Roasted White Chocolate Basque Cheesecake with Drunken Cherries

Celebrating the release of Chocolate Baking

Hello, happy Friday!

Today is the morning after the night before, the day I get to sit back and relax after Chocolate Baking is finally out in the world after almost two years of work! To everyone who has already bought a copy, thank you so much. Seeing all of your excited posts and messages means more to me than you know. Thank you.

To celebrate the release of the book, I wanted to share one of my favourite recipes, a dessert that has become a regular go-to when we’ve got friends round for dinner. The recipe is for a Basque cheesecake but with a chocolate twist. To add some wonderful caramel notes, the cheesecake is made with both brown sugar and caramelised white chocolate, both of which add complexity and a deep, rich toasty flavour. To balance out the sweetness and cut through the richness of the cheesecake, I also like to serve it alongside some boozy cherries.

The reason I love this dessert is not just becuase its delicious, which of course it is, but because it is SO easy. Basque cheesecakes are probably the easiest version of the dessert you can make. No base, no worrying about overmixing it, no need to babysit it with a water bath. You simply mix it and bake it, even lining the tin is done with abandon and with a purposeful lack of precision.

Before we get to the recipe, just a quick reminder that I am heading out on my UK book tour tomorrow. Quite a few events are now sold out or very close to, so if you're thinking of coming along to the event, don’t leave it too long before booking a ticket.

7th March - London

Afternoon Tea Pop-Up at Honey & Co

SOLD OUT

10th March - Edinburgh

Bakery Collab with Lannan Bakery (10th and 11th)

I’ll be taking over the counter at the brilliant Lannan Bakery over two days, baking items from the book. I’ll also be hanging out all day on the 10th, so come by and say hi (no ticket required)

Topping & Company Edinburgh - In Conversation + Demo

ALMOST SOLD OUT

11th March - Glasgow

Barebones Drop-In Book Signing and Truffle Sampling

No ticket required 12-2pm

Waterstones Argyle Street - ‘In Conversation’

7pm

12th March - Malton North Yorkshire

Kemps Bookstore at The Milton Rooms - ‘In Conversation’

30th March - Cardiff
Ty Melin Bakery

SOLD OUT

31st March - Bath
Topping & Company Edinburgh - In Conversation + Demo
Selling Quickly

3rd April - London

Fortnum and Mason - Kitchen Stories

Roasted White Chocolate Basque Cheesecake with Drunken Cherries

All cheesecake is good cheesecake. But if you ask me about Basque Cheesecake, well, that holds an extra-special place in my heart. Not only is it incredibly easy to make, the intense heat used to cook it results in a deeply caramelised crust whilst maintaining an incredibly creamy centre. In this version, both brown sugar and caramelised white chocolate are used to really amplify this toasty goodness. Whatever you do, don’t skip the boozy cherries; they’re the perfect accompaniment to this dish.

SERVES 12

Cheesecake

200 ml (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) whipping (heavy) cream

175 g (6 oz) caramelised white chocolate, melted

750 g (3⅓ cups) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature

200 g (scant 1 cup, packed) light brown sugar

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour

(use 1 tablespoon cornflour/cornstarch

if you need to make this gluten-free)

Drunken Cherries

50 ml (3½ tablespoons) water

50 g (¼ cup) caster (superfine) sugar

250 g (9 oz) fresh sweet cherries, stoned

50 ml (3½ tablespoons) amaretto liqueur

whipped cream, to serve

1. To make the cheesecake, start by making a ganache. Pour the cream into a saucepan, bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and pour a third over the melted chocolate, stirring to combine. Mix in the remaining cream in two additions, stirring well until the ganache is smooth and silky. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C Fan (475˚F). Line a 20 cm (8 in) springform cake tin (pan) with a single layer of crumpled baking parchment. Don’t worry about making this look perfect, ruffled edges are part of this cheesecake’s charm.

3. Put the cream cheese in a large bowl and beat until smooth and creamy, either using a wooden spoon or some form of electric mixer, the choice is yours. Add the sugar and salt and mix until evenly combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until fully combined before adding the next. Add the vanilla and the cooled ganache and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix briefly until evenly distributed.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared tin, transfer to the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes or until the top is dark and puffed but not quite burnt. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for an hour before transferring to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to chill thoroughly. As the cheesecake cools, it will sink; this is normal.

5. For the drunken cherries, put the water and sugar in a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cherries and simmer for 3–4 minutes until the cherries are starting to soften but are still holding their shape. Spoon the cherries into a small jar or bowl, leaving the syrup in the pan. Cook the syrup for a further 2–3 minutes until thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat, stir through the amaretto, then pour atop the cherries. Kept in the refrigerator, these cherries will keep for a couple weeks, so long as the fruit stays submerged in the syrup.

6. Cut slices of the cheesecake and serve with a spoonful of the drunken cherries and a dollop of whipped cream.

7. Kept refrigerated, the cheesecake will keep for up to 5 days.