Neo Neapolitan

I saw a gorgeous looking strawberry  cheesecake brownie recipe on Pinterest a few weeks ago which I have been plotting to make, and which was definitely going to texturise the old Neapolitan flavour combo.

But on a recent trip to New Zealand and an ensuing bake fest with my best friend Andrew, when I came to assay said recipe, I kind of found it falling short of potential deliciousness. There is frankly, no way to make such a delicious concept “healthy”. And so it was remodelled. No more wholemeal flour. No “coconut” sugar whatever that is.

As you know, dear reader, if you are looking to try to eat sweets and fool yourself that they are diet food, Cakeophilia is not the website  for you. I don’t see Pierre Herme or Adriano Zumbo reaching for the tree hugger ingredients. I shall not so reach either.

 125 g unrelated butter

5 tbsp cocoa powder

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup 70% cocoa chocolate, chopped

 250g cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1tsp vanilla

 2 1/2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen, washed and hulled

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

Make brownie mixture. Melt butter, stir in cocoa, blend until smooth. Combine eggs and sugar in a large bowl, add cocoa mixture, flour and chocolate. Blend until just combined. Spread into a deep 20×16 cm pan which has been lined with baking paper.

Make cheesecake mixture.

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar and blend. Add eggs one at a time, blending thoroughly. Finally, beat in sour cream and vanilla.

Pour over unbaked brownie mixture.

Bake cheesecake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes, by which time the cheesecake should have developed a skin on top.

While the cheesecake is baking, make topping.

Slice strawberries thickly, combine in a small saucepan with the sugar over heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture boils. Reduce heat, add lemon juice and simmer 8 minutes, stirring often. Remove berries with a slotted spoon. Continue to simmer syrup until mixture is reduced by half, the remove from the heat. Return berries to the pan and let mixture cool slightly.

When the cheesecake has baked for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and carefully spoon topping over the surface. Reduce the oven temperature to 160 degrees Celsius.

Return to the oven and bake a further 35 minutes. The cheesecake will be just set in the centre.

Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Enjoy xx