Daring Bakers: Maida Heatter's Polka Dot Cheesecake

I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date... (1. being the posting date of the DB Cheesecake and 2... well... you'll get the significance of 2 in a minute).

Once upon a time, I was dining at Market Table in NYC in honor of Jack's birthday. I rarely order dessert (I know, bad baker, support my people!) but since this was a special occassion, I went for it.  I order Maida Heatter's Polka Dot Cheesecake.

Now, this was long before the days where I found my passion for baking.  So due to my lack of knowledge about baking and famous bakers, I thought this was just a funny way to spell "Mad Hatter" because it's about Alice in Wonderland and they do crazy things like spell names wrong and have cheesecakes with polka dots in them, right?

Wrong. Turns out Maida Heatter is a famous baker who has quite the resume and is described as "The First Lady of Desserts".

That is quite the title. I'd like to live in a country where Maida Heatter is First Lady, Dorie Greenspan is President, Maida Heatter is the First Lady, Johnny Iuzzini is Vice President and David Lebovitz is Secretary of State.  Then Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, Alice Waters, Daniel Boulud, David Burke and Anthony Bourdain would round out the cabinet.

It would be the tastiest country ever.

And ever since that fateful day at Market Table, I have dreamt of this cheesecake.  The cheesecake was pure perfection. Smooth. Rich. Velvety. And has left an impression on my mind, even 3 years later.

So when I saw that Jenny from Jenny Bakes chose Cheesecake for this month's Daring Bakers Challenge, I lept with delight! I can finally try my hand at polka-dotting my cheesecake. 

If I attempted making this cake 3 years ago when I first discovered it, sweat would have been falling from my brow, my hands would have been shaking, lumps would have remained in the batter, and the cheesecake would somehow have been burnt on top but liquid in the middle. 

I'll tell you, it's true.

But after two years of practice, I whipped this bad boy up in about 20 minutes, flat.

Smooth cream cheese base. Perfect crust. Outstanding taste. And when I say outstanding, I mean outstanding.

Here are the comments from co-workers:

Exceptional.

Holy God.

Ooooooooh.

Best Cheesecake I have ever had.

I'm stealing a slice to take home.

Outrageous.

You should put liquor in the chocolate part so you can get liquor filled bites of dots (HOLLA!)

Kraftius and Nabiscoevitus were on my side this time. And they will be forever more, tiny kitchen or not.

POLKA DOT CHEESECAKE

Adapted from Abbeys Infamous Cheesecake and Maeda Hatter's Polka Dot Cheesecake Recipe

CRUST
1 3/4 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/2 stick butter, melted 

3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

CHEESECAKE
2 lbs cream cheese
1 3/4 cup sugar 
4 large eggs 
1 tsp. vanilla extract 
1/2 tsp. almond extract 

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Fill a large roasting pan with warm water and set aside.

Mix together the crust ingredients and press into an 8" springform pan (I used a 9" because that was all I had, but I wish I had an 8" so it would have been taller). Press crust along the bottom of the pan (do not press to the sides).  Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.  Set aside and let cool as you make the cheesecake.

Place cream cheese in the bowl of a stand-mixer and beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment for several minutes until smooth, scraping sides and bottom often to incorporate all cream cheese. When the cheese has been mixed well, add the vanilla and almond extracts and sugar and beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, until just combined. Do not overbeat.  

Remove 1/3 of the cheesecake mixture and place it in a separate bowl.  Pour the remaining cheesecake mixture into the prepared pan and set aside.

Combine melted chocolate and the cheesecake mixture until incorporated fully. Place chocolate mixture in pastry bag fitted with a plain #6 tip (1/2 inch) (or you can use a Ziploc bag with the end clipped). Working at table height (you will have more control than at counter height), plunge the tip of the tube in the center of the top of the cake, inserting it only slightly into the cake. Squeeze out some of the chocolate mixture. It will form a ball (tennis ball – or golf ball-size, precise and perfectly round) in the cake and will leave a dark polka dot about 2 inches wide on the top of the cake.

