The King Of The Cheesecake Food

POLISH CHEESECAKE (SERNIK)

Steps:

• Stir the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
• Add the egg yolk (reserve the egg white for the cheesecake batter), sour cream, vanilla extract, and cold butter (cut into small cubes).
• Rub the ingredients between your fingers or mix with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until the dough comes together. It will look crumbly at first but it will soon form a smooth dough.
• Divide the dough into two parts. One part should be slightly bigger than the other part (about 1-2 Tbsp), flatten each part into a disc, wrap in plastic foil, and put in a fridge for 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), Gas Mark 4, no fan.
• Grease a 10-inch (26cm) springform pan with butter (grease the sides generously) and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
• Transfer the smaller part of the crust to the freezer. Take the larger part of the crust and tear it into pieces (or cut with a knife if it's too firm). Flatten the pieces and press them into the pan to cover its bottom.
• Prick the crust with a fork several times.
• Bake the crust for 15 minutes.
• While the crust is baking make the cheesecake batter.
• Process the cheese in a food processor until smooth (it doesn't have to be completely smooth, a couple of small lumps are fine).
• Separate the eggs into egg yolks and egg whites. Make sure there is no egg yolk in the egg whites or you won't be able to beat them properly.
• Beat the egg yolks with soft butter, 1/2 of the sugar, and orange zest until combined. Use an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
• Add the cheese and vanilla extract, beat until combined.
• In a separate, very large and clean bowl, beat the egg whites (with a clean whisk attachment) until soft peaks form. Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the vanilla pudding powder and beat until combined.
• Add about 1/4 of the beaten egg whites to the cheese batter, fold in with a spatula until combined.
• Add the cheese batter to the remaining egg whites. Fold in gently with a spatula until combined and there are no white strikes of egg whites.
• Pour the cheese batter onto the warm, baked crust. The batter will reach almost to the rim of the pan but don't worry, it won't overflow.
• Take the second part of the crust out of the freezer and grate it on the large holes of a box grater. Sprinkle the crust onto the cheesecake batter.
• Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. It will be slightly jiggly in the middle but set. The cheesecake will rise and crack in the middle and then it will fall - it's just the nature of this cheesecake.
• Leave the cheesecake on the cooling rack to cool completely, at least 3 hours (do not try to cut warm cheesecake) but preferably overnight (it has a better texture and flavor).
• Enjoy!

THE BEST CREAM CHEESE KING CAKE

Steps:

• Combine sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar, butter, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until butter melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let mixture cool to 100 to 110 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
• Stir together water, yeast, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a 1-cup glass measuring cup; let stand for 5 minutes.
• Combine sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, eggs, and 2 cups of the flour in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low; gradually add 4 more cups of flour, beating until dough comes together.
• Turn dough out onto a surface dusted with 1/4 cup of the flour. Knead, gradually adding remaining 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Dough should be tacky but release easily from surface.
• Place dough in a well greased bowl; turn to grease top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Beat cream cheese, sugars, cinnamon, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in egg.
• Gently punch dough down; divide in half. Roll 1 portion out into a 22x12-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Keep the other portion covered. Spread 1/2 of the filling over rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans. Carefully roll up, starting from a long edge.
• Place roll, seam-side down, on a large parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bring ends of roll together to form a ring. Moisten ends with water; pinch together to seal. Repeat with remaining dough, filling, and pecans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Uncover dough rings.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cakes are a deep golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes completely on wire racks, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Stir confectioners' sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract together to make the glaze. Stir in 3 tablespoons milk. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until pourable but still opaque. Pour evenly over cakes. Sprinkle with sparkling sugars, alternating colors to form bands.