Spiros Mariatos of Cheesycakes in Amsterdam, Holland and I did a Cook Live on Instagram and this is Spiro’s recipe for his famous ‘Greek’ cheesecake. I love and respect the emphasis that Spiros places on the quality of the ingredients. This is the basic recipe for his chilled cheesecake. You can choose whatever topping takes your fancy to complement the flavours and decorate the cake with.
I chose rose loukoumi, masticha and rose marshmallows and candied lemon but other than chocolate and fudge, most things would go with a yogurt based cheesecake. Certainly fresh red summer fruit would compliment the cake very well.
I can’t wait to visit Amsterdam just to eat Spiros’ cheesecake!
Ingredients (serves 8-10)
For the base
- 220g digestive biscuits
- 160g butter, melted
- 50g caster sugar
For the filling
- 200g cream cheese
- 200ml double cream
- 400g Greek yogurt
- 100g caster sugar
- Gelatin leaves (15g)
- ½ lemon (juice)
Method
Start by blooming the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5-6 minutes.
Crush the biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin or in a blender to crumb consistency. Mix with the butter and spread on the base of a 23cm loose base cake tin. Press with the back of a spoon to flatten and smooth this layer.
In a bowl, beat the double cream with an electric mixer to soft peaks.
Squeeze the gelatin leaves to drain all the water and drop into 100ml of hot water. Stir to melt completely.
In a second bowl, beat the cream cheese to loosen up a little, add the Greek yogurt and sugar and continue beating for a few seconds to fully incorporate. Add the gelatin and lemon juice and using a hand whisk this time mix again and lastly, fold in the beaten double cream. Whisk to blend everything thoroughly and spoon the cheese mixture into the cake tin over the biscuit base. Tap the cake tin gently on your work surface to remove any air bubbles and have a smooth surface and place the cake tin in the fridge. Leave to chill for a few hours or preferably overnight.
To decorate:
Rose flavoured Loukoumi, rose petals, rose wrapped and Masticha flavoured marshmallows and candied lemon peel.
Here is the photo showing the cake as per the recipe.
