Orange Cheesecake With Brandy
A showstopper cake to crown a festive meal or mark a special occasion. This spiced orange cheesecake is sugar free, low carb and gluten free
Servings: 16
Calories: 319kcal
Ingredients
Crust
- 1.5 cup pecans 200g
- 1 cup almond flour 100g (I used ground almonds)
- ¼ cup butter 50g, melted
- 3 tablespoon granulated sweetener
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 cardamom husks shells removed, seeds only
Filling
- 6 eggs
- 21 oz cream cheese 600g, full fat
- ½ cup heavy cream 120ml
- 2-3 tablespoon brandy
- zest of 1 ½ oranges finely grated
- 1 tablespoon orange extract
- ½ cup powdered sweetener 100g
To Decorate
- dried or fresh orange slices, orange zest
Instructions
- Line the base of a springform tin (20-22 cm diameter, 8-9 inch) with baking paper and grease the sides.
Crust
- Grind the pecans in a food processor to flour. Add the melted butter, almond flour, sweetener and spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom seeds) and blend until combined.
- Press the crust mixture firmly into the base of the springform. This can be done with your fingers or the back of a spoon. Refrigerate while you make the cheesecake filling.
- Preheat the oven to 160 Celsius / 320F electric.
Filling
- Beat the eggs until creamy and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese, heavy cream, sweetener, brandy, orange extract and orange zest and mix until just combined. Taste and add more sweetener if required.
- Pour the mixture onto the cake base. Place in the oven over an oven-proof bowl filled 2 fingers high with just boiled water. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until just set and golden on top.
- Let the cake cool completely in the tin. Then, remove from the springform and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
Dehydrated orange slices: Preheat the oven to 90 Celsius. Thinly slice 2 oranges, remove any seeds and lay out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sweetener and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Bake for 2 hours or until dried out and crisp. This can be done 1-2 days in advance.
Crust: If you do not have the exact spices listed, substitute with pumpkin spice or mixed spice - they normally include ginger and cinnamon. This idea is to get a wintery vibe for the base.
Topping: The dried oranges can be eaten including the peel and are well worth the effort. I can understand though that not everyone wants to spend the time. Alternatively, you could top the cake with whipped cream, orange zest and pomegranate seeds. Add orange extract and a teaspoon of brandy to your whipped cream! I have not included the orange slices in the nutrition calculation.
Nutrition
Calories: 319kcal | Total Carbohydrates: 6.4g | Protein: 7.8g | Fat: 29.7g | Saturated Fat: 11.7g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 2.7g | Sugar: 2.2g