Diane's chocolate cheesecake

Method
Prep:30min  ›  Cook:1hr  ›  Extra time:8hr chilling  ›  Ready in:9hr30min 

1. Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Lightly grease a 23cm springform cake tin.
2. In a small bowl, mix together 170g biscuit crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and 4cm up the sides of the prepared 23cm springform tin. Bake at 180 C / Gas 4 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 170 C / Gas 3.
3. To make cheesecake filling: In a small saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons (60ml) whipping cream and 4 tablespoons chopped chocolate, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and 200g of sugar until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs and beat on low until just blended. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture until blended. Pour over biscuit base. Bake at 170 C / Gas 3 for 45 to 50 minutes or until centre is almost set.
5. To make topping: In a small saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons whipping cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla until just before boiling. Stir constantly and be careful not to boil over. Have 250g chopped plain chocolate ready in a small bowl. Pour in the hot cream and stir with a spoon until smooth. Spread over baked cheesecake and refrigerate overnight.

Tips for a perfect cheesecake

Don't overbake: While it may look underdone, a cheesecake is actually done when the centre is still wobbly. Residual heat 'carries over' and the centre continues to cook once out of the oven.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool on a rack, or simply leave the oven door closed, turn off the heat and let the cheesecake cool undisturbed for at least 1 hour. This helps prevent the cheesecake from sinking in the centre. After chilling, the once-wobbly centre should firm up beautifully!
Bake in a water bath: The most effective way to bake a cheesecake evenly without browning the top is to bake in a water bath. Since water evaporates at boiling point, the water bath will never get hotter than 100C, no matter the oven temperature. This means that the outer edge of your cheesecake won't bake faster than the centre, which can cause it to sink and crack.
Mixing matters: Make sure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature before mixing, or you'll end up with lumps in your cheesecake. If you do end up with lumps in the batter, give it a quick spin in the food processor for silky smooth results.
Don't forget to chill: A cheesecake needs several hours to chill and set, making it a perfect make-ahead dessert.

Cheesecake tips

For more easy tips on how to make a perfect cheesecake, check out our Perfect cheesecake tips how-to guide.

Watch how!

Watch our video to see how to make the easiest no-bake chocolate cheesecake ever! Watch now!