How to decorate cheesecake with berries, chocolate, fruits at home

Posting in group: Baking

With a wide variety of flavors ranging from cappuccino to salted caramel and juicy fruit, this luxurious treat is the perfect dessert after any meal. And while making cheesecake at home may seem intimidating, it's actually easy. You can decorate a homemade dessert to your own taste, rather than being content with the available options from an unknown pastry chef.

The nuances of making cheesecake

Making cheesecake can be stressful because it takes a lot of effort to avoid cracks on the surface.

But if you use a few reliable techniques, a successful result will be ensured.

Proper Mixing

When mixing the cheesecake batter, it is very important to use room temperature cream cheese and the same eggs. This will help the ingredients combine evenly. When adding eggs to the dough, you need to beat them until they are combined, but no more. The longer the beating takes place, the more air is added to the mixture. Too much of it in the batter can cause the cheesecake to crack, so this should be avoided if possible.

Using a water bath

A bain marie (or steam bath) is a large pan filled with water that is used to prepare delicate desserts such as custard pudding and crème brûlée. It's easy to use and a good way to prevent cracks in your cheesecakes. Even if the recipe you are using does not require the use of a water bath, it is recommended to use it.

To prepare a water bath for cheesecake, you will need to place a baking sheet or ovenproof dish with high sides in the oven. The spring-loaded springform pan should fit inside it so that there is some free space on all sides. You may need to wrap the pan in foil or place it in a slightly larger bowl to prevent the batter from leaking.

When the time comes to bake, you need to place the cheesecake-filled pan in the prepared container and pour a small layer (about 2.5 cm high) of very hot (almost boiling) water into the latter. This will help the dessert bake evenly and create a moist environment inside the oven. Humidity prevents cracks from occurring.

How to Tell if Cheesecake is Ready

The best way to tell if a cheesecake is baked is to use the shake test.

To do this, tap the edge of the mold with a wooden spoon. If the dessert wobbles a lot, it needs more time in the oven. If it jiggles a little without any ripples on the surface, it's ready. The cheesecake will continue to cook and firm up after removing from the oven due to residual heat.

How to properly let cheesecake cool

It is most often recommended to decorate cheesecake at home after cooling. However, it must be without any damage. Even if the dessert is taken out of the oven without cracks, this does not mean that it will remain intact. If it cools too quickly or if the dough sticks to the sides of the pan, the surface may crack. Therefore, it is important to use proper cooling methods. To do this, remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it on a cooling rack along with the pan.

In 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife along the edge of the product, then allow it to cool for another 1 hour at room temperature before putting it in the refrigerator. It is then recommended to leave it in the refrigerator overnight (at least a few hours). Only after such cooling should you remove the spring form and serve the dessert.

Cheesecake Baking Accessories

To bake a cheesecake, you'll need standard baking supplies: mixing bowls, spatulas, measuring cups, and more. A good electric mixer will be invaluable. Beating the dough until it is light and airy is difficult by hand.

You will also need a detachable spring form that allows you to easily remove the dessert and transfer it to a serving dish. Almost all cheesecake recipes require the use of such a container, so purchasing one is necessary. Additionally, it's a good idea to make sure you have a large Dutch oven or high-sided baking sheet available to create a water bath.

Cooking in a slow cooker

With a “smart pan” it will be even easier to prepare a delicacy. Ingredients: 160 g of cookies, half a stick of butter, 430 g of mascarpone and the same amount of strawberries, 2 pcs. selected eggs, 60 g of sand (sugar), a large spoon of gelatin, half a glass of filtered, not cold water.

1. Cookies crushed with a blender are poured with liquid oil. The mass is kneaded by hand and placed in a device container covered with paper (special parchment for baking).
2. Cream cheese is whipped with sand and eggs. Half of the finely chopped strawberries are poured in there.
3. The creamy mixture is poured onto the base. The treat is baked in a suitable mode for 50 minutes.
4. The remaining strawberries are crushed with a blender and combined with gelatin diluted in water. The resulting mass is poured over the finished, slightly cooled baked goods.
5. The dessert will sit in the refrigerator for another couple of hours.

Decorate the resulting baked goods beautifully with blueberries.

Fresh berries

You can decorate cheesecake at home without pastry syringes or other special equipment.

The simplest example of a spectacular and light decoration is the use of fresh berries.

What ingredients will you need?

• 1 tbsp. (150 g) blackberries;
• 1 tbsp. (150 g) raspberries;
• 1 tbsp. (150 g) small strawberries, cut in half (you can leave green tails on the berries for an additional decorative effect);
• 1 tbsp. (150 g) blueberries or blueberries.

