There's little point in asking my husband what he wants to eat on his birthday, the answer is always the same - steak, and cheesecake. The query usually only extends to 'Where?' and 'What kind of cheesecake'.
Being that we are still in lockdown we couldn't go to his usual favourite, El Gaucho, for steak so I decided to push the boat out and order a prime rib from the Ginger Pig - a well known butcher in London. I first encountered the Ginger Pig on a trip to Borough Market with my dad, several years ago. We were both entranced by a large rib of beef. It was blackened with age I remember a woman stood next to us saying how it was disgusting that they could have mouldy meat on display and that they were going to give someone food poisoning. I can only assume it is people like her who are why when you get supermarket steak it is still bright red and bloody looking (sorry vegetarians)
If I am honest I can't remember how good the steak we bought that day was, this was probably 8 or 9 years ago. But I do remember the overall quality of the meat on their stall every time I've been past it since so they were my first thought when trying to source something special to be delivered. So that was the steak sorted - 1.1kg of prime rib, or a Cote du Boef to give it it's French name, to share, because even he can't eat a whole one that size on his own. Though he'd give it a bloody good try.
Then there was the cheesecake. I have made a variety for him over the years and for a few years Apple Crumble Cheesecake was the favourite (one year morphing into Cherry Crumble). This year, however, a declaration was made that he wanted to combine two of his desserts of choice - and so Banoffee Cheesecake it was.
Banoffee wouldn't be my first choice of dessert, I love bananas and caramel but for me it tends to be too sweet, bordering on sickly, so I knew I would have to be careful to balance this. Having scoured the internet I had not earthed up a recipe I was happy with, they were all either too heavy looking or had so much sugar in them my teeth ached just to read it. I was on my own it seemed, building the recipe from scratch.
I chose to make a set cheesecake, which tends to be a bit lighter than my usual baked style. Wanting most of the sweetness to come from the bananas and toffee themselves I swapped out the usual biscuit crumb base with one made from toasted pecans and salted pretzels. The bananas themselves were caramelised before being pureed and the toffee sauce was slightly salted.
It was everything I could've hoped for.
The cheesecake was light and almost mousse-like with a light sweetness and a prominent banana flavour, the slight saltiness of the toffee sauce was echoed in the salty-sweet and crunchy base. It was topped with a cloud of whipped cream just like a real banoffee pie, studded with bananas, pecans, pretzels and drizzled with sauce.
.
It was light enough that even after having already had a slice of HIS birthday cheesecake my Brother-in-law and his partner polished off slices (they're twins, it's 2 for 1 birthdays here).
If you like banoffee and you like cheesecake you really can't go wrong.
Banoffee Cheesecake
Makes 1, 8 inch cheesecake.
Ingredients:
Cheesecake Filling:
3 bananas
50g butter
50g soft light muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
30ml bourbon (optional)
600g full fat cream cheese at room temperature
250ml double cream, fridge cold
175g caster sugar
2 leaves of gelatin *(see note)
Toffee Sauce
100g soft light muscovado sugar
80g butter
250ml double cream
1/2 tsp flaky salt (e.g Maldon)
Base:
200g pecan halves
150g salted pretzels
120g butter
100g demerara sugar
To decorate:
150ml double cream
1 banana
Handful each of Pretzels and Pecans
*I think this could be made with vege-gel but I don't think it would have held up without some kind of gelling agent to stabilise it as the filling is very light and soft.
Method:
Start by making the caramelised banana puree for the filling. Melt together the butter and muscovado sugar over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, swirling around the pan. Add sliced banana and increase the heat and allow to caramelise until the bananas are soft and the caramel is a rich dark brown. If you are using the bourbon, pour this into the pan and flame and then add the vanilla extract. Stir together well and set to one side to cool completely.
To make the toffee sauce, heat together the sugar and butter in a medium saucepan until the butter has melted, the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow to just come to the boil and turn a deep brown and then pour in the cream - carefully as it will bubble and spit. Stir together with a silicone spatula and allow to return to the boil. Simmer, stirring regularly, until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Set aside to cool. When cold the resulting sauce should only just be pourable - you want more of a dolloping consistency. If you have reduced it too far return to the heat with a small amount of additional cream or milk, stirring until combined, and then cool again.
Line the base an 8 inch pastry ring (at least 3 inches tall) or springform pan with a layer of cling film and a layer of baking parchment. For the clingfilm I like to completely wrap the base of the springform with it before inserting into the outer ring, then assemble the tin and put the parchment on top.
For the base, toast the pecans in a dry, heavy bottomed frying pan over a low heat until they become fragrant and the colour is just starting to change being careful not to burn. Transfer the nuts to a food processor along with the pretzels and demerara sugar. Blitz until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs - you do not want it too fine as it adds a crunchy layer of texture to the base. Melt the butter and stir into the crumbs making sure they are all completely coated. Press down firmly using the base of a glass or similar in an even layer. Transfer to the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Once the bananas are completely cold place in a food processor. Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water for 5 minutes to bloom and then remove from the cold water and put in 50ml of hot water, stirring to ensure they have completely dissolved. Pour this into the food processor and blitz until the mixture is a smooth puree.
Place the cream cheese in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or use hand beaters, or a spatula) and beat until just creamy. Add the banana and sugar and beat again until combined. You do not want to beat this more than necessary to get a smooth mixture as too long and the cream cheese will start to lose it's structure and go sloppy.
In a separate bowl whisk the double cream to firm peaks. Fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture gently trying not to knock out too much air.
