Prune in Chocolate cheesecake

Prune in Chocolate cheesecake combines an intensely chocolatey cheesecake filling with rum-soaked prunes, bringing to mind delicious chocolate truffles. The whole thing is so rich and melt-in-the-mouth that it’s hard to imagine making it any more indulgent… I couldn’t resist eating some of the raw cheesecake mixture (I simply couldn’t help myself), and then I was completely blown away by the baked cheesecake. This is the kind of cheesecake that will disappear from your table down to the very last crumb!

Ingredients for rum-soaked prunes:

• 200 g prunes
• 100 ml dark rum

Cut the prunes into smaller pieces. Place in a small saucepan and pour over the rum. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and set aside for 1 hour, or until all the alcohol has been absorbed by the prunes.

Ingredients for the base:

• 160 g wholemeal digestive biscuits
• 30 g butter, melted

Place the biscuits and butter in a food processor and blitz until the biscuits are finely crushed and the mixture resembles wet sand. If you don’t have a food processor, place the biscuits in a