How to make Baked Snickers Chocolate Cheesecake

Ellis Lane’s Bethany Grace Stashko shares her recipe for how to make Baked Snickers Chocolate Cheesecake

Bethany Stashko’s delicious Baked Snickers Chocolate Cheesecake.

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Baked Snickers Chocolate Cheesecake recipe:

Ingredients

Base:

250g Choc Ripple Biscuits

1/2 tsp instant coffee

Pinch Cinnamon

80g melted butter

Filling:

500g cream cheese (softened, at room temperature, chopped)

2 eggs

125g sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 tbs cocoa powder

225g melted chocolate

375g sour cream

45g melted butter

Topping:

150g chocolate

Thickened Cream

175g Unsalted Peanuts

Caramel:

1 cup (200g) granulated sugar

¾ cup (178ml) heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter

½-1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bethany Stashko’s Baked Snickers Chocolate Cheesecake and her caramel slices and vegan peanut butter cups.

Ms Stashko is a passionate baker who feels great pride to see people enjoying her cakes.

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (fan- forced)

Grease a spring form tin. Finely crush the biscuits in a food processor with the coffee and cinnamon, transfer to a bowl and add the melted butter. Stir to combine.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and press it firmly into the base and side. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add one egg at a time, beating very well after each addition. Add the cocoa, sour cream and melted butter and mix well.

Finally add the melted chocolate and beat for five minutes at medium speed.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 45 minutes. Refrigerate over night.

For the ganache, melt the chocolate in a double boiler on the stove, add in the thickened cream until you get a nice thick gooey ganache consistency. Pour over the top of the cake and refrigerate to set.

For the caramel: Sprinkle sugar evenly on the bottom of a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Allow sugar to melt and caramelize, swirling as necessary to promote even caramelization. Do not stir.

As soon as the caramel is dark amber in color, immediately remove it from the heat and slowly add the heavy cream while whisking constantly. Caramel will bubble violently.

Return mixture to medium heat and simmer until any clumps have dissolved and mixture is smooth.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and salt. Add vanilla extract.

Stir in the unsalted peanuts

Pour the peanut caramel mixture over the top of the ganache and refrigerate to set.

Optional: Pipe some chocolate ganache around the cake and top with snickers pieces.

Ms Stashko often runs the stall Beth’s Bakehouse at the Eat Shop Love Markets.

TO anyone who is interested in baking but is not too sure where to begin, Ellis Lane’s Bethany Grace Stashko message is simple, she says “Go for it!’’

“Find a simple baking recipe book and get started on the basics,’’ the real estate agent, 23, said.

“Once you master the basics you can move on and achieve anything.

“I started baking when I was in primary school, but I really got into it in high school.

“From there I have catered to birthdays, weddings and other events.’’

Ms Stashko said she often ran a stall, Beth’s Bakehouse, at the Eat Shop Love Markets which are held monthly at Kellicar Lane, at Macarthur Square.

“I specialise in the chocolate side of baking, but I have now also branched out into making vegan desserts,’’ she said.

Ms Stashko said she created the recipe for her Baked Snickers Chocolate Cheesecake herself and it has become a crowd pleaser.

“I love to re-create chocolate bars into cakes,’’ she said.

“This (cheesecake) is one of the first chocolate bar inspired cakes I ever made, and it has been a crowd favourite ever since. It is the most requested cake that I make.’’

Ms Stashko rated the complexity level of the recipe as medium.

“You can run into trouble if the mixture is not mixed long enough or mixed to the right consistency,’’ she said.

“Over-baking or not cooling it for long enough would also cause some dramas.’’

Ms Stashko also recommends making sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing it.

“Otherwise your cheesecake will be lumpy,’’ she said.

The passionate baker said it made her so happy to see people enjoying my cakes.

“I hope to continue running Beth’s Bakehouse for a long time,’’ Ms Stashko said.