Grab your cookbooks and move your mixer to centre stage, it’s time to bake the world a better place and raise much-needed funds for Australian Red Cross.
Launched in 2011, Big Cake Bake is a community fundraising campaign for Red Cross everyone can take part in.
Just by baking your favourite cakes, slices or biscuits like these Individual Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes and then hosting an event - you can make a huge difference to the lives of those who need help the most.
INGREDIENTS
250g plain chocolate biscuits
125g unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp powdered gelatine
350g cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla bean paste*
2/3 cup caster sugar
400ml thickened cream
Raspberries, to garnish
2 Flake bars, crumbled, to garnish
METHOD
Place the chocolate biscuits in a food processor and process until finely crushed. Mix in the melted butter until fully combined and crumbly, and then divide the mixture between the bases of a Baker’s Secret 12 Cup Loose Base Square Dessert Pan, pressing in firmly. Chill for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle the gelatine over 1/4 cup cold water in a small heatproof bowl. Allow to stand for a few minutes until firm and spongy, and then place the bowl over a larger bowl of boiled water. Stir until gelatine has dissolved. Set aside.
Place the cream cheese, vanilla bean paste, sugar and cream in a large bowl. Beat with electric hand held beaters for 5 minutes or until smooth and thick. Add the gelatine and beat until fully combined. Spoon the mixture into the dessert pan, over the biscuit base. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours until very firm.
To serve, remove each cheesecake by pushing each loose base of the pan upward. Use a spatula to loosen from the sides of the pan if needed. Decorate with raspberries and crumbled flake bar.
*Note: If vanilla bean paste is unavailable, use the seeds from two scraped vanilla bean pods.
To become a Big Cake Bake host, register at www.bigcakebake.org.au and you’ll receive a kit with a special oven mitt and all the information needed to run a Big Cake Bake event.