The Concoction

Finally squeezed in some time to add the recipe for the Ambrosia cheese cake, so here you go!

Ambrosia cheese cake

Preparation time: 30 minutes; baking and resting time: 3 hours

Ingredients

Dark chocolate cake (base)

• 4 tbsp (35 g) plain all purpose flour (maida)
• 1 tbsp (8 g) unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
•  3 tbsp (40 g) Castor sugar
• 40 g butter
• 25 g dark chocolate
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp milk

Chocolate cheese cake

• 4 tbsp (60 gm) Magerquark/Philadelphia cream cheese or (chakka)
• 5 tbsp (75 ml) Unsweetened condensed milk
• 3 tbsp (40 g) light brown sugar 

(if you have sweetened condensed milk at hand use 100 ml of it instead of the sugar and the unsweetened condensed milk separately)

• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp Rum (optional)
• 50 gm Milk chocolate
• 1 tbsp starch

Caramel mousse

• 100 ml whipping cream (30% milk fat) cooled (warm cream does not form stiff peaks)
• 4 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tbsp water

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
2. Line the bottom of a 24 cm baking pan with baking parchment and butter the sides.
3. For the cake melt the dark chocolate on a water bath and keep aside to cool. Beat the suagr and butter in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Slowly add in the cooled melted chocolate and beat on low. Whisk the egg separately and incorporate it slowly into the chocolate mixture.
4. Now sift the flour, baking powder and the cocoa together and slowly sift it into the chocolate mixture little at a time. Mix well and adjust the consistency of the mixture with 3 tbsp of milk. 
5. Put the cake batter in the readied baking pan, tap down to remove the air bubbles and bake it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the surface of the cake is firm.
6. While the cake is baking, melt the milk chocolate on a water bath and set aside to cool. Beat the cream cheese, condensed milk and sugar till light and fluffy, add the cooled melted chocolate and rum and mix well. Beat in the whisked egg and sifted starch.
7. Remove the dark chocolate base from the oven and let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes remove the baking parchment from the bottom and replace the cake in the baking tray, then pour the cheese cake batter on top of the cake and again put it in the oven and let it bake for another 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature of the oven to 150 degrees Celsius and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes until a knife inserted in the cheese cake comes out clean and the surface is firm. Switch off the oven, remove the cake from the oven after 10 minutes and let it cool on the wire rack.
8. Now for the caramel mousse, take the brown sugar and water in a sauce pan and turn on the heat on medium high. Let the sugar melt without stirring, once it gets a golden amber colour, stir the mixture until the syrup starts foaming, add 20 ml cream and mix well and again bring it to boil, remove from heat and let it cool slightly. Then add the 2 egg yolks one by one and beat on high till the mixture is nicely incorporated. Slowly cook the mixture on a water bath till it thickens, then remove from heat mix in the butter and let it cool in a refrigerator.
9. Whisk the remaining cooled cream with vanilla till it forms stiff peaks, now slowly fold in the caramel mixture till it is nicely mixed in.
10. Now layer the caramel mousse on the cooled cheese cake and spread it evenly on the surface. Top it with your favourite toppings like caramelized almonds, chocolate chips etc and refrigerated for atleast 3 hours. Ambrosia is ready !!!

Comments are welcomed, do try out this recipe and let me know how you like it. You can also simplify the recipe if you want by omitting one of the layers for eg. double the amounts for the dark chocolate cake and layer it up with just either the cheese cake or the caramel mousse, that would also taste good.