Amarettini Cherry (No-bake) Cheesecake

I hope this counts as a cheesecake by cheesecake-eating-countries.The Dutch idea of 'cheesecake' is always no-bake (unless someone's gone mad) and always involves yoghurt or quark rather than young cheeses (unless they get creative in which its a combination, but never cheese alone). Which leaves me with a very confused notion of what Cheesecake really is. In this post 'cheese'-cake means 'yoghurt&gelatine'-cake, I thought I'd let you know. We're doing it the Dutch way.

Actually, I didn't even really start on cheesecakes in other parts of the world -like the Japanese one which is more a soufflé, or the Swedish one which is eaten warm with jam, or the Polish one which is more like a pie. Ah, now I just wish I could make them all to see which country is the best at making cheesecake. We could vote for it.

Anyway, this one is Dutch. Made by the Dutch, tested by the Dutch, made using Dutch methods, but nothing at all like a traditionally Dutch cheesecake and with barely any Dutch ingredients. I know, it's not completely my style, but if you look at it (I mean just LOOK at it), you'll know why I had to make it for the birthday party we had last weekend. I just knew my family would enjoy it! (And honestly who would not?)

Amarettini Cherry (No-bake) Cheesecake
26cm/10" cake - adjusted from Het Superdikke Taartenboek

80 grams butter
75 grams sugar
2 bags vanilla sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
200 grams almond flour *
2 teaspoons baking powder
70 grams Amarettini di Saronno

8 gelatine leaves **
500 ml vanilla yoghurt
75 grams mascarpone
300 ml (whipping) cream
50 grams powdered sugar

2 cans cherries in syrup or jelly
extra almonds, amarettini or sugar pearls for decoration

1. Separate the eggs into yolks and egg whites.
2. Cream the butter with the sugars and salt. Add the egg yolks and mix again.
3. Beat the egg whites until stiff.
4. Sift the almond flour with the baking powder over the butter mixture. Stir until just combined. Add the egg whites and mix again.
5. Pour the batter into a greased or lined cake pan. Bake the cake for about 25 minutes on 150 degrees Celsius or 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Leave the cake to cool.
7. Once cooled, make the "cheese"-part of the cake. Start by soaking the gelatine leaves.
8. Measure and mix all other ingredients (yoghurt, mascarpone, cream and sugar).
9. Melt the gelatine leaves over a low fire. Once melted, add a spoon of the yoghurt-mix and stir. Do this another three times and then pour the gelatine into the yoghurt and mix well. (If you don't 'dilute' the gelatine first, it will set as soon as it touches the yoghurt and you will get a few gelatine strands into a bowl of yoghurt that will never set.)
10. Pour everything over the cake and leave in the fridge until firm. This should take at least one hour, but can take up to 4 hours.
11. Once the cake is set and you are ready to serve, top with cherries and decorate and serve straight away! (If you do this too early, the 'cheese' will turn purple-blue from the cherries, tastes the same but doesn't look as good!)

* You can make this yourself by grinding 200 grams almonds in a kitchen processor.
** Agar-agar is a very nice substitute: you'll need enough for 0,7 liters. According to my agar-agar powder that would be 3 teaspoons.

If you plan on keeping the cake for longer than 1 day, I'd recommend adding a few extra layers. Add a layer of gelatine, agar-agar or jelly between the cake and the 'cheese' (made with cherry juice in this case). This will prevent the cake from getting soaky. If you're using fresh cherries or other fresh fruits, add a layer of jelly on top to prevent them from discolouring or drying out. Plus it gives an awesome shiny effect.

I added so much pictures of this cake it almost feels like I'm showing off. Of course I'm not. Who on earth would show off a cake that combines cheesecake, cherries and amarettini? It's not like it's a combination sent from heaven that begs to be shouted from a mountain, spread around the world, shown off, replicated or perhaps turned into a religion...

"Or is it?"  
- (my sister's famous words, never ask her what happens next in a movie she's seen already)


  1. This looks and sounds absolutely fantastic! Definitely something worth showing off ;-)


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