorporated – do not over-mix!

5. In a small bowl combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz before quickly fold into the cake batter.

6. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. When ready, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. 

7. Whilst the cake is baking, make the whipped cream frosting. Pour the milk, vanilla extract and sugar into a bowl and place in the freezer along with the whisk you’re planning on using to whip. This may sound strange, but the cooler your ingredients and equipment are, the more voluminous your frosting will be.

8. After about 10 minutes, remove from the freezer and whip whip whip until you have a suitably thick frosting for coating your cake. Make sure your cake is completely cooled before you go anywhere near it with your frosting. You can pipe your frosting on, or just spread it with a blunt knife like I did.



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Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Smooth, velvety and rich - this triple chocolate mousse cake is the perfect way to end an indulgent Valentine's Day meal. Made up for three sumptuous mousse layers, this dessert not only tastes amazing, but also looks stunning. 

Pink Recipe Box hasn't been very active this week because I got taken to Rome for my birthday and Valentine's present! There has been a huge number of hurdles to jump over since we got here: flights delayed, sudden on-set of a throat infection, make up bag lost, heavy snow forcing ALL major tourist attractions to close... I still can't get my head around the fact that they actually close huge things like the Colosseum and the Pantheon because snow was forecast. 

But anyway, back to the dessert... 

Each layer is made in the exact same way, just using a different kind of chocolate. This recipe makes quite a lot of mousse - I'd say around 6 portions - but they freeze really well so you can just keep them frozen until your next chocolate craving hits.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Mousse

1/2tsp gelatine

1tbsp water

60ml milk

70g finely chopped dark chocolate

140ml double cream

Milk Chocolate Mousse

1/2tsp gelatine

1tbsp water

60ml milk

70g finely chopped milk chocolate

140ml double cream

White Chocolate Mousse

1/2tsp gelatine

1tbsp water

60ml milk

70g finely chopped white chocolate

140ml double cream

Recipe

1. Pour 1tbsp of water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top. Leave the gelatine for about 5 minutes - until it has soaked up the water.

2. Heat up the milk in a saucepan over a medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine mix to the saucepan. Stir really well until the gelatine is completely dissolved then pour over the chopped dark chocolate. Leave to sit for 2 minutes and whisk until the chocolate is melted.

3. Separately, whisk the cream until it forms soft peaks. Mix a small amount of cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it up, then gently fold the rest of the cream in. Pour into a cylindrical mould and place in the freezer.

4. Repeat the above steps with the white chocolate and pour on top of the dark chocolate in the mould and leave to set in the freezer. Do the same again for the milk chocolate and freeze until set. Remove the mousse from the freezer at least 2 hours before you're ready to enjoy it.

Six-Layer Ice Cream Birthday Cake

This Six-Layer Ice Cream Birthday Cake is ideal for a baking beginner who wants to make a big impression. It’s actually a really simple cake to create, but you’ll need a lot of time so make sure you plan ahead.

It was my Official Treat Taster’s birthday last Friday and he asked for an ice cream cake. I've never made one before, so I brainstormed for a few days and came up with this. It took a lot of effort to make everything, but the result was definitely worth it.

The cake is comprised of three layers of light sponge cake separated by a smooth blackcurrant cheesecake ice cream and flavor-packed strawberry ice cream. The result is then topped with delicious raspberry-flavored whipped cream.

The best part about this ice cream cake is that you don’t need an ice cream machine at all! All the ice creams are made on top of the stove then placed in the freezer to set. It takes a little bit more effort than without a machine, but you won’t regret it when you’re enjoying this decadent treat.

Ingredients

Blackcurrant cheesecake ice cream

115ml milk

125ml double cream

1 tsp vanilla

60g cream cheese

2 egg yolks

300ml blackcurrant jam

Strawberry ice cream

115ml milk

125ml double cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 egg yolks

300ml strawberry jam

Sponge cake

2 eggs

175g flour

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

113g butter

200g sugar

120ml milk

Dash lemon juice

Topping

40ml double cream

A few drops of raspberry flavoring

Recipe

Blackcurrant cheesecake ice cream

1. In a saucepan over a medium heat, bring the milk and cream to the boil. When the mixture begins to boil, immediately remove from the heat and leave to one side.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mix to create your custard base. Stir constantly at this point to make sure the eggs don’t curdle.

3. Place the bowl with your custard base over a saucepan of simmering water and stir regularly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. To tell if it’s ready, dip your wooden spoon into the custard base so it’s completely covered. Remove and draw a line through the mixture on the spoon with your finger. If the custard base does not immediately flow back and you can still see your line then it is ready.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and blackcurrant jam. Mix well and leave to cool at room temperature before placing in the freezer to set.

Strawberry ice cream

1. In a saucepan over a medium heat, bring the milk and cream to the boil just like you did for the blackcurrant cheesecake ice cream. Remove from heat when it begins to boil and leave to one side.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually pour the hot milk and cream mix into the egg mix to create your custard base. Stir constantly at this point to make sure the eggs don’t curdle.

3. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir regularly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and strawberry jam. Mix well and leave to cool at room temperature before placing in the freezer to set.

Sponge cake

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/350F and butter a round cake tin. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the butter until soft then add 150g of sugar. Continue whisking until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat thoroughly after each one. Stir in the vanilla extract and mix until combined.

3. Add half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk and the other half of the flour, stirring after each addition.

4. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add a few drops of lemon juice and carry on beating until you have soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining 50g of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

5. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter then pour the mix into the prepared tin and bake in the bottom of the oven for between 40 and 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

To Assemble

Cut the cake evenly into three layers. Place one third in the bottom of the cake tin.

Spread the blackcurrant cheesecake ice cream on the sponge and top with another sponge layer.

Spread the strawberry ice cream on top of the sponge and top with the final sponge layer.

Whip the cream until it is really thick. Add raspberry flavoring to taste, before scooping into an icing bag and piping onto the cake. Store in the freezer and remove 10 minutes before serving.

New York Cheesecake

I absolutely love cheesecake. The crumbly digestive base combines with the smooth, creamy soft cheese topping so well. Even on its own its fantastic, but add a layer of berries, fruit, chocolate or even After Eights on top and it becomes something magical.

The only cheesecakes I tried before this were the no-bake kind. During a fair quite a few months ago, I tasted a traditional Canarian baked cheesecake with blueberries and it was amazing. It was that experience which inspired me to try a baked cheesecake - more specifically a New York cheesecake from Joyofbaking.

This recipe made around 20 small portions which are perfect for wrapping in cling film and freezing.

Ingredients

Base

200g crushed Digestive biscuits

60g sugar

110g melted butter

Filling

500g cream cheese

100g sugar

10g flour

2 eggs

40ml cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

240ml sour cream

30g sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Recipe

1. Grease a loose-bottomed cake tin and preheat the oven to 170C.

2. Mix the Digestive crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the cake tin. Cover and refrigerate whilst making the filling.

3. Combine the cream cheese, sugar and flour in a medium bowl. Do not over-mix as this will cause your cheesecake to crack. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. At the cream and vanilla and mix gently. Remove the cake tin from the fridge and pour in the filling. 

4. Bake the cheesecake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes, before reducing the temperature to 120C. Continue to bake in the cooler oven for around 60 minutes, or until firm and only the centre appears to be wet and wobbly. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack.

5. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla. Spread the topping over the warm cheesecake and return to the oven to bake for a final 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edge to loosen the cheesecake. This step also prevents the surface from cracking.

6. Let cool completely before covering with cling film and placing in the freezer overnight.