Step-by-step cooking process

1. For ease of decoration, it is recommended to use blackberries, raspberries and large blueberries or blueberries, because these berries do not need to be peeled or chopped. You just need to rinse them and dry them lightly on paper napkins.
2. Then you need to place the berries in a beautiful mound in the middle of the cheesecake, alternating and evenly distributing them by color and size and moving towards the edge of the dessert (however, you need to leave a uniform free space 2-3 cm wide around the entire circumference of the product).
3. Next, cut each strawberry in half (leaving the green tails if desired) and arrange them in a circle around the berry mixture, forming a closed ring. For best results, the berries should be the same size.

Fruits

These can be slices of mango and various citrus fruits, pomegranate seeds, kiwi slices and pear ribbons - all this creates a bright and luxurious look for the dessert. To complete the decoration, it is recommended to add a few mint sprigs, edible flowers or lime zest shavings on top.

How to decorate cheesecake with fruits, preparation.

In addition to fresh fruits, you can use them in heat-treated form. Canned peach or apricot halves and pineapple rings, as well as baked or caramelized pear slices, would look especially good on cheesecake.

What ingredients will you need?

• 10–15 large raspberries, cut in half;
• 10–15 strawberries, peeled and thinly sliced ​​lengthwise;
• 5 tangerines, peeled into slices (without peel, seeds and membranes);
• 0.5 tbsp. pieces, rings or half rings of fresh or canned pineapple;
• 2 kiwis, peeled and thinly sliced ​​into circles or semicircles;
• 0.5 tbsp. large blueberries;
• 5 large blackberries, thinly sliced ​​lengthwise.

Step-by-step cooking process

1. Once the cheesecake is completely cooled, remove it from the pan and place it on a serving plate or cake stand.
2. Next, you should place prepared and cut fruits on its surface in the form of a pattern at your own discretion.
3. You can serve the dessert immediately, or lightly cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours. A cheesecake with this decoration can be stored for 2-3 days, but over time the fruit on its surface will become more moist.

Chocolate

One of the simplest yet most impressive ways to decorate a cheesecake is to drizzle the top of it with dark or white chocolate. To make this coating more stable and uniform, you should prepare chocolate ganache, if desired, giving it additional taste and aroma.

Immediately after applying it, you can sprinkle crumbled chocolate chip cookies or waffles on top.

What ingredients will you need?

• 300 g dark chocolate;
• a pinch of chili powder;
• 0.5 tbsp. (125 ml) heavy cream.

Step-by-step cooking process

1. To make the chocolate chili ganache, heat water in a medium saucepan to a boil and immediately remove from heat.
2. Place the chocolate, chilli powder and cream in a heatproof bowl, place it over a saucepan of boiling water and leave until the chocolate pieces have melted (it is important to ensure that the bottom of the bowl does not come into contact with hot water).
3. Next, you need to mix all the ingredients well, then set aside and let the ganache thicken.
4. The thickened and slightly cooled ganache should be placed in a pastry syringe with a large nozzle or a zip bag with a large hole in the corner and pour it over the entire surface of the cheesecake in a circular motion.

After this, you can smooth it out with a silicone or rubber spatula for even coverage or leave it in the form of drips, and put the decorated dessert in the refrigerator until serving.

With mascarpone

There is no need to bake this cheese cake. Ingredients: 260 g dry crackers, half a stick of butter, 40 g mascarpone cheese, white chocolate bar, 220 g Philadelphia cheese, 60 ml heavy cream, 320 g fresh strawberries.

1. Crackers with melted butter are crushed in a food processor. The bottom of the mold is lined with it.
2. White chocolate is melted until liquid and mixed with cold cream.
3. Two types of cheese are combined. Chocolate is gradually added to them.
4. Half the berries are cut into small cubes and combined with cream.
5. The filling is laid out on the base and left under the film to harden in the cold.

The finished dessert is covered with pieces of fresh berries.

Jelly

Decorating a cheesecake at home is quite simple with a layer of colored jelly. The fastest and easiest option is a semi-finished powder product in bags, which only requires diluting with hot water and pouring.

But to improve not only the appearance, but also the taste of the dessert, it is better to make homemade jelly from berries or fruits.

What ingredients will you need?

• 280-300 g strawberries, fresh or frozen (and previously defrosted);
• 100 g white sugar;
• 1 tbsp. l. granulated gelatin;
• 3 tbsp. l. water.

Step-by-step cooking process

1. Mix gelatin and water in a microwave-safe bowl and leave for 5 minutes. for swelling.
2. Strawberries need to be peeled and placed in a saucepan set over low heat, sprinkled with sugar and heated until all the crystals have melted and the berries have softened and released a lot of juice.
3. Next, you need to beat the resulting mixture with a blender into a homogeneous puree.
4. The swollen gelatin should be heated in a microwave oven at 50% power for 1 minute, then added to the hot strawberry mass and mixed well.
5. The resulting mixture should be allowed to cool for 5 minutes, stirring frequently so that it does not harden.
6. When it is warm (no longer hot), you need to spread it in an even layer on the surface of the cooled cheesecake inside the springform pan.
7. The dessert covered with strawberry mixture should be placed in the refrigerator overnight so that the coating hardens well (at least 4 hours).

