H.U.M.P Day Cheesecake

I love when people are able to combine two fabulous desserts into one scrumptious concoction of yummy goodness. I especially love when one of those components is cheesecake. Can you go wrong with cheesecake? Flavor wise, no. In the outcome, yes.

Exhibit A: Chocolate Ganache Reese's Two Tier Cheesecake

The Original Pin:

http://www.theinternetchef.biz/6000/everyone-welcome-the-reeses-peanut-butter-cup-wedding-cake

I may have just died. That looks heavenly. I looked for a recipe. Couldn't find one. The people in the link I gave above looked all over for the recipe and couldn't find one. If any of you can find the recipe I'll make it (or attempt to) and you can come visit me and eat it. 

Nona decided to try this with cheesecakes and ran into a few snags: "First problem: I thought I had enough chocolate to melt, but I needed more. Second problem: I didn't think to chill or freeze the Resse's before trying to chop them up and when I went to chop them up they just mushed and smooched. Third problem: My cheese cakes deflated the second the hot melted chocolate was poured over them and they actually curdled a little. I made this cake for my son's second birthday and I was so embarrassed by what I was serving to my guests I was mortified and wanted to cry."

The Pinstrosity:

http://cooperchloe.blogspot.com/2012/07/pinterest-fail.html

I've been reading posts about deflating cheesecakes, but that usually happens when the cheesecake mixture is over-beaten and too much air gets in the cake causing the cake to "settle" as it cools. I'm guessing the hot ganache helped to speed up that process.

I've also been reading about why cheesecakes curdle. According to finecooking.com, "A little heat cooks the proteins just enough to make them loosely link together to form a thick but smooth texture; but beyond a certain heat threshold, the proteins tighten up and form curds." I imagine the hot ganache was a little more heat than that cheesecake could take for some reason. I'm seeing many recipes online with cheesecakes topped with ganache, so I know it's possible, but I'm not finding any tips on how to do it successfully. Readers with baking experience, any ganache on cheesecake tips? 


And now...Exhibit B in "How a Cheesecake Can Go Wrong": Pineapple Up-Side-Down Cheesecake.

The Original Pin:

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/pineapple-upside-down-cheesecake-150601.aspx

Amanda told us that she "recently saw a pin on pointers for pineapple upside down cheesecake.YUMMY. After reviewing this pin and following it to the actual website, I decided that my cooking skills could handle this. I make cheese cake frequently, and I have successfully made pineapple upside down cake, so this should be easy. On the plus side, I already had all the ingredients!"

"I pulled all the ingredients out, got out the mixer, and this is when trouble started. First I held up my cake pan, asked my husband what size he thought it was. We both agreed it looked to be 9 inches. That was the size I needed so the pan must be that size, right?! Then problem #2 came running in the kitchen. My daughter heard cooking and really wanted to help. I started with the pineapple layer, so far so good. Then the crust. This is where it started to go downhill quickly. Once my helper pressed the crust in, there was no room for the cheese cake. I just pressed it down more then mixed up the cheese cake. Once that was mixed, I realized there was no way it would fit. So I improvised, getting out another dish and doing the first two steps over. The only little baking dish I had to use was a 9x9 square pan. I was determined to make this work because it was going to be delicious.Then I put a tiny layer of cheese cake on the small circle pan then the rest in the square one. We baked as directed, then let cool some before inverting. I put the circle one on a plate and didn't have a big enough one for the square one so I had to put it on a cutting board. Both had some sticking issues. The square was not too bad but the circle one just had to ruin it and stick like glue. Once I pried it out and flipped it back on the stupid cheesecake it looked terrible." 

The Pinstrosity

"I am not even sure how to rate this. Not a total failure, it was edible. My husband ate the circular one for breakfast. I didn't think they tasted as amazing as I was hoping, but maybe I am still a little angry at the whole situation. I am hoping you can get a laugh out of my failure. Next time, I think I will make regular cheesecake. Easier and amazing."

I have a pineapple sitting on my kitchen table waiting to be used...I'm tempted to give this a try. But, like Amanda says, regular cheesecake is easier and amazing. I love cheesecake. While I love baked cheesecakes, I really really love the no bake cheesecakes. Here's my go-to recipe for the filling:

1 8oz pkg cream cheese

1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk

1/3 c. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

Blend until smooth. Pour in crust of choice. Chill for 2 hours before serving. Mmm!