Recipe: Baked Chocolate & Cherry Cheesecake
Baked Chocolate & Cherry Cheesecake by Mercy Fenton.
"I’m not a black forest gateau fan but understand the appeal, so I didn’t expect to really like this baked cheesecake take on it - I was totally surprised," says Mercy Fenton in her weekly column.
"The chocolate in the cheesecake is just right and the texture is beautifully smooth and creamy. The fresh cherries bake beautifully under the cheesecake. Finally, the creamy topping keeps everything light and delicious. Enjoy!"
180gr digestive biscuits crushed
55gr 53% chocolate drops
60gr butter
- Line the base of a 9in inch springform tin with a disk of parchment and butter the sides of the ring.
- First prepare the biscuit base.
- Crush the biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin or use a food processor.
- Melt the chocolate and butter over a bain marie of water.
- Once melted and smooth, add the biscuit and mix well.
- Press well into the tin and smooth with the back of a spoon, chill.
- Bake at 150C for 10 minutes.
- Allow to cool while preparing the filling.
350gr cherries stoned
24 extra cherries left whole to decorate (optional)
120ml milk
400gr full fat cream cheese
100gr sugar
2 large free range eggs
2 yolks from large free range eggs
100gr dark chocolate drops
170ml cream
15gr unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 170C.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and the sugar.
- Add the egg and beat until the mix is smooth.
- Bring the cream to the boil and whisk in the cocoa powder.
- Pour the boiled cream over the chocolate drops, allow to sit for a few minutes then stir to ensure the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth, allow to cool to room temperature.
- Add the chocolate cream, to the cream cheese mix, and mix well.
- Pour onto the prepared cheesecake tin. And level carefully.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until just set in the centre, a small wobble is OK.
- Remove from the oven and, using a small, sharp knife, free the sides from the tin.
- Allow to cool and set fully before topping with the kirsch cream.
100ml cream
100ml milk
25gr sugar
3 egg yolks
10ml Kirsch, cherry brandy or brandy
1½ leaves gelatin (3.75gr)
125gr whipped cream
- Put the milk and cream in a small pot and bring just to the boil.
- Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl until pale and the sugar is slightly dissolved.
- Put the leaf gelatin in cold water to soak.
- Prepare a sieve over a clean bowl and sit the clean bowl into another with cold or iced water (this is to help cool the custard quickly so it doesn’t curdle.)
- Carefully, a little at a time, add the scalded milk and cream to the egg yolk mixture.
- Pour into a clean pot and cook gently over a low heat, stirring all the time until the mixture thickens.
- Once the mixture coats the back of a spoon, remove from the heat, quickly lift the softened gelatin from the water squeeze to remove excess water and add to the hot custard.
- Stir until the gelatin is dissolved, strain through a sieve into the clean bowl, then add the kirsch.
- As it cools, it will begin to set, once it is fully cool and thickening fold in the whipped cream.
- Carefully spread over the cold cheesecake and return to the fridge to set.
- To serve, carefully remove from the tin, decorate with cherries and shards of flake chocolate and whipped cream.
App?
