Apple and Kielder Jersey milk cheesecake
This farmhouse cheese recipe has been used in the Northumberland Cheese Tea Room for many years. It was originally adapted from a traditional Lancashire apple and cheesecake, but this version uses Kielder Jersey milk cheese. The rich buttery flavour of Jersey cheese is perfect for this cake as it adds a subtle cheese taste and keeps the cake moist. The recipe also works well with Northumberland Original or Coquetdale (rind removed). Happy baking, and remember if it all seems like a lot of hard work, have a slice at the Northumberland Cheese Company Tea Room instead.
Ingredients
- 225g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 225g caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 300ml sunflower oil
- 2 eating apples, grated
- 60g chopped walnuts
- 60g chopped dates
- 125g Kielder cheese
- For the icing
- 100g butter, softened
- 300g cream cheese
- 100g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp apple juice (from the grated apple)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3 and grease a 1kg loaf tin with butter or baking paper. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs with the oil until well mixed. Grate the apples in a bowl, squeeze out any excess juice and retain in a glass. Add the grated apple, dates and walnuts to the egg and oil mixture and stir. Gradually fold the wet mixture into the flour mix and stir to combine thoroughly. Pour half the mix into the loaf tin and sprinkle over 100g of grated or crumbled Kielder. Pour the remaining mix over the top and bake in the oven for 40 mins until golden brown. Keep an eye on your cake; if it is looking too brown on top cover with tin foil for the remainder of the baking time. For the icing, beat together the butter and cream cheese, sift in the icing sugar and add a teaspoon of the retained apple juice and taste. Add more or less icing sugar depending on your sweet tooth. Once your cake has cooled completely top with the icing and a handful of grated Northumberland Kielder Cheese.
