Oh yes!!! If I loved cheesecakes before, I am now in loveeee with this one. This gulab jamun cheesecake is out of this world. So good. I don’t think I’ve ever before missed a cake so much once it was over. My kids went crazy over this and are already asking me to make it again. The good thing about this cheesecake is that you use readymade or tinned gulab jamuns. The rest of the recipe is the usual baked cheesecake recipe. If you’re anything like me and have tried that recipe a few times now, you know it’s the easiest and most fail-proof recipe on the planet.
I’ve been wanting to make this Gulab Jamun cheesecake for so long now, but as luck would have it, life has gotten in the way. All you mamas out there juggling work, kids, home and online school (even for these tiny preschoolers) I feel you. We will get through this and I promise you a baked cheesecake can surely help.
Also, since Father’s Day is around the corner, this will be the perfect celebration cake. It’s an absolute showstopper and definitely won the dad over in our house. How are you celebrating Father’s Day in your home? My boys filled in a little questionnaire about their dad and I was just so tickled to hear their answers. I can’t wait for the dad to read that his son thinks he’s 6 years old. (surely, he acts like it anyway)
Back to cheesecakes. You know it has been my best discovery of 2020. I have loads of cheesecake recipes here, baked, no-bake, cheat’s, Japanese, all kinds. So look around if you must, but pick this Gulab Jamun Cheesecake anyway this time.
Notes :
It’s best to use tinned or store-bought gulab jamuns in this recipe, as they are firm and won’t break easily. Although best made in a springform pan, which makes it easier to take the cake out, I use a regular tin to make the cheesecake. It needs a water bath and I get nervous about water seeping in, although if you just tightly wrap the outside of the springform tin with double layers of foil, it’ll do the trick. Anyhow, check here for all cheesecake FAQ and detailed instructions for making this in a regular tin.
Gulab Jamun Cheesecake:
Ingredients:
For the crust:
250 gms digestive biscuits
75 gms butter, melted
For the filling:
2 tbsp warm milk
A few strands of saffron
450 gms cream cheese
1 tin (400gms) condensed milk
3 eggs
1 tsp rose essence
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tbsp cornflour
8 tinned or store bought Gulab Jamuns, drained from the syrup
To decorate
Chopped pistachios
Whipped cream
Method:
To make the crust :
- Start by lining an 8 inch round tin with greaseproof paper.
- Powder the biscuits either using a rolling pin or pulse the biscuits in a food processor.
- Add the powdered biscuits into a bowl with the melted butter. Mix using a spoon, till you have a mixture that resembles crumbs.
- The mixture should just about come together. If the mixture is too wet, add a little more powdered biscuit
- Tip the biscuit mixture into the prepared cake tin, pressing the mixture all over the base and slightly on the sides.
- Let the tin rest in the fridge as you get the filling ready.
To make the filling :
- Preheat the oven to 150 C.
- Mix the warm milk and saffron in a small bowl. Set aside to allow the saffron to infuse.
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. Add to it a large bowl and whip it slightly using a whisk or electric cake beater
- Add all the remaining filling ingredients, except the gulab jamuns to the cream cheese. Using a whisk or beater gently combine all the ingredients until there are no lumps in the mixture. Do not overmix.
- Add the saffron-infused milk to the batter and mix lightly.
- Pour half the cheesecake batter gently over the chilled biscuit base.
- Place the gulab jamuns in a circle in the tin, over the batter, making sure they’re inside and not touching the edges of the tin
- Add the remaining batter over the gulab jamuns gently. They’ll mostly be completely covered or slightly bobbing out.
- Bake the cheesecake in a water bath in the preheated oven.
- To make the water bath, place the cake tin in a larger square baking tin. (See picture above). Fill up the larger tin with boiling water, taking care not to let water spill into the cheesecake mixture.
- Gently place the tin in the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 1 hr.
- When the cheesecake is done an hour later, it will still have a little bit of a wobble in the centre. Turn off the oven.
- Leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door slightly open till the cake cools completely.
- Then transfer it to the fridge to rest for a minimum of 4 hours and preferably overnight.
To serve the cheesecake :
- When the cheesecake is ready to be served, run a knife around the edges of the cheesecake.
- Overturn the tin onto a flat base like a chopping board, tap it on the bottom to release the cheesecake from the pan.
- Immediately turn it over again onto your serving board, this way you have the crust at the bottom and the filling on the top.
- Decorate the top by piping whipped cream all over and garnish with chopped pistachios.
