Love it or loathe it, Instagram can be a delicious source of inspiration. Just ask The Cork & Craft pastry chef Brenda Gonzalez, who began spotting Japanese-style cheesecakes on her social media feed. She translated what she saw into the Zen Cheesecake, a new addition to the Rancho Bernardo restaurant’s menu.
“The Japanese style is to fold egg whites into the batter,” she says. “This makes for a lighter texture.” With her egg white base, Gonzalez then uses a cake comb to etch Zen lines in the “sand,” and adds lavender-flavored cake crumbs, chocolate-dipped cheesecake “stones,” fresh fruit, and a scoop of mango sorbet. Forget yoga—this is the new path to Zen.
16990 Via Tazon, Rancho Bernardo
Sweet Spot: Zen Cheesecake at The Cork & Craft
Japanese-style cheesecake at The Cork & Craft. | Photo: Jenny Siegwart
