Orange Almond Ricotta Cheesecake

Albatross

I believe I have tried making a cheesecake before.  I don't remember the outcome of that cake, so not sure how to approach this Baked Cheesecake.  Perhaps not remembering is for the best, now I can go into this baking adventure with fresh eyes and no past experiences clouding my vision.  Yep, I much prefer my self-doubt to be pure and unpolluted.  Three cheers for self-doubt!  Hip-Hip....huh?  My self-doubt is feeling confident.  I may be watching too much Dr. Who, but that sounds like a paradox.

My only concern (for the moment) is that I'm not a huge fan of almond flavouring.  Remember this cake. (Which would have been good if it wasn't for that almond butter frosting....shiver.)  So now I'm wondering if I could perhaps substitute something else for the almonds.  Hmm?

Oh and there's another issue....I'm caked out.  Seriously, I didn't even know that was a thing, until it happened to me.  All the talk show hosts are clamoring to have me on their shows to discuss this newest and oddest of conditions.  Caked out.  I imagine there won't be a dry eye in the audience when they hear about my condition.

So, we made the Peach upside down cake here, then the Milk High Chocolate cake here.  And there was also another cake that I made (but can't discuss just yet).  And finally, I made this cake for my birthday.  Isn't it lovely?!  It is the Whiteout Cake from Baked New Frontiers in Baking.

Oh, and I made the chocolate cake (3 layers) again for the Mile high cake.  I didn't plan on it, but while I was making the Whiteout cake, I did a Rachel (from friends) and started following another recipe.  I thought it was strange that the Baked boys were adding dark brown sugar to the batter for the whiteout cake, but I still went ahead and did it....only to realize that I was looking at another recipe.  D'oh!  But I was able to save the ingredients and just made another 3 layer cake.  These naked layers are sitting in the freezer, waiting to be dressed up pretty.

So what's a gal to do, when she's all caked out?  Make a cake?  Seriously?  You're going to make a cake??  I dunno.  Wait a minute.  Did you just make up this condition of being "caked out",  so that you can go rogue?  What?  That's crazy talk.  This is a real condition!  And putting quotes around it doesn't make it less real!!

Squirrel!

I have had some time to think about it (since I put in this page break, and I have (almost) certainly decided not to make the cheesecake.  There I said it!  Whew, what a relief to get that albatross off my back. 

And now for something completely different.....and roguish.

Cake for breakfast?  Baked Boys say yes!

And here is the apron I wore on this rogue adventure.

True Story

Maybe I wasn't caked out.  Maybe I just needed a recipe that didn't take a lot of work.  And I found it in this cake.  It couldn't have been easier.  No kitchenaid required.  Just a whisk and a few bowls.

The chocolate chips were doused in a little Kahlua(thanks for that Kim!) and then sprinkled with flour.  The flour is supposed to keep the chips from sinking to the bottom of the cake.  Spoiler: the chips sank to the bottom of the cake.

Now this is different....the oatmeal and butter get stirred into some boiled water and sit for a half hour.  It smells wonderful and makes me want a lovely hot bowl of oatmeal.











 Next, the eggs and sugars get whisked together.  Again, gotta love a cake that doesn't require the kitchenaid!   Another spoiler: I did need the kitchenaid to make the frosting.

The dry ingredients (minus the flour) then get added to the eggs and sugars.

The oatmeal gets blended in next.

And finally, the flour gets folded into the mix.

Ready for the oven.  And look, the chocolate chips can still be seen at the top of the cake.  Bye, bye chippies.  I told them not to drink and get baked....but they wouldn't listen.

Finished cake (sans frosting).  The small crater in the middle is where I poked it.  Just wanted to see if it was done...umm...it was. 

Frosted and already cut.

Cream cheese frosting

So yes, the chocolate chips did sink to the bottom.  And I may have baked it for a smidge too long, as the edges were a bit overdone.  But overall, the flavour was lovely.  The oatmeal gives the cake a bit of a nutty flavour.  The cream cheese frosting it a perfect compliment to the cake.  I would definitely make this cake again.   And I think the plate and mug make it even better! (thanks Steph!)

Good to the last drop.