White chocolate and ginger cheesecake
This wintry ginger and chocolate cheesecake is perfect for jazzing up the dessert selection at Christmas.
If you want to make life a little easier for yourself you can simply grate chocolate on top of the cheesecake instead of making the decorations.
Ingredients
For the base
- 50g/1¾oz butter, plus extra for greasing
- 25g/1oz plain chocolate
- 150g/5½oz digestive biscuits, crushed
For the filling
- 300g/10½oz white chocolate buttons, or a bar chopped into pieces
- 400g/14oz full-fat cream cheese
- 150ml/5fl oz soured cream
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 pieces stem ginger (from a jar), finely chopped
For the decoration
- 150g/5½oz plain chocolate, grated or made into curls
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3. Grease the base of a 20cm/8in springform cake tin with butter, then line with a circle of baking parchment.
For the base, melt the butter and chocolate in small saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the crushed biscuits.
Transfer the base mixture to the cake tin and, using your fingers, press down until it completely covers the bottom of the cake tin in an even layer. Chill in the fridge until needed.
For the filling, suspend a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Add the white chocolate to the bowl and melt until runny and smooth, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
In a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese and soured cream together until smooth and well combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until completely smooth, then stir in the melted white chocolate until well combined. Fold in the chopped ginger.
Pour the filling mixture on top of the chilled base and level the top using a palette knife. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until firm around the edge and just set in the middle.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and rest for 10 minutes, then run a small blunt knife around the inside edge of the cake tin. Set aside until the cheesecake has completely cooled in the tin, then chill in the fridge.
Remove the cake-tin ring from the cheesecake and place the cheesecake, still on its base, onto a serving plate. Top with the chocolate curls.
Recipe Tips
Preparation is key at Christmas, this dessert can be made three days ahead and kept in the fridge.
