chocolate cheesecake

 

Ingredients

• 900g cream cheese
• 190g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 200g chocolate, roughly chopped

For the base

• 200g digestive biscuits
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 150g unsalted butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150C Gas 2.

2.For the base: Roughly break up the digestive biscuits and put them in a food processor with the cocoa powder. Process until finely ground.

3. Slowly pour the melted butter into the processor while the motor is running. Press this mixture into the base of a 23-cm springform cake tin greased and base lined with greaseproof paper.

4. Press this mixture inot the base of the prepared cake tin, using the ball of your hand or a tablespoon to flatten and compress it. Refridgerate while you make the topping.

5. Put the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract in a electric mixer or use a handheld electric whisk and beat on slow speed until you get a very smooth, thick mixture.

6. Add one egg at a time while still mixing. Scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl after adding the second and last eggs.

7. Mix till smooth and creamy, the mixer can be turned up to a higher speed at the end of to make the mix a little lighter and fluffier. Be careful not to overmix or the cheese will split.

8. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (don't allow the base of the bowl to touch the water).

9. Spoon a little of the cream cheese mixture into the melted chocolate, stir to mix then add a little more. This will even out the temperatures of the two mixutures. Eventually stir all the cream cheese mixture chocolate mixture until combined.

10. Spoon the mixture onto the cold base. Put the tin inside a deep baking tray and and fill with water util it reaches two-thirds of the way up the cake tine. Bake for 40 -50 minutes, checking regularly after 40 minutes.

11. Don't overcook it should be wobbly in the centre. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, then cover and refridgerate overnight before serving.