Get into the Holiday spirit by whipping up this delicious apple cinnamon cheesecake. Butter cookie cinnamon crust base, a creamy layer with an apple-cinnamon surprise in the middle and an apple jelly top create a wonderful treat. A winner during the holiday season.
It’s no secret that some of the favourite pastries are made with apples. Just think about it; apple pie, apple crumble, apple strudel, apple turnovers, apple galette, apple croissants and don’t forget to check my apple rose tart. So beautiful.
However, this time, I wanted a different apple dessert. In fact, I made a no-bake apple cinnamon cheesecake. I found a video (I think it was Japanese) on the Internet showing how to make it, but without speaking a word. The cake looked so delicious and pretty that I simply had to make it.
There are two things that make this apple cinnamon cheesecake so special. Firstly, there is a super cool looking top layer. Apple slices arranged in a form of a big rose and “trapped” in jiggly jelly certainly makes it a real eye-catcher. Wonderful!
To create this piece of art, the apple slices need to be very very thin (about 1 mm) and you’ll create the best visual effect using red skin apples. In order to prevent the slices from browning, soak them in some cold water mixed with lemon juice. Also, just before arranging them on the cake, put them in hot water for 1 minute (microwave 20 seconds). Consequently, they will get flexible and they won’t break.
The second big highlight of this cake is the apple cinnamon layer. Omg, this is so heavenly good and so simple to make. In the middle of the cake, you’ll find a sweet, soft, delicious caramelised apple cinnamon compote. Compote is just another expression for the mixture made of fruits, either whole or cut in pieces, sugar and different spices. It makes a wonderful surprise when cutting the cake. Surprise!
More, the compote is very very easy to make and it’s ready in as little as 15 minutes. Also, you can make it in advance, which makes it really practical. You can freeze it and then reheat it any time and use it as a topping on ice cream, yogurt, pancakes or even in a cake. Just imagine the aromas and the flavours of caramelised apples and cinnamon. Lovely!
Ingredients for an apple cinnamon cheesecake (Ø18cm):
For the compote
- 300 g apples (3 small ones or 1,5 big; cut into 1cm large pieces)
- 3 tsp of cinnamon
- 50 g granulated sugar
- juice of half a lemon
- half a tsp of starch (if you like)
For the cookie crust base
- 110 g butter cookies (crushed)
- 60 g butter (melted)
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
For the cream
- 200 ml of whipping cream (soft peaks)
- 300 g cream cheese
- 35 g of caster sugar
- 1 vanilla sugar
- 3 drops of vanilla paste
- 5 gelatine sheets
For the top apple jelly layer
- 2 medium apples (red are the best for the visual effect)
- 150 ml of clear apple or peach juice
- 200 ml of water
- 30 g caster sugar
- 4 gelatine sheets
To begin, wash the apples and take the butter out of the fridge. For the apple compote, peel and core the apples and cut them into 1cm large cubes. In a small saucepan, combine cubed apples, cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice. If you decide to add the starch, first mix it with a teaspoon of water, in order to get rid of all of the lumps, and then add it to the apple compote. Cook until soft, caramelised and all the liquid is evaporated. Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.
Once the apple compote is chilled, transfer it into a cake ring (placed over some cling film) with a smaller diameter as the springform (around Ø 14 cm is just fine) or simply put it in a round disc form using a rubber spatula. Carefully fold the foil over it and place it in the freezer for 3-4 hours or until firm.
Meanwhile, you can prepare the apple cheesecake base. In order to do that, you need to crush the cookies. Simply place them in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Or, you can place them in a food processor and blitz for 5 seconds. Then, melt the butter and stir it with crushed cookies. Put it in a springform pan, spread it evenly around the bottom and press it, using the bottom of a measuring cup or a small glass. Place the springform in the fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes or until firm.
Furthermore, in a small shallow plate, soak the gelatine sheets for 10 minutes in some cold water. At the same time, in a medium bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks. In another medium bowl, stir the cream cheese until soft. Then, add the sugar, vanilla sugar and vanilla paste.
In a small pot heat some water. In order to melt the gelatine, squeeze the gelatine leaves, put them in a small cup and place the cup in the pot with hot water. You can place it also in a microwave. Once melted, stir it into the cream cheese mixture until well combined.
At this point, add the whipped cream and stir well. Take the springform out of the fridge and pour in one-third of the cream mixture. Spread it around the cookie crust base, trying to make it as even as possible and place back in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Take the form out of the fridge and put another spoon of the cream cheese mixture in the middle. Then, take the apple-cinnamon disc out of the freezer, carefully unwrap it and place it in the middle of the cake. Gently press it in the cream you’ve just added and add the rest of the cream cheese filling on top and around it. Again, try to spread it evenly around the form. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours or until set.
After the cake is firm, you can start with the top jelly layer. Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water for 10 minutes. In a smaller pot pour the apple juice mixed with water, add the sugar and heat it up. Squeeze the water out of the gelatine sheets and add them to the pot. Stir to completely lose the gelatine. Let it almost completely cool down, until lukewarm.
Moreover, 15 minutes before using the apple gelatine liquid, wash the two apples. How to cut the apples? You should get 1 mm thick slices in a form of wedges. Therefore, you can cut them into four parts or wedges (halve it and then cut the half in half again) and remove the core. Or instead of cutting them in half, make two parallel cuts on each side of the core (from the stem to bottom). Then halve these two parts and cut the core out of the remaining part of the apple.
Prepare a bowl with cold water and some lemon juice. Using a mandoline, cut the apples in 1 mm thick slices and let them “fall” directly into the water. When you are done, carefully remove the water and add some hot water. Let the apple slices sit in it for 1 minute. Then, take them out and lay them on a paper towel.
As the last step, create the apple rose. Take the cake out of the fridge and start arranging the apple slices (skin side up) in an overlapping circular pattern, starting on the outside edge by leaning them (30-45º angle) against the springform. Continue in a snug spiral shape until you almost reach the centre.
An easy solution for how to create the centre is to lay about 10 slices, slightly overlapping, on a cutting board, roll them up and place in the middle of the apple spiral. Once you are satisfied with the “rose”, pour a small amount of the jelly liquid, just enough to make a 1 mm thick layer to prevent the cream to float on top of the jelly layer (try to pour as close to the cake as possible). Put the cake in the fridge for 10 minutes.
After the thin jelly layer has set, carefully pour the rest of the liquid apple jelly on the cake, following the spiral. When the apple slices are covered, return the cake to the fridge until set.
Finally, carefully remove the springform and slice the cake with a sharp knife. Serve this apple cinnamon cheesecake for the Christmas holidays or any time of the year. It will definitely become one of your favourite apple treats.
Happy holidays!