No-bake cheesecake with mint and shortcrust pastry base

Fresh mint enhances the aroma of the treat. Ingredients: 190 g cream cheese, a pinch of vanillin, small. a spoonful of gelatin, 4 large spoons of granulated sugar, 220 g of fresh strawberries, a few mint leaves, a white chocolate bar, 30 ml of cream, half a stick of butter, 275 g of shortbread cookies.

1. Strawberries are whipped with sugar into puree. Melt gelatin in a small amount of liquid (ordinary water) is poured over the berries.
2. The chocolate is finely broken and mixed with cream. Next, the ingredients are whipped. Vanillin and cheese are also added there during the process. The cream should stand on the middle shelf of the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
3. The cookies crumble and combine with the liquid butter. The prepared base is placed into molds. Cream with chocolate is poured on top and the last layer is berry mass.

The dessert is decorated with mint and placed on the top shelf of the refrigerator until it hardens.

Jelly with whole berries

Many confectioners use jelly and fresh fruits and berries at the same time to decorate desserts.

One of the most common components of this design is selected strawberries, but this is not the only option available. You can take any large berries that look beautiful whole or in halves, slices of fruit, or a combination of both.

What ingredients will you need?

• 1 bag of semi-finished strawberry jelly;
• 500 g of fresh washed strawberries (selected, one size).

Step-by-step cooking process

1. It is necessary to prepare the jelly from the semi-finished product in accordance with the instructions on the package and leave to cool to room temperature.
2. Next, you need to remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator (located in a springform pan) and slowly pour the jelly onto its surface, leveling it into an even layer.
3. Then you should spread the berries (whole or cut into halves) into a liquid jelly mass in a continuous layer or laying them out in patterns at your discretion.

4. After this, you need to place the cheesecake back in the refrigerator so that the jelly hardens (this will take at least 3 hours).
5. After the decoration has hardened, you need to remove the mold, eliminating its sticking with the tip of a thin knife, place the dessert on a serving plate and serve or store in the refrigerator until serving.

Ingredients

For the base of our No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake you will need:

• 250 g of any dry biscuits (I sometimes even use regular sweet crackers for this)
• 100 g good butter

For the curd layer of the dessert you should prepare:

• 500 g cottage cheese (I use homemade, freshly prepared)
• 1 can of quality condensed milk
• 10 g gelatin
• 2/3 cup milk (you can even use regular drinking water)
• 150 g strawberries

For the no-bake strawberry cheesecake layer you need to take:

• 1 pack of strawberry jelly
• 300 ml hot boiled water
• 100 g strawberries

For decoration we will need a sprig of fresh mint[recipe-meta float=»none»]

Jelly flowers

At home, cheesecake can be decorated in a very original and unusual way. For example, on its surface you can create voluminous flowers under a layer of jelly. This is not difficult to do, but it will take a lot of free time and a lot of patience.

What ingredients will you need?

• 3 tbsp. l. powdered gelatin (30 g);
• 2 tbsp. white sugar (400 g);
• 4 tbsp. water (1 l);
• 1 tsp. citric acid;
• food flavoring or lemon juice, optional (preferably fruit and citrus flavors), or lemon or lime juice;
• food dyes or natural color additives (berry juices, cocoa, etc.);
• 1 package of semi-finished jelly in a contrasting color (relative to the selected dyes, but its shade should be light - yellow, pale pink).

Step-by-step cooking process

1. You need to mix 3 tbsp. l. powdered gelatin with 1 tbsp. cold water and leave it to swell for 10-15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.

