London Cheesecakes
It was several months back now that someone e-mailed me and suggested I try to make London Cheesecakes. I am always open to suggestions. I did some research and discovered that London Cheesecakes are not cheesecakes at all, but beautiful puff pastry bakes, topped with a bit of jam, some almond frangipane cake topping and a glazed icing with a coconut sprinkle.
There were a few other recipes about, but I found them to be highly pretentious and not at all in line with what I think London Cheesecakes should be. This is an old, old favorite of Londoners and people in the home counties in general. They would never have been pretentious.
I have read also that they might have been served in schools and that even Greggs had them at some point, and maybe even still do in some places.
- 5 TBS (70g) softened butter
- 5 1/2 TBS (70g) caster sugar
- 1/2 cup (70g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (30g) ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 large free range egg (medium in the U.K.), lightly beaten
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 sheet of all butter puff pastry (mine was 10 inches square)
- 2 to 3 TBS raspberry jam
- 1 2/3 cup (200g) icing sugar
- 2 1/2 TBS water (or as needed)
- 1/2 cup (50g) shredded or desiccated coconut
These were EXCELLENT! Quick and easy to make as well. The pastry was light and flaky. The frangipane batter nice and almondy. There was just enough jam in the middle to please. With that sweet icing on top any more than the 1/2 tsp would have been far too sweet.
If you are a fan of traditional British bakes, cakes, and teatime treats, you might also enjoy the following recipes:
TRADITIONAL ECCLES CAKES - I have been making these delicious pastries from a recipe given to me by a friend back in the mid 1970′s. They are totally gorgeous. Buttery puff pastry filled with a sweet, fruity filling. They are named after the English town of Eccles, which is a town in the historic county of Lancashire and in the ceremonial county of Greater Manchester. They are a Lancashire food tradition and are actually traditionally enjoyed along with a wedge of Lancashire Cheese!
MARY BERRY’S VICTORIA SANDWICH CAKE - This lovely sponge cake graces many a teatime or celebration table in the U.K. Composed of equal weights of self rising flour, eggs, butter and sugar, it is a very simple cake to make. I have provided weights and measures for three sizes. This is lovely filled with jam and dusted with sugar to serve. It is so delicious it needs nothing more, although you will often see it filled with a layer of vanilla butter cream along with the jam. Very, very nice.
London Cheesecakes
- 5 TBS (70g) softened butter
- 5 1/2 TBS (70g) caster sugar
- 1/2 cup (70g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (30g) ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 large free range egg (medium in the U.K.), lightly beaten
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 sheet of all butter puff pastry (mine was 10 inches square)
- 2 to 3 TBS raspberry jam
- 1 2/3 cup (200g) icing sugar
- 2 1/2 TBS water (or as needed)
- 1/2 cup (50g) shredded or desiccated coconut
- Thaw your pastry out in the refrigerator overnight. Take out about 10 minutes before you want to bake.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a large baking tray with some baking parchment.
- Make the frangipane first. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, almond extract and salt.
- Whisk in the flour and ground almonds until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Unroll your puff pastry. Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut into 10 squares. This all depends on the size of your sheet of pastry. You may want to cut them into rectangles. Cut according to the size of your pastry.
- I cut the paper the pastry was sitting on apart around the squares with some kitchen scissors for ease in transferring to the baking tray. Transfer to the baking tray leaving some space in between each.
- Using the bottom of a measuring spoon, make a hollow dip in the center of each square. Fill these with 1/2 tsp of raspberry jam. (Do not be tempted to overfill.
- Spoon or pipe the frangipane cake batter over and around the jam to enclose it completely.
- Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until well risen and the pastry is golden brown on the bottom, set on the top and the cake is also golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
- Once cold, whisk the icing sugar together with just enough water to give you a thick, yet spoonable, frosting.
- Spoon this frosting over the cake to cover completely as best as you can and sprinkle coconut over top.
- Leave to set the icing completely before serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Did you make this recipe?
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Source: https://www.theenglishkitchen.co/2024/04/london-cheesecakes.html
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