Remove the base from the fridge and pour over the filling mixture, smoothing over evenly. Dollop on top 2/3 of the toffee sauce and then swirl through the cheesecake using a blunt knife. Transfer to the fridge to overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Once the cheesecake is set remove from the fridge and gently run a palette knife around the edge of the tin to loosen making sure you go all the way through the base layer. Remove the tin and place on a serving plate.
Whip the remaining double cream to soft peaks and then dollop into the centre of the cheesecake in a billowing cloud. Insert chunks of sliced banana, pretzels and pecans into the whipped cream. Warm the leftover toffee sauce slightly so it is a pouring consistency and drizzle over the cheesecake.
Banoffee wouldn't be my first choice of dessert, I love bananas and caramel but for me it tends to be too sweet, bordering on sickly, so I knew I would have to be careful to balance this. Having scoured the internet I had not earthed up a recipe I was happy with, they were all either too heavy looking or had so much sugar in them my teeth ached just to read it. I was on my own it seemed, building the recipe from scratch.
I chose to make a set cheesecake, which tends to be a bit lighter than my usual baked style. Wanting most of the sweetness to come from the bananas and toffee themselves I swapped out the usual biscuit crumb base with one made from toasted pecans and salted pretzels. The bananas themselves were caramelised before being pureed and the toffee sauce was slightly salted.
It was everything I could've hoped for.
The cheesecake was light and almost mousse-like with a light sweetness and a prominent banana flavour, the slight saltiness of the toffee sauce was echoed in the salty-sweet and crunchy base. It was topped with a cloud of whipped cream just like a real banoffee pie, studded with bananas, pecans, pretzels and drizzled with sauce.
.
It was light enough that even after having already had a slice of HIS birthday cheesecake my Brother-in-law and his partner polished off slices (they're twins, it's 2 for 1 birthdays here).
If you like banoffee and you like cheesecake you really can't go wrong.
Banoffee Cheesecake
Makes 1, 8 inch cheesecake.
Ingredients:
Cheesecake Filling:
3 bananas
50g butter
50g soft light muscovado sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
30ml bourbon (optional)
600g full fat cream cheese at room temperature
250ml double cream, fridge cold
175g caster sugar
2 leaves of gelatin *(see note)
Toffee Sauce
100g soft light muscovado sugar
80g butter
250ml double cream
1/2 tsp flaky salt (e.g Maldon)
Base:
200g pecan halves
150g salted pretzels
120g butter
100g demerara sugar
To decorate:
150ml double cream
1 banana
Handful each of Pretzels and Pecans
*I think this could be made with vege-gel but I don't think it would have held up without some kind of gelling agent to stabilise it as the filling is very light and soft.
Method:
Start by making the caramelised banana puree for the filling. Melt together the butter and muscovado sugar over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, swirling around the pan. Add sliced banana and increase the heat and allow to caramelise until the bananas are soft and the caramel is a rich dark brown. If you are using the bourbon, pour this into the pan and flame and then add the vanilla extract. Stir together well and set to one side to cool completely.
To make the toffee sauce, heat together the sugar and butter in a medium saucepan until the butter has melted, the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow to just come to the boil and turn a deep brown and then pour in the cream - carefully as it will bubble and spit. Stir together with a silicone spatula and allow to return to the boil. Simmer, stirring regularly, until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Set aside to cool. When cold the resulting sauce should only just be pourable - you want more of a dolloping consistency. If you have reduced it too far return to the heat with a small amount of additional cream or milk, stirring until combined, and then cool again.
Line the base an 8 inch pastry ring (at least 3 inches tall) or springform pan with a layer of cling film and a layer of baking parchment. For the clingfilm I like to completely wrap the base of the springform with it before inserting into the outer ring, then assemble the tin and put the parchment on top.
For the base, toast the pecans in a dry, heavy bottomed frying pan over a low heat until they become fragrant and the colour is just starting to change being careful not to burn. Transfer the nuts to a food processor along with the pretzels and demerara sugar. Blitz until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs - you do not want it too fine as it adds a crunchy layer of texture to the base. Melt the butter and stir into the crumbs making sure they are all completely coated. Press down firmly using the base of a glass or similar in an even layer. Transfer to the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Once the bananas are completely cold place in a food processor. Soak the gelatin leaves in cold water for 5 minutes to bloom and then remove from the cold water and put in 50ml of hot water, stirring to ensure they have completely dissolved. Pour this into the food processor and blitz until the mixture is a smooth puree.
Place the cream cheese in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or use hand beaters, or a spatula) and beat until just creamy. Add the banana and sugar and beat again until combined. You do not want to beat this more than necessary to get a smooth mixture as too long and the cream cheese will start to lose it's structure and go sloppy.
In a separate bowl whisk the double cream to firm peaks. Fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture gently trying not to knock out too much air.
Remove the base from the fridge and pour over the filling mixture, smoothing over evenly. Dollop on top 2/3 of the toffee sauce and then swirl through the cheesecake using a blunt knife. Transfer to the fridge to overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Once the cheesecake is set remove from the fridge and gently run a palette knife around the edge of the tin to loosen making sure you go all the way through the base layer. Remove the tin and place on a serving plate.
Whip the remaining double cream to soft peaks and then dollop into the centre of the cheesecake in a billowing cloud. Insert chunks of sliced banana, pretzels and pecans into the whipped cream. Warm the leftover toffee sauce slightly so it is a pouring consistency and drizzle over the cheesecake.
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