The Red Folder

Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake – it’s addictive

The best ever slice

I will not lie, this brownie makes a lot of washing up and requires that you grease and line the tin and grease it again.  You also have to make a nerve racking call on when it is ready to come out of the oven, then wait patiently while is cools and sets. Normally this amount of work and effort would send this recipe to the archives.  When I am making it, I huff and puff and wonder why.  Then when it is done and the first slice is cut and tasted I remember why.  Nearly everyone who bakes asks me for the recipe once they have eaten a piece.  Trust me it is worth the effort and the steps are actually very easy.

Start well before you intend to enjoy it.  Makes about 16 servings I would say.

You will need a 20 x 30cm baking tin, greasproof paper, hand or stand mixer and three roomy bowls.

For the brownie

• 200g good-quality dark chocolate -70% cocoa or over
• 200g unsalted butter, softened
•  250g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 110g plain flour, sifted

For the cheesecake topping

• 400g cream cheese
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 120g fresh raspberries or frozen as I have used here

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 20 x 30cm  pan. Then grease the paper.  I use a spray here.

Place the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, stir once and when almost melted take off the heat, stir again and set aside to cool.

Cream the butter and the caster sugar until pale, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the melted chocolate, then fold in the flour. (at this point you can add chopped white chocolate ). Spread three-quarters of the mixture into the lined pan.

In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft then add the sugar and eggs and the vanilla extract until smooth, then spread over the chocolate base.

Dollop the remaining chocolate mixture evenly over the cream cheese layer and use a fork to swirl the chocolate. Poke the raspberries into the top and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes.

Now this is the fun part.  The cheesecake is cooked when it starts to crack on the top but still has a slight wobble in the middle.  As it cools it will continue to cook and set.  If it starts to brown but still feels quite wobbly put silver foil on top and continue to cook. Check every 5 mins as it can overcook very quickly.  When I first started making this I got it wrong a couple of times let it cool and then discovered it was too wet in the center. I successfully re baked it, do not panic but make well ahead of when you would like to eat it.  You will have to judge, but do not be alarmed if the cooking time goes 20 mins over.

Now do the washing up and wait for it to cool down completely, this could take up to three hours!!!!!

Seriously it is worth it!!