Dulce de Leche Italian Cheesecake

MS1 Baking Contest Contestant: Andrew Bauder

*First Place*

I don’t use recipes, I just taste as I go along – but here are all the ingredients.

It’s a Dulce de leche italian cheesecake with a graham cracker pecan crust and bittersweet chocolate cinnamon glaze, topped with brazil nuts and a adorned with a savory orange zest icing with a hint of cloves.

Makes 12 servings

Crust:

• Graham crackers
• toasted pecans
• light brown sugar
• white sugar
• butter

Filling:

• Dulce de leche (baked sweetened condensed milk)
• fresh ricotta,
• cream cheese
•  eggs
• lemon extract & zest,
• nutmeg,
• heavy cream
• fresh vanilla bean

Glaze:

• Bittersweet chocolate
• white chocolate
• cinnamon
• ground cloves
• butter
• canola oil

Icing:

• Cream cheese,
• butter,
• powdered sugar,
• ground cloves,
• orange zest,
• fresh orange juice

Orange slices:

• Oranges…sliced

Pre-bake crust for 15 mins at 350 F, add filling and bake cheesecake at 325 in a water bath for about an hour.  Make glaze over a double boiler, don’t overwhip icing, add oranges and roughly chopped nuts.

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

MS1 Baking Contest Contestant: Bianca Bromberger

Makes 12 servings

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups natural cane sugar
• 1 2/3 cups water (or cold freshly brewed coffee)
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 4 tablespoons zested orange peel
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 4 tablespoons cider vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix all dry ingredients and
whisk to combine. Add water, oil, vanilla, orange juice, ginger and
orange peel. Stir to combine. Add vinegar and stir quickly to combine.
Things will be slightly foamy and lighter in color. Once the mix turns
slightly darker again you know you’ve incorporated all the vinegar and
you’re set to pour it into muffin tins) or even two cake pans. Bake
for 15 minutes for a medium sized cupcake. Allow to sit in pan for 5
minutes, remove and place on wire rack until completely cool.

Frosting:

• 1 cup margarine
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 4 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder + 2 tablespoons
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Blend margarine in a mixer until creamy, add in powdered sugar and mix to combine. Add remaining ingredients and mix until creamy consistency.