2. Next you need to heat 3 tbsp in a saucepan. water, 2 tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. citric acid, stirring occasionally to dissolve the dry ingredients, and remove from heat as soon as steam begins to appear above the surface of the mixture (do not allow it to boil).
3. Then you need to put the soaked gelatin into the hot liquid and stir until it is completely dissolved without any clots or lumps. If desired, you can add flavoring.
4. The resulting mixture should be left in the pan for 1-2 hours at room temperature, until it becomes transparent and the foam disappears from its surface.
5. After this, you need to divide it into different containers in the required quantity and mix it with the selected dyes until the desired shades are achieved, stir until all air bubbles are removed.
6. Before the mixture begins to harden, you need to pour it into suitable containers for forming flower petals and leaves (tablespoons, silicone molds, etc.).
7. In addition, you can wait until the jelly mass thickens to a gel-like consistency, place it in a pastry syringe and squeeze out the shapes of the desired shape onto a plastic board greased with oil.
8. The created blanks should be left in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
9. When the jelly figures have completely hardened, you need to remove them from spoons and other containers used, adjust their shape with a sharp thin knife and wrap them in foil to prevent drying out.
10. Then you need to arrange voluminous flowers from the created blanks on the surface of the cooled finished cheesecake (it should be in a mold with very high edges to provide several cm of free space for decoration on top). The details of the figures can be carefully secured with thin toothpicks.
11. Next, you need to prepare the semi-finished jelly according to the instructions on the package and cool to room temperature.
12. Finally, you should gradually pour the mixture onto the surface of the cheesecake, covering one layer of jelly flower petals at a time and waiting for it to partially set before adding again. As the jelly coating hardens, it is necessary to remove toothpicks and other fasteners used in the process of assembling decorative figures.

When the flowers are completely under the jelly layer, you need to place the dessert in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours before serving for final hardening.

On a meringue pillow

You can make homemade meringues or meringues yourself. Below is a recipe for making homemade meringue, which can be used instead of a shortbread base for cheesecake.

Products for meringue:

• egg whites - 4 units;
• a pinch of salt;
• powdered sugar - 240 g;
• vanillin 1 sachet or vanilla extract 1 tsp;
• white wine vinegar - 2 tsp.

Beat the egg whites at the lowest speed for several minutes. Add salt without interrupting the mixer, increasing the speed a little. As soon as the whites begin to foam, add vanillin.

Next, add the powder one spoon at a time. Each spoon should be mixed well. At this stage, you can notice how the mass becomes more dense and shiny. After introducing half the powder, add wine vinegar, followed by the remaining powder one spoon at a time. We work for a few more minutes, reduce the speed of the mixer, and let it beat for a few more minutes.

The baking sheet is covered with baking paper or a silicone mat. Use a pastry syringe or spoon to spread the future meringues.

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees, no more. Bake the meringues for 1.5-2 hours.

On a note. The temperature must be as low as possible so that the meringue rises a little and does not lose its shape.

Useful tips and tricks

To create the most suitable decoration for your cheesecake, you need to consider how it is prepared. These desserts can be baked or prepared without baking. These varieties have some differences that may have a certain meaning when designing.

In addition to the preparation method, the taste of the dessert is also important for choosing a suitable design:

• Classic cheesecake (or New York) is usually decorated with fruit or berry and fruit sauces (in the form of drips and decorative drops on the surface).
• Chocolate desserts are often covered with ganache or drizzled with melted chocolate.

• Fruit varieties are decorated with jelly and/or flavored fruits and berries.

Other helpful tips and tricks for decorating cheesecakes include:

• No-bake desserts are perfect for experimenting with different types of sweet crumbs. For example, you can use crushed gingerbread cookies, Oreos, or wafers for both the base and to top the piece with a whipped cream topping.
• If you add sour cream to the cheesecake instead of the cream indicated in the recipe, it will acquire a light piquant taste. This will allow you to use sweet elements for decoration without the risk of becoming cloying.
• Cheesecake can take other forms besides cake. For example, it can be prepared in the form of portioned cakes and decorated in various ways.

If cracks appear on the surface of a homemade cheesecake, it can be fixed. It is recommended to spread a layer of sour cream on the dessert and then top it with fresh whipped cream, chocolate ganache, fruit, cookie or wafer crumbs, chopped nuts or other bulky toppings.

Classic cheesecake with strawberries

The berries should be fresh and as sweet as possible. You will need 400 g of them. Other ingredients: 3 pcs. chicken eggs, 2 large spoons of potato starch, 970 g of high-quality cream cheese, small. a spoonful of vanillin and 2 large spoons of granulated sugar, 15 g gelatin, 16-18 pcs. strawberry meringues.

1. Strawberries without stems are whipped in a blender. Sand (sugar) is sent to them.
2. Gelatin is poured with a small amount of ice water and left to infuse. Next, 140 ml of boiling water is poured into it. The mass is mixed again.
3. The strawberries are lightly beaten and combined with the gelatin mixture. The ingredients are blended again with a blender. The filling is left in the cold for half an hour.
4. The remaining ingredients according to the recipe are combined and beaten until smooth.
5. The meringues crumble to the bottom of the pan - they will become the bottom layer of the treat.
6. Creamy dough is poured on top.
7. The dessert is baked in a hot oven for 8-9 minutes (200 degrees). Next, the temperature is reduced to 150 degrees, and the dish is baked for another 35 minutes.
8. When the base has cooled, pour the berry mousse onto it.

Under the foil, the dessert will infuse overnight in the cold.