Chocolate Cheesecake

Baked a chocolate cheesecake – from Nigella’s cookbook – I modified it a little - turned out great – with its luscious-smooth-melt-in-the-mouth texture. Drizzled some chocolate ganache on it – merely for presentation. I’ve always loved baking with cream cheese – but sometimes I run out of ideas on what to bake with cream cheese. My next venture is on tiramisu – coming soon :)

Herewith is the recipe:

Ingredients:
Cheesecake base:
125 gm cream crackers
60 gm butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cocoa

Cheesecake filling:
175 dark chocolate, chopped small
500 gm Philadelphia cream cheese
150 gm castor sugar
1 tbsp custard powder
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
150 ml sour cream
1/2 tsp cocoa, dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water

Glaze (optional):
75 gm dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp golden syrup

Steps:
1. To make the cheesecake base, process the biscuits to make rough crumbs and then add the butter, sugar, and cocoa.

2. Mix with your hand until it makes damp, clumping crumbs and then press the biscuit crumbs into the bottom of the cake pan to make an even base and put into the freezer while you make the filling.

3. Preheat the oven to gas mark 180ºC. Put a kettle on to boil. Melt the chocolate, and set aside to cool slightly.

4. Beat the cream cheese to soften it (you should leave the cream cheese at room temperature before beating it - to prevent lumpiness in the cake), and then add the sugar and custard powder, beating again to combine. Beat in the whole eggs and then the yolks, and the sour cream. Finally add the cocoa dissolved in hot water and the melted chocolate, and mix to a smooth batter.

5. Take the cake pan out of the freezer. Pour in the cheesecake filling.

6. Sit the cake pan in a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with hot water to come about halfway up the cake tin, and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should still have a wobble to it.

7. Let the cheesecake to cool. Put in the fridge once it’s no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with clingfilm, overnight.

8. To make the chocolate glaze, very gently melt the chopped chocolate and golden syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little, and then sprinkle it over the chocolate cheesecake on its serving plate.

9. Indulge in its sinful smooth texture.