Raspberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake

I must confess that I really look forward to celebrating birthday's other than my own. It gives me a really good excuse to work on my dessert skills and to try out new recipes. It's flattering to be asked to make a birthday cake because I know there are many beautiful skilled bakery's in this city and many different ways that a rookie like me can slip up on the special someones birthday cake. There is a moment when excepting the offer that I temporarily reflect on the extreme pressure of presenting a cake to a room full of people, not knowing whether or not it turned out okay. Once I get over that I simply feel excitement, because the thrill of having a cake turn out and exceeding your own expectations is always worth it in the end!

The trick to a perfect birthday cake is not so much in the skill but in pin pointing the right cake for your recipient. Everyone has a favorite dessert but this can be tricky because it's likely they have tried that particular dessert many times and are partial to it's perfection. I like to step back from that as I don't want to disappoint by trying to perfect something that I have simply never done before. Instead, I go with my gut and stay true to favorite flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, berries, coconut, hazelnut, lemon etc. Sometimes I simply don't know and base my decision on memory and with the help of those closest to them.

This was the first recipe I recovered when searching for the perfect cake for Rachel's Birthday and it turned out to be a really great recipe too! I had been asked in advance to make this cake but didn't actually get the message until the day of. I have to admit that I was in a bit of a panic and was a bit limited in what I could throw together in such a short time frame.

There is a trick to making cheesecake and that is the method in which you cool the cake down. If you simply remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool the cake will go into shock and begin to crack. To avoid this you need to bake the cake at a higher temp for a set time then reduce to a much lower temp and cook for a longer period of time. Sometimes you can even turn off the oven and leave the cake in for an hour letting it slowly cool down before removing and setting on a cooling rack for yet another hour or two before refrigerating for a minimum of four hours. Always look for cheesecake recipes that outline this cooking method.

My favorite part of this cake is the raspberry coulis. If you take on the task of making this cake, keep in mind that straining the juices from the raspberries is very tedious but every bit worth it in the end. Make sure to serve the cheesecake with the coulis drizzled over top!

Note: You can alter this recipe by using different fruits such as peaches, strawberries, blackberries or blueberries.