Pigeon Cottage Kitchen

I’ve making the plain vanilla version of this for ages and then I had a request for a special chocolate dessert for my sister-in-laws birthday lunch. So, this is my chocolate version of burnt Basque cheesecake. I wasn’t quite sure how it would turn out but there was no need to worry. Dear readers, it was DELICIOUS!!!

Serves 8 to 12

• 23cm clip sided cake tin and two large squares of baking parchment
• 3 x 280g tubs of Philadelphia cream cheese
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 350g golden caster sugar
• 350ml double cream
• 200g dark cook’s chocolate – 70% plus
• 25g cocoa powder plus a little more to dust at the end
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 pinch salt
• To serve: fresh strawberries or raspberries or black cherry compote

To make…

• If you’ve had your cream cheese in the fridge, take it out and bring it up to room temperature as this is important to the finished texture of the cheesecake.
• Preheat the oven to 220C.
• Lightly butter and then double-line the cake tin with baking parchment. Cut off two large pieces so that each piece covers and overlaps the bottom and the top stands up above and around the sides. This is important to support the cake when it rises during cooking, creates the creased side pattern and helps when it comes to removing the paper before serving. Stand it on a flat metal baking sheet. 
• Break the chocolate into small chunks and add to the cream in a small non-stick milk pan. Melt the chocolate over a low heat and whisk until smooth and completely combined.
• Beat the sugar and cream cheese together with an electric hand whisk or in a stand mixer. Keep beating until the mixture feels smooth. Pour the eggs in slowly, mixing constantly. Add the chocolate cream, vanilla, salt and cocoa powder and mix thoroughly. 
• Pour the creamy mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 45 minutes until well browned on top and almost set but still wobbly in the middle. It will firm up as it cools. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar and leave it to cool inside. This is what helps to give it its silky-smooth texture. 
• Once it’s completely cool unclip the sides of the cake tin and slide the cake onto a serving plate. Carefully peel the baking parchment away from the sides and then gently pull it from under the bottom from each side. This is why using two pieces of parchment helps. Dust the top with cocoa powder.
• Cut into slices and serve with your fruit of choice. Serve with fresh strawberries or raspberries, black cherry compote or pears poached in ginger syrup.

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