Fruited Cheesecake Flag Recipes

NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE FLAG CAKE

Steps:

• Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, cocoa powder, and melted butter in a bowl until mixture is thoroughly combined and crumbly.
• Transfer crust mixture to a 9x11-inch baking dish. Press crust into bottom of dish until smooth and even. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
• Mix cream cheese and mascarpone cheese in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract into mixture.
• Whisk 1/3 cup sugar into whipping cream in a separate metal or glass bowl until the cream is fluffy and forms soft peaks. Add whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently whisk until filling is soft, fluffy, and well combined.
• Spoon filling on top of the graham cracker crust, spreading and smoothing the top. Tap the pan gently on a work surface several times to settle the crust and filling. Cover pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 3 hours.
• Starting at the bottom long edge of the cake, arrange strawberry halves in a horizontal line with the pointed bottoms of the strawberry halves pointing to the right. Start a second stripe of strawberry halves at the top right of the cake, arranging strawberries with the bottoms pointing right in a line stretching about 2/3 of the length of the cake.
• Continue to make strawberry stripes, starting about 3/4 inch up from the bottom stripe and laying down 3 more stripes stretching the full length of the cake. Make 1 more line of strawberries beneath the short stripe to leave a square space for the blue field of stars.
• Lay a line of blueberries with the blossom ends pointing up in the upper left square space. Continue to lay down blueberries in lines, berries touching the previous line, until the square is filled with blueberries. Cut cake into squares to serve.

FRUITED-CHEESECAKE FLAG

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Coat a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the long sides. Coat parchment with spray.
• Sift flour and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt into a bowl. Cream butter with a mixer on medium-high speed, occasionally scraping bowl, until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add light-brown sugar, beating until very pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture all at once, and beat on low speed until just incorporated.
• Transfer dough to sheet. Use a large piece of plastic wrap to press dough into an even layer that covers the bottom of the sheet. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Bake dough until entire surface is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely in sheet on a wire rack. Raise oven temperature to 350.
• In a clean bowl, beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed, occasionally scraping bowl, until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream. Scrape bowl, then mix in lemon zest, vanilla and almond extracts, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Scrape bowl, then beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated. The mixture should be very smooth; scrape bowl as necessary. Pour over crust, and spread into an even layer.
• Bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in sheet on rack. Refrigerate until firm and cold, about 4 hours (or overnight).
• Run a sharp knife along short sides of sheet, and use parchment to lift out cheesecake. Run knife under hot water and dry well. Use it to cut cheesecake into 48 squares, wiping knife clean between cuts.
• Transfer squares to a serving platter, reforming the rectangle. Decorate top left squares (3 down and 4 across), placing a blackberry in the center of each square and mounding blueberries around it. Using a long offset spatula, slide out 4 squares from bottom row. Top each square with 3 strawberry slices, dust with confectioners' sugar, and return to rectangle. Repeat with remaining 4 squares on bottom row and then squares on alternating rows. Alternatively, omit strawberries and dust alternating rows generously with confectioners' sugar. Place raspberries on every unadorned row, beginning with top row. Serve immediately (or refrigerate overnight).

CANADIAN FLAG CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 11X17-inch baking pan with 1-inch high sides.
• Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat one egg at a time into the butter mixture; beat in sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk just until combined. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl and finish mixing with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread to corners of pan and smooth top with a spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes. To remove cake from pan, run a paring knife between cake and pan. Cover cake pan with plate or cooling rack; invert to transfer cake onto plate.
• Beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low; slowly pour in cream. Once cream is incorporated, turn mixer speed to medium-high; beat until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over top and sides of cake, smoothing the top. Place 2 to 3 rows of overlapping strawberry slices parallel to short sides of cake for the two red stripes of the Canada flag. Trace out a maple leaf shape in center of cake with a toothpick; use points of strawberry slices to create points of maple leaf. Cut a strip of strawberry for the leaf stem; fill in the area of the maple leaf with sliced strawberries. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.

FRUITED-CHEESECAKE FLAG

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F Coat a 13x9 rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2 - inch overhang on the long sides. Coat parchment with spray.
• Sift flour and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt into a bowl. Cream butter with a mixer on medium-high speed occasionally scraping bowl, until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Wth the mixer running slowly add brown sugar, beating very pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture all at once and beat on low speed until just incorporated.
• Transfer dough to sheet. Use a large piece of plastic wrap to press dough into an even layer that covers the bottom of the sheet. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake dough until entire surface is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely in a sheet on wire rack. Raise oven temperarure to 350°F.
• In a clean bowl, beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed, occasionally scraping down sides, until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add granualted sugar in a slow, steady stream. Scrape bowl, then mix in lemon zest, vanilla, and almond extract, and a pinch of salt until well combined Scrape bowl, then beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. The mixture should be very smooth; scrape bowl, as necessary. Pour over crust, and spread in an even layer.
• Bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in sheet, on rack. Refrigerate until firm and cold, about 4 hours, or overnight.
• Run a sharp knife along short sides of sheet, and use parchment to lift out cheesecake. Run knife under hot water, and dry well. Use it to cut cheesecake into 48 squares, wiping knife clean between cuts.
• Transfer squares ro a serving platter, reforming the rectangle. Decorate top left squares (3 down and 4 across) placing a blackberry in the center of each square, and mounding blueberies around it. Using a long offset spatula slide out 4 squares from bottom row, and then square from alternate rows. Alternatively omit strawberries and dust alternating rows with Confectioner's suar. Place raspberries on every unadorned row. Serve immediately (or refrigerate overnight).

FRUIT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• For the Crust: In a bowl stir together crushed digestive biscuits and melted butter. (Put the biscuits into a freezer bag and bash them with a rolling pin or similar.)Turn into a 9-inch springform pan (one that the base separates from the sides to make it easy to remove after baking). Bake in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 10 minutes. Cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C).
• For the Filling: Beat softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add 1 cup sugar; beating until fluffy. Add 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel and vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour into the shell and bake for 1 hour, or until the center is set. Cool then spread with the strawberry glaze. Chill for 3 hours.
• For the Topping: spread a thin layer of jam over the top of the cheesecake and sit fresh fruit onto this. Glaze with a thin layer more of jam if desired.