chocolate cheesecake

When I made my last Japanese cheesecake, my cousin B requested for a chocolate version of it and with his birthday coming up, it was only fitting that I make one for his birthday. Unfortunately Harumi (the last recipe I used) didn't have a chocolate version of it and well given that recipe was for a Japanese cheesecake (which is by nature light and fluffy), changing the recipe didn't seem like a particularly good idea. Chocolate is unquestionably rich and without too much more thinking , I knew which recipe I'd use - Nigella's 'Chocolate Cheesecake' from her book 'Feast'.

Start by making the base. Process 125g digestive biscuits to make rough crumbs and then add 60g melted butter and 1 tbsp cocoa. Combine till you form rough crumbs and then tip them into a 23cm springform tin. Press the biscuit crumbs into the bottom of the tin to make an even base and put into the fridge while you make the filling.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Put the kettle on to boil. Melt 175g chopped dark chocolate and set aside to cool.

Beat 500g cream cheese to soften it, and then add 150g caster sugar and 1 tbsp custard powder and then beat again to combine. Beat in 3 whole eggs and then 3 egg yolks, and 150ml sour cream. Finally add 1/2 tsp cocoa (dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water) and the melted chocolate, and mix to a smooth batter.

Take the springform tin out of the fridge and line the outside of the tin with aluminium foil. Sit the springform tin in a roasting pan and pour in the cheesecake filling. Fill the roasting pan with just boiled water to come about halfway up the cake tin.

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.

The top of the cheesecake should be set, but the underneath should have a slight wobble to it.

Peel away the aluminium foil and sit the cheesecake in its tin on a rack to cool. Put it the fridge once it's no longer hot, and leave to set, covered with clingform over night.

Let it lose its chill before unspringing the cheesecake to serve.

To make the cheesecake a little bit more fancy, you can make a chocolate glaze. Melt 75g chopped dark chocolate , with 125ml cream and 1 tsp golden syrup. When the chocolate has nearly melted, take off the heat and whisk it to a smooth sauce. Let it cool a little and then drizzle over the chocolate cheesecake on its serving plate. You can use the remaining glaze as an accompanying sauce.

Cake innards!

This cheesecake is probably not one that you'll eat a huge chunk of in one sitting but one that you'll addictively eat in slivers over multiple sittings. The birthday boy was no doubt ecstatic about his chocolate cheesecake but it seems most were in agreement that a good job was done with this one. The one boo boo I made was chilling the cheesecake when it hadn't quite cooled down so I had condensation marks on top of the cake which thankfully, that chocolate glaze can very cleverly cover. To be honest, the cake can do without the sauce and most of the cake was eaten with most of the sauce left over. Hmm...what cheesecake to make next?!