Orange Marmalade Cheesecake Using Paneer

A totally divine creamy baked paneer cheesecake with a tangy orange flavour.

For today’s recipe, it is a baked cheesecake using paneer. This is a cheesecake without cream cheese and gelatin. Cream cheese because it is not easily available and gelatin because I prefer a baked cheesecake to a no bake cheesecake. If you love no-bake desserts you should try this amazing mango pudding with coconut milk.

We are a dessert family and cheesecakes are our favourite. This year, for my husband’s birthday I landed up baking an Oreo coffee cheesecake with a gooey caramel topping. But for known occasions, it is easy to plan and buy cream cheese beforehand. The problem is we do not live in a town where cream cheese is readily available and my cravings don’t want to reconcile with that. So I am always forced to look for alternatives and substitutes.

How to make paneer for this zesty orange marmalade cheesecake recipe?

Paneer can be bought in grocery stores but the most cost-effective way is to make paneer at home. It is a very quick process and requires hardly any effort on your part. All you need is just two ingredients.

To make 500 grams of paneer, boil approximately one litre of milk on medium-low. When the milk comes to a boil, add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir occasionally. The milk curdles and is separated into curd and whey. It took me approximately 10 minutes for the milk to curdle. Remove the pan from heat and let it cool a bit. Meanwhile, spread a fine muslin cloth over a colander and hold it over another bowl. Pour the milk mixture into the cloth. The water which is the whey will be collected below. Pour the whey into a clean container and chill until needed.

The paneer will remain in the cloth. Now keeping the paneer in the colander, rinse it with water to remove the smell of lemon. Bring all the edges of the cloth together making the paneer into a ball. Tie all the edges of the cloth together or use a rubber band or a pouch clip to make a bag with the cloth. Let it rest on the colander for an hour until the water drains.

After resting, the paneer is ready to be used. Homemade paneer can be stored for a couple of days when chilled. It can be added to curries, omelettes or in this case, cheesecake recipes!

Paneer is also made at home when the milk spoils. In the above method, you are artificially spoiling the milk by adding lemon juice which makes the milk to curdle. So next time when the milk spoils at home don’t waste it. Just keep boiling the milk until it separates.

Why is it necessary to separate the eggs for this recipe?

I have tried the recipe both ways just because I love taking the easy route whenever possible. But I found that paneer makes the cheesecake very dense. So beating the egg whites separately until stiff and then folding it into the cheesecake batter changes the texture of the cheesecake to light and airy.

Do you need a water bath for this delicious cheesecake recipe?

I am not a very patient person. So I tend to skip steps whenever possible. That’s how I found that the water bath was not necessary for this recipe. The cheesecake was baked just right and did not crack as the traditional cream cheese cheesecake usually does.

Which base to use for the cheesecake crust?

For the cheesecake base, I have used good day biscuit. Mainly because that was the only biscuits available in my pantry. You can also use digestive biscuits, graham crackers or any other kind. Just make sure you add a tablespoon of sugar for the base if you are using biscuits with less sugar. You can also try ginger biscuits. They go perfectly well with orange marmalade.

In a nutshell

How to make the best baked cheesecake using paneer?

• The most important tip for this recipe is to use orange marmalade which you not only love but you also make sure the marmalade is in the consistency of jam. It should not be runny. If you follow this one simple step then there is no real reason for this cheesecake to go wrong.
• When blending the paneer in a food processor, the pureed paneer should be silky smooth.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff. Since we are using paneer, the airiness of the egg whites is totally necessary to make a light and airy cheesecake.
• Folding the egg whites helps retain the air to the cheesecake. Do not over mix the egg whites into the cheesecake batter.  At the same time make sure there are no lumps in the batter.
• Remove from the oven when the cheesecake is just done. The centre should be jiggly(don’t know if it is a real word!) and just set.
• Completely cool the cheesecake before chilling it for at least 6 hours.
• This amazing light cheesecake can be stored for up to 3 days when chilled.

Health benefits of paneer

Paneer is a very rich source of protein, especially for vegetarians.

It is low in fat, low in carbs and lower in calories. Full fat paneer is also richer in protein when compared to full-fat cream cheese. So this is a healthier cheesecake when compared to cheesecakes with cream cheese and sour cream.

So what are the uses of whey from homemade paneer?

When making paneer at home with milk, the milk curdles. The water that is separated from the curd is called whey. Here at home, we don’t waste the whey. It is rich in protein and it is basically tasteless. So we try to use it in any way possible. It does not alter the taste of your food. Whey can be stored up to 3 days when refrigerated. Here are some of my ideas on how to use whey!

• Add it to smoothies and fruit juices
• Replace water with whey to cook rice, pasta
• Use whey instead of water for soups
• Can be used in gravies or curries
• And in cases where the time is up for the whey, water your plants with it!

For more orange flavoured baked goods try my favourite almonds cookies with orange zest  or my orange cake with semolina

Print Recipe

Orange Marmalade Cheesecake Using Paneer

(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

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Serves: 9 inch springfoam pan

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 50 minutes

A totally divine creamy baked paneer cheesecake with a tangy orange flavor.

Ingredients

• 300 grams biscuits - digestive, good day, graham crackers
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 500 grams paneer
• 120 grams honey
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 140 grams orange marmalade, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 160 C. (320°F). Line the bottom of a baking pan with parchment paper.

2

In a food processor, crumble the biscuit until grainy in texture.

3

In a medium bowl, mix in butter and the crumbled biscuits.

4

Add the biscuit mixture to the lined pan. Using your hands or a back of a measuring cup, press the mixture to the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Keep aside until completely cooled.

5

In the food processor, add paneer, flour, honey, vanilla, salt and the egg yolks. Blitz until you get a silky smooth mixture.

6

In a medium bowl, whisk the orange marmalade thoroughly until smooth.

7

Pour paneer batter into the marmalade. Add in the zest. Stir until combined. Keep aside.

8

In another separate bowl, beat the egg whites on high with 2 teaspoons of sugar until stiff peaks are formed. About 5 minutes.

9

Now add half the egg whites to the paneer and fold gently.

10

Fold in the remaining egg whites until the cheesecake batter is smooth without any lumps.

11

Lightly butter the sides of the baking pan. Pour in the paneer batter over the biscuit layer and bake for 50 minutes or until the center is just set.

12

Remove from oven and cool completely. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving.

Notes

This cheesecake can be stored for up to 3 days when refrigerated.