Malted Milk Ball Cheesecake

There’s something special about the flavor of malted milk. When I was in high school, I worked at the front desk of a hotel, and across the parking lot was the Medford Café. I would get dinner from the café and always ordered their classic malt. I always wondered what was in malted milk, and when I finally looked it up, I was horrified by the ingredients! Malt powder is made from grains, typically barley, which are not part of a keto diet. It was tricky to recreate that malted milk flavor without barley. After experimenting for a few years (yes, years), I finally found the perfect malted milk flavor! It is a superfood called maca powder.

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus time to chill overnight

Cook time: 1 hour

Yield: one 8-inch cake (16 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST:

• 3½ tablespoons unsalted butter (or coconut oil if dairy-free), plus extra for the pan
• 1½ ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• ⅓ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener
• 1 teaspoon stevia glycerite
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (about 8 inches long), or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

FILLING:

• 6 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese (Kite Hill brand cream cheese style spread if dairy-free)
• ¾ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener
• ½ cup maca powder
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (about 8 inches long), or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs

GANACHE

• 1 cup heavy cream (or full-fat coconut milk if dairyfree)
• ⅓ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (about 8 inches long), or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

• 8-inch springform pan

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch springform pan, then line it with parchment paper and grease the paper.
2. Mix together the crust ingredients, then press the crust mixture into the prepared pan.
3. Combine the cream cheese, sweetener, maca powder, and vanilla with a hand mixer until blended. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low after each addition, just until blended. Pour the batter on top of the crust in the springform pan.
4. Set up a water bath: Wrap aluminum foil entirely around the bottom and halfway up the sides of the springform pan to prevent water from leaking into the removable bottom of the pan. Place the wrapped pan inside a roasting pan (or any baking dish with sides) and place the pans in the oven. Pour hot water into the roasting pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the springform pan. (Note: A water bath helps cook the cheesecake evenly; however, the cheesecake can be baked without it. See the note on here if you choose not to use a water bath.) Bake for 1 hour or until the center of the cheesecake is almost set. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing the outer ring. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight.
5. Just before serving, make the ganache: Bring the cream and sweetener to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, vanilla, and salt. Stir, then allow to sit for 3 minutes. Stir again until completely smooth. Pour the ganache over the chilled cheesecake, then place the cake in the refrigerator to set for 10 minutes before serving.
6. Store extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.