Recipes of Cheese Cakes

Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients :

For the base :

- 300 grams chocolate cookies

- 150 grams unsalted butter, melted

For the filling :

- 300 grams chopped chocolate, 60% cocoa solids

- 900 grams cream cheese

- 190 grams caster sugar

-  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 4 eggs

- 150 ml soured cream

- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

For the topping :

- cocoa powder, for dusting

- 4-5 strawberries, halved

Method :

* Heat the oven to 180'C. Grease a 23 cm springform cake tin.

* For the base : Crush the cookies to crumbs in a food processor. Stir in the butter and press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly onto the base and sides of the tin.

* For the filling : melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering (not boiling) water. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

* Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in the sugar and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

* Mix together the soured cream and cocoa and stir into the cheese mixture. Stir in the chocolate and mix until smooth. Be careful not to overmix or the cheese will split.

* Pour into the tin and bake for about 1 hour until the filling is just set, but still wobbly in the center. Leave to cool completely in the tin. Chill until ready to serve.

* Remove the cake from the tin and dust thickly with cocoa powder. Arrange the strawberries on top of the cake.