Chilled Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients

• Biscuit base
  • 140g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 300g dark chocolate digestive biscuits, crushed
• Cheesecake filling
  • 200g white chocolate
  • 300ml double cream
  • 350g soft cheese – I used 250g Quark and 200g Ricotta
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 100g dark chocolate (39% Cocoa solids)

This recipe is based on Mary Berry’s Chilled Marble Chocoolate Cheesecake where she advises to use a 39% cocoa solids chocolate so it mixes and melts better – originally I used 72% and the top went like a choc ice covering – it was nice but didn’t spread too well. Also the 39% will be a bit creamier in taste.

Method

• Line the base of a 23cm (9in) round, deep springform tin with a circle of baking parchment – you can buy in circles or use the base of the tin to draw a circle on the paper then just turn the paper upside down so the pen or pencil mark doesn’t come into contact with your cake.
• To make the cheesecake base – Crush the biscuits either in a food processor or by putting the biscuits in a really large bowl or better still a sealable large plastic food bag and beating them senseless with a rolling pin or other bat like weapon then mix with the melted butter and press into the base of the tin. Either have a mega thick bottom crust or go up the sides of the tin as well as the bottom, your choice. Level using the back of a spoon. Stick it into the fridge for an hour or so to set.
• To make the filling, put the chopped white chocolate in to a bowl and sit over a pan of just hot water. Leave to melt (but don’t allow it to get too hot), stirring occasionally, then set aside to cool a little.
• Reserve 3 tablespoons of the double cream. Pour the remainder into a large bowl, then add the cream cheese and vanilla. Whisk, using an electric hand whisk, until smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and whisk again until smooth and thick.
• Spoon about 6 tablespoons of the cheesecake filling into another small mixing bowl. Spoon the remaining mixture into the biscuit based tin and smooth over the top. Chill for 30 minutes.
• Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a simmering pan of water. Don’t let the water boil for too long – turn the heat off when the water starts to boil, the heat from the water will be enough to melt the chocolate. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Add the reserved double cream to the reserved cheesecake filling and mix together until smooth. Spoon over the set cheesecake mixture in the tin.
• Drizzle the cooled melted chocolate over the top of the cheesecake and use the blade of a knife to swirl the toppings together. Be quick or the cold cheesecake will solidify the chocolate and it won’t swirl as well.

Chill for a minimum of 2 hours, then turn out and cut into wedges to serve.

To prepare ahead: can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge.

To freeze: once set and chilled this freezes well.