I thought that it was about time that I ordered myself some more cakes from Heavenly Cakes. Last year I was introduced to this lovely company after seeing some reviews on The Snack Review and following that I reviewed their Billionaire's Brownie, Royal Eton Mess and the awesome Marathon Flapjack which was featured in my Best of 2012 post. I loved all of these cakes so l had high hopes for my next order!
The Baked Cheesecake Brownie seemed like a good place to start. I tried to bake my own cheesecake brownies last year but being a terrible cook they didn't turn out well at all, they looked nothing like this marbled version from Heavenly Cakes. But I am not reviewing my own baking which is a good thing as I would not score highly!
There is a biscuit base on this cake, I have tried other cheesecake brownies (not be be confused with brownie cheesecake) and I don't think that any of them had a base like this. The base almost had 2 layers to it; the first bit was very crumbly and when I sliced the cake in half to share with the husband, I did lose quite a bit of it; the 2nd part closest to the brownie was very moist verging on soggy.
The thing that I haven't mastered in my own baking of cheesecake brownies is the texture; I have found it quite difficult to get the perfect texture of the cheese and brownie elements. I either end up with a soggy mess or something too far too dry which makes the cheese seem almost powdery. Like I said I am a terrible cook, but I know food and what Heavenly Cakes have managed with their Cheesecake Brownie, I must compliment them on!
Yes the biscuit base is a little soggy in places but the brownie and cheese combination is delicious. It was somehow creamy and stodgy at the same time, but in a good way. The brownie is very rich and VERY chocolatey and then the cream cheese swirls add the lovely and fairly subtle cheesecake flavor.
Verdict This may not be the prettiest looking cake and the base may have been a bit inconsistent but you know what, this is probably the best cheesecake brownie that I have tasted. Heavenly Cakes has created the perfect balance of cream cheese and chocolate and I think the fact that they kept the brownie the main feature of this cake rather than a 50:50 mix is what makes this so good, it's not meant to be a cheesecake, it's a brownie!