Then, using the same procedure, squeeze out six balls around the rim. In order to space the six balls evenly, place the first one at twelve o’clock (straight up). The next at six o’clock (straight down). Then two on each side. Doing it this way, the chances are that the spacing will be quite even. The balls around the rim should be smaller than the one in the center, and they should not touch each other or the center ball. If you have some chocolate mixture left over add it to the center ball; if you still have some left over add a bit to each of the other balls.    

The top of the cake will not be smooth and level now, but it will level itself during baking. When baked, the polka dot in the center will be about 2 ½ inches wide, the dots around the rim will be about 1 ½ inches wide.

Place the cake pan into the larger pan. Place it in the oven and pour hot water into the larger pan about 1 ½ inches deep. If the larger pan is aluminum, add about ½ tsp cream of tartar to prevent the water from discoloring the pan.)

Bake for 1 ½ hours. The top of the cake will still be come golden brown and it will feel dry to the touch but the cake will still be very soft inside (it will become firm when it has cooled and been refrigerated).

Lift the cake pan out of the water and place it on a cake rack. Cool the cake in the pan for 2 ½ hours. 
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.        

To serve, dip a sharp knife in very hot water or hold it under running hot water before making each cut, shake off the water but do not dry the blade. Make the irst cut through the middle of one of the smaller dots and the second cut (the one that will release the first portion between two of the smaller dots. 

Comments

[carolina]

I love polka dots. This is wonderful girl. I love it so much!!!

[Kitchen M]

How cute!

[Tangled Noodle]

This is gorgeous! It came out so perfectly - my cheesecakes (I haven't made one in at least 5 years) tasted good but always LOOKED obviously homemade. Thanks for the all the tips, especially about baking in a water bath rather just popping the pan straight into the oven. Is that what helps it from cracking (my biggest cheesecake issue). Outstanding!

[pinkstripes]

YUM! I'm glad it was a success. I love the polka dots.

[Laura]

Love the polka dots!

[ingrid]

That's one awesome looking cheesecake! You did a fantastic job, HOLLA! LOL, couldn't help myself!

Btw, it took me reading the post twice before I got the second reason for "late". My mind went somewhere else and couldn't get passed you're being late.
~ingrid

[lauren]

your cheesecake looks awesome!

[Valérie]

The polka dots are so original! I love it! Great job!

[Cakelaw]

This is so cute Teanna! Love the Alice in Wonderland reference.

[Peasepudding]

Fabulous, what a beautiful interpretation! And the Mad Hatter & Alice would be honoured to have it at their tea party!

[Lisa]

I've done zebra cheesecakes before, but never a polka dot cheesecake! I LOVE IT! It's so artsy and cute - and you executed it perfectly. Great job, and lovely blog :)

[Jenny Tan]

I love your story about your 'encounter' with cheesecake! And I would LOVE to live in your imaginary country too! Such a adorable cheesecake! :)

[asti]

Lovely cheesecake, lovely blog and lovely post! I'm putting you on my favourites now. Thanks for sharing how to make the polka dots, I've been wanting to do it. Great job!

[Lillian]

Polka dots! Our DB cheesecake didn't look nearly as nice, but it tasted pretty good.

[jennybakes]

I'm over a month late in commenting, but this looks so adorable! I'm glad the recipe was such a hit.

Jenny of JennyBakes

[Bob - Cheesecake Recipes]

That is a great looking cheesecake, I hope to have time later this week to bake it. Is there a healthier alternative to using regular cheesecake?

[Bob - Cheesecake Recipes]

This is an amazing looking cheesecake, I hope to have time later this week to bake it! Do you know of a healthier alternative to regular cheesecake?

[YONA]

I read this after 1 year u posted it. Thank you for your passion. I will make it next week for my friend bday. Cant wait for the result.....

[nfl jerseys]

Wow - that looks wonderful! It's absolutely beautiful and sounds delicious, too. Good job on this one!

[Christian Louboutin Outlet]

Your composition is very good, hope to have the opportunity to read more of your article!