Recipe: Mascarpone Cheese Mousse Cake

Ingredients – Filling:

• 454 grams of cream cheese stored at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs stored at room temperature
• 454 grams of mascarpone stored at room temperature

Ingredients – Crust:

• a box of Italian sugar finger biscuits
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoon sugar (optional, depending on how sweet you would like your crust)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Combine crumbs, butter and sugar and stir together. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan and bake for about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
2. Change the oven heat to 160 degrees and get out a large roasting pan that will fit the springform pan. Cover the sides and bottom of the springform pan very, very well with aluminum foil.
3. In a food processor, blend sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Add in vanilla extract and the eggs, one at a time, until blended and smooth. Add in mascarpone and process again.
4. Pour into the crust and place in roasting pan. Place the pan in the oven and fill halfway up the sides of the springform with warm water. Bake for 55 minutes at 160 degrees.
5. Thereafter, turn off the oven and leave the cake inside for 20-30 minutes, until the center just seems set but will still ripple when the pan is jiggled (I left mine in for a bit longer, about 35 minutes, since it seemed a bit loose).
6. Remove from water bath and cool compeletely on a wire rack.
7. Gently place Italian sugar finger biscuits on the outer edges of the cheese mousse cake.
8. When it has cooled, refrigerate overnight or until cold, before serving.