a trio of celebratory desserts...

We have had a run of orders for celebratory desserts lately, here at orenji catering. Mainly, these desserts have been commissioned by our clients in celebration of friends' or coworkers' birthdays. We are always flattered and excited to be a part of a special celebration... and especially enjoy the challenge of creating a "new" dessert for the occasion. Our next three posts will highlight three such recent creations...

The first of our "trio of celebratory desserts" was a small cheesecake that we created for an intimate birthday gathering. Our client indicated that the birthday girl enjoyed "fruit and chocolate," and let the rest up to us. So, naturally, we ran to the orenji catering test kitchens and set to work. In the end, our pastry chef created what he calls a "Re-invented Black Forest Cheesecake."

Traditionally, a Black Forest Gateau (or cake) is comprised of layers of chocolate cake, alternating with whipped cream and cherries. Common in Southern Germany, the cake layers are generally soaked with Kirschwasser-- a clear cherry brandy.

In re-inventing the dessert, we hoped to capture the original elements of a traditional Black Forest Gateau (chocolate, cherries, cream, brandy), while translating them to a cheesecake.

The cheesecake was stacked two layers high-- the bottom layer flavored with Belgian milk chocolate, and the top layer with white chocolate. A dark, crunchy chocolate cookie crust provided a much needed textural contrast and sweet foil for the mildly-sweetened cheesecake layers. Here at orenji catering we believe that the best cheesecakes are those that aren't so sweet as to be cloying, but rather, are just sweet enough to tickle the palate.




We then created a vanilla-infused compote of fresh locally produced cherries, which we added a splash of brandy too. Once chilled and thickened, we topped our two-layer cheesecake (representing the chocolate cake and whipped cream layers of the traditional dessert), with the compote. Belgian bittersweet chocolate lattice and decoration, as well as white chocolate curls completed this festive dessert.



We were pleased with our re-invented Black Forest Cheesecake, and hope it made our clients' friend's birthday gathering a smashing success. We look forward to creating a delicious dessert for your next event!