Benihana Mandarin Orange Cheesecake

[kaci]

Benihana Mandarin Orange Cheesecake


CAKE:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

CREAM CHEESE LAYER:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 envelope Dream Whip
1/2 cup low-fat milk
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
5 drops yellow food coloring
1 drop red food coloring

TOPPING:
2 15-ounce cans mandarin oranges (in light syrup)
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

NUT CRUST:
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (2.25-ounce bag)

ICING:
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla


To make cake layer, combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a medium bowl. Add dry ingredients to the butter and mix well. Mix in milk, vanilla and 1 egg.
Pour into a well-greased 9-inch spring form pan (or line it with parchment
paper). Slam pan down on the counter a few times to even out the batter.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the cake is
light brown on top.

For the cream cheese layer, combine gelatin with 3/4 cup sugar in a medium
bowl. Add boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Set this aside.

Prepare Dream Whip by whipping together 1 envelope of Dream Whip and 1/2 cup
milk with an electric mixer in another medium bowl. Whip it good until the
topping makes stiff peaks.

In another bowl, whip the cream cheese with vanilla, orange extract, lemon
juice and food coloring in a large bowl until smooth. Slowly add the gelatin
mixture while beating.

Add half (about 1 cup) of the Dream Whip to the cream cheese mixture and
beat until smooth.

Pour this mixture over the cake layer in the spring form pan. Chill for 2
hours or until firm.

Pour all liquid except 1/2 cup from the cans of mandarin oranges wedges.
Heat the 1/2 cup liquid in the microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or
until hot. Dissolve 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin in the liquid. Combine
liquid with orange wedges and pour over the top of the firmed-up cheesecake
that's still in the spring form pan. Chill the cake for at least 2 more
hours.

For the crunchy nut crust, combine 1 tablespoon water with 2 tablespoons
sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. When sugar is dissolved and
liquid begins to boil, add the hazelnuts and stir until nuts are coated.
Stir often until the water has cooked off, then continue to stir until the
sugar begins to caramelize and turn light brown. Be careful not to burn the
nuts. The nuts are done when they are light brown and glazed with candied
sugar. Pour the nuts onto a plate and let them cool completely. When the
candied nuts are cool, chop them up in a food processor until they are the
consistency of crumbs.

Make the icing by combining shortening with powdered sugar, milk and
vanilla.

When the mandarin orange gelatin has firmed up on top of the cake, remove
the cake from the springform pan. Use a spatula to spread the icing around
the edge of the cake. Press the hazelnut crumbs onto the icing around the
edge of the cake (you've got more than enough hazelnut crumbs and much of it will fall off as you press it on the sides). Chill the cake for at least
another hour before serving. To serve, cut cake into 12 slices.

Makes 12 servings.