I had actually originally envisioned this cake with lashings of Irish Cream mousse piped into a dome towards the centre so it gives this cake a little bit of height and more character. Instead, I opted for classic strawberries & a sprig of rosemary for colour.
The inside is white so I think the contract would have been lovely.
This recipe calls for a quarter of a cup of coffee beans (whole) to be simmered with 1 cup of cream for about 15-20 minutes. The shortcut I suppose would be to add a shot or two of coffee directly into the cream cheese mixture. However, I think that this additional step provides a more subtle flavour and a nicer colour! (Looks just like the New York Cheesecake but packed with coffee essence - it literally warms up the whole kitchen).
A second technique that is unique to this baked cheesecake is that the eggs are separated and yolks and whites used in two separate steps. Usually, the whites are beaten to soft peaks in a no-bake cheesecake for added volume and to aerate the mixture. However, this step is usually omitted in a baked cheesecake as these cakes are usually suppose to be quite dense. So it is very interesting (and highly risky) to do this in a baked cheesecake. I think more times than not, the additional volume causes the cake to crack upon cooling. I wouldn't say it definitely gives me volume to the cake once cooled and refrigerated - and certainly not as much as the Japanese Cheesecake - but perhaps provides a subtle yet different texture?
