Winning-Hand “Blank Canvas” Sponge Cheesecake Wine Pairing

As you know, I have partnered with Woody Lodge Winery in Ashville, Pennsylvania to bring you a variety of wonderful table wines that offer unique and fun twists when it comes to flavor. The best part of today’s post? That you can get 15% off your first order of the fantastic Queen of Hearts or the Jack of Diamonds wines that I’m featuring today with the codes QH15 and JD15! By the way, Woody Lodge Winery just opened their Instagram account too, and would love to welcome you as a follower, so be sure to check them out.

For today’s wine pairing selection, I chose two wines that work equally well with this cheesecake recipe, Queen of Hearts and Jack of Diamonds. Both are fabulous and highlight any cheese flavors beautifully. Queen of Hearts is an award-winner, blush pink rosé that you can literally drink all day, while Jack of Diamonds is a semi-sweet Diamond grape varietal, with refreshing hints of citrusy grapefruit.

Out of many cheese-based dishes, cheesecake is one that works great with these wines for a dessert course. And this is a cheesecake that you MUST make! I’m not kidding! This very special recipe is a true, no-fail, go-to, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G recipe. It only has 3 mandatory ingredients, and opens the door to endless variations! As you will see, I made a pretty simple, no-frills version with just a hint of vanilla and a dusting of confectionary sugar, as I wanted to share with you the very basics first. However, I highly encourage you to experiment with this recipe to make it yours. This is a cheesecake that will not disappoint, and will get you rave reviews every time, I promise you!

By the way, don’t think this is a New York-style, dense cheesecake. Nooooo! This is a soft, spongey cloud of melt-in-your mouth creaminess, and I should warn you that it is HIGHLY addictive! It is absolutely delicious both plain and dressed-up. For example, you could keep it plain and serve it with a chocolate or caramel syrups (or have both ready and let guests choose!), or even with dulce de leche. You can also add fresh fruits or any kind of jam or preserves on top. And you can definitely experiment with the ingredients, such as adding almond or orange blossom instead of vanilla extract, or use other soft cheeses instead of cream cheese. I have made it with dulce de leche instead of regular condensed milk, which works well too. You can also make it savory, with blue cheese, and serve it with caramelized onions, walnuts or pecans, and some micro-greens, as a starter, for example. Again, play with it and give it your signature.

So without further ado, here is the recipe that is a staple in my pantry!

“Blank Canvas” Sponge Cheesecake

Ingredients

4 large eggs [If your eggs are not large, you can use 5 medium ones]
Dash of salt
8 oz (230 grams) package of cream cheese
4 oz (120 grams) ricotta cheese [You can use all cream cheese, if you want]
7 oz (200 grams) sweet condensed milk [This is about half of a 14 ounce can. You can use a bit more, if you want it sweeter. I prefer to add the sweetness on the toppings.]
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Instructions

Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
In one large bowl, thoroughly mix yolks, cream cheese, cottage cheese (if using), and condensed milk. You can do it with a fork, but I prefer to do it with an immersion (or regular) blender.
Whisk the egg whites with the dash of salt to stiff peaks.
Fold the egg whites into the milk mixture carefully, until well-combined. Do not over mix! You can do it with a spatula, but I prefer to do it with a large, balloon whisk.
Pour the batter into a 6-8 inch (15-20 cm) springform or removable-bottom mold that has been prepared with parchment paper on the bottom, and secured with aluminum paper on the outside to prevent water coming into the mold.
Place mold in a one-third-deep water bath or “Bain Marie” in a 350F (180C) conventional oven for about 40-45 minutes or until the top is deep golden brown.
Once it looks baked, turn off the oven, open its door slightly, and leave the cheesecake inside until it cools down completely.
Unmold and dust with powdered sugar to serve. You can serve it at room temperature or cold. Keep refrigerated!

[You can also add (or serve it with) whipped cream, sweet sauces, or fresh fruits. Feel free to experiment with other kinds of soft cheeses as well, including savory options! To make the caramel option, you can substitute regular condensed milk for dulce de leche.]