Cherry & Chocolate Cheesecake
Time of preparation: 50 Minutes
Time of cooking: 120 Minutes
Ingredients for the cheesecake
| Butter (unsalted) | 150 grams |
| Dark Chocolate Digestives | 300 grams |
| Caster Sugar | 100 grams |
| Cornflour | 3 table spoon |
| Full-fat cream cheese | 900 grams |
| Eggs | 2 large |
| Double cream | 100 grams |
| Orange | 1 |
| Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) | 50 grams |
Steps for the cheesecake
| 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease and line the bottom and sides of a 24cm spring form cake tin with butter. |
| 2. Finely crumble the biscuits into a bowl then mix in the melted butter. |
| 3. When it’s well combined, spoon it into the cake tin, spread it evenly so it covers the base, then press it down. |
| 4. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, then let it cool. Turn the oven up to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. |
| 5. Combine the sugar and cornflour in a bowl, then add the cream cheese and beat well. |
| 6. Add the eggs and beat again until the mixture is smooth and light. |
| 7. Slowly beat in the cream, then add the halved vanilla seeds and zest of the orange, and beat again. |
Ingredients for the cherries
| Dried sour cherries | 300 grams |
| Caster Sugar | 3 heaped table spoon |
| Orange | 1 |
| Cinnamon Stick | 1 |
| Vanilla Pod (halved length ways) | 1 |
Steps for the cherries
| 8. To prepare the cherries, add them to a pan with the sugar, the zest of the orange, the juice of half, and the cinnamon. |
| 9. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod add to the pan, then put it on a low-to-medium heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. |
| 10. Take it off the heat and leave to cool. |
| 11. Using a slotted spoon, take half the cherries out of the pan and gently fold them into the cheesecake mix with the chocolate. |
| 12. Spoon this over the biscuit base, and gently shake the cake tin to level out the surface. |
| 13. Pop a few cherries on top and gently press them in. Scoop the remaining cherries and juices into a small bowl to serve with the cheesecake. |
| 14. Put the cheesecake in the centre of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is lightly brown and the edges have set. |
| Tips; If it looks like it’s browning too much, cover the top with some tin foil for the rest of the cooking time. When the time’s up, take the cake out of the oven and either leave it to cool at room temperature, or, if you like your cheesecake really firm, pop it in the fridge until completely chilled |
Ingredients for the chocolate sauce
| Dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) | 100 grams |
| Single Cream | 200 ml |
Steps for the chocolate sauce
| 15. Just before serving, make the chocolate sauce. |
| 16. Pour the single cream into a small pan and place over a low heat. |
| 17. Cook until it just starts to bubble, then add the chocolate and whisk gently until it has all melted. |
| 18. Serve your gorgeous cheesecake with the bowl of reserved cherries and a jug of warm chocolate sauce on the side so people can drizzle over as much or as little as they like. |
