Milk chocolate cheesecake

Deliciously creamy milk chocolate cheesecake with a biscuit base and a delicate milk chocolate topping. You often told me that my chocolate cheesecakes were a little too intense for you, so this time I’ve made a version for anyone who prefers sweeter, milk chocolate flavours :). If you love milk chocolate but don’t want to compromise on that perfectly creamy cheesecake texture, you really must try this recipe. I decorated mine with little milk chocolate eggs.

Ingredients for the biscuit base:

• 250 g digestive biscuits
• 80 g butter, melted

Place the biscuits and butter in a food processor and blitz until the biscuits are finely crushed and the mixture has the consistency of wet sand. If you don’t have a food processor, place the biscuits in a sturdy bag (for example, a resealable bag) and crush them thoroughly with a rolling pin, then mix with the melted butter.

Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper. Tip the biscuit mixture into the tin. Level it out and press firmly into the base and halfway up the sides of the tin (the cheesecake is quite low). Chill in the fridge while you prepare the cheesecake filling.

Wrap the outside of the tin twice with aluminium foil – the cheesecake will be baked in a bain-marie.*

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 350 g full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese, ground three times
• 150 ml double cream
• 3 large eggs
• ⅓ cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 120 g milk chocolate, chopped or milk chocolate chips

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or microwave and leave to cool slightly, but it should remain fluid.

Place all the cheesecake filling ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix just until combined, or whisk together with a balloon whisk; do not overmix, as this will unnecessarily incorporate air into the cheesecake mixture. An over-aerated cheesecake will rise considerably in the oven and then collapse. We don’t want that – once baked, the cheesecake should be as flat as a table.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit base and bake in a bain-marie* at 160°C for approximately 50 minutes. The entire surface of the cheesecake should be set and firm to the touch. If necessary, extend the baking time slightly. Remove the milk chocolate cheesecake from the oven and leave to cool.

Ingredients for the milk chocolate topping:

• 100 g milk chocolate
• 40 ml double cream

Place the chopped milk chocolate and double cream in a bain-marie and melt gently over the steam, stirring until smooth. Leave the topping to cool slightly, then spread over the cheesecake.

Decorate as desired before the topping sets – I used little chocolate eggs.

* To bake the cheesecake in a bain-marie: place the cheesecake tin inside a larger tin or ovenproof dish and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the tin containing the cheesecake. The cheesecake is baked surrounded by steam, creating a very humid environment. This allows the cheesecake to bake evenly throughout, including in the centre, prevents it from cracking and helps it retain its perfectly creamy texture.

Enjoy!