My boy recently celebrated his 4th birthday last week. We did a small do just among us family cause I don’t know if I could conjure up in me to do a party like his previous birthdays. But big main reason is because I dread the clean-up later. So ‘sien‘ to even just think about it.
So this year, it’s go small and simple. Lunch was of course ang chiu mee suah (red wine mee suah) which hubster was gushing happy praises because it’s quite close to what he prefers already (that’s what he claimed), compared to all the previous times I made mee suah. That’s the problem, he cannot tell me what it needs to get to that spot on point, he always just tells me, ‘the taste not the same’, or ‘it should not taste like that,‘ but ask him if it needs more salt, sour, sweet or spicy….clueless. Anyways, the cake however is a very simple cheesecake that appeals to all the kid in us because it has two of my favourite ingredients; peanut butter and Nutella!
Look at him, he still gets that excited expression
over a birthday cake, he really loves his cakes.
Why this cake you ask, well for one, I can make it the night before and that means just whisking it out of the fridge the next day. Second, the baking time is relatively shorter than an ordinary whole cake. Third, this cake does not have a drop of flour so that means I don’t have to take out my cake mixer and fuss with cleanup later, this cake just needs an ordinary electric hand whisk.
J-man is really serious about his cakes. When I ask him what cake he would like to have for his birthday, his answer was simply ‘I want cake’. “Do you want Mickey Mouse cake? Or Bob the Builder…?’, ‘No, I want cake,’ was his answer. He likes cakes just as cakes. Not so much the garnish and sugar art. Don’t get me wrong, I take my hats off to people who do sugar deco cause it’s a lot of hardwork and skill. But for him, he likes cakes for cakes. Or maybe this is my excuse for being lazy with frosting. 😛
And he is REALLY serious about eating cakes, you mustn’t talk to him, ask him to pose for the camera, ask him to smile or do anything else really. When it’s cake time, it’s just cake time. I wish he could be like that for everything else, haha!
His little sister joining in the fun…or forced to….
Exchanging compliments for each other’s head-wear….
I will say that this cake is rather dense and might be rich for some, but make no mistake, it is DE-LICIOUS! A real treat for a birthday. And when you cut into it, it’s so gratifying to see the layers lining up evenly. One of my few success stories in cake making.
Best buds always….
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PEANUT BUTTER AND NUTELLA CHEESECAKE RECIPE
(recipe from canyoustayfordinner with minor additions)
Ingredients;
Base;
2 packet rows of Oreo cookies
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
(I added extra for buttering the pan)
Filling;
16 ounces cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup sugar (I didn’t use a full cup, just slightly lesser)
2 eggs
1/4 cup cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup Nutella
Crushed roasted peanuts for garnish
Steps;
1. Preheat oven to 180C. Melt the butter under low flame. Line a square baking pan (about 22 – 24cm) with foil overlapping on the sides. Brush the inside all over with the melted butter.
2. Using a food processor, pulse the cookies till you have a fine sandy mixture. Slowly pour in the melted butter and give it a final pulse. Tip the crumbs onto the prepared pan. Pat it down with your fingers till you have an even base.
3. Bake in the oven for approximately 12 mins. Take it out to cool.
4. With an electric whisk, mix together the cream cheese and sugar till well incorporated. Add the eggs, cream and vanilla extract. Mix it well.
5. Divide the batter into 2 bowls. Half-half each. In the first half, add the peanut butter and whisk with the electric mixer.
6. Using clean whisks, add Nutella to the other half of the batter and mix it together. The peanut butter would be more dense than the Nutella mixture so the peanut butter goes in the middle.
7. Pour the peanut butter mixture onto the base. Level it evenly with your spatula.
8. To pour the Nutella part, use a spoon and dollop the batter on different places. Start with the four corners, then fill in the spaces in between and all the empty spaces left. Use a palette knife to smooth and level the batter out evenly. Garnish the top by sprinkling the crushed, roasted peanuts.
9. Bake in the oven for 35 mins (I set two timers on this one because I really didn’t want to overbake it). The middle should still be slightly jiggly but the sides would be rather firm.
10. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before eating. But when you want to eat, it’s best to take it out like half hour before to make cutting easier.
Enjoy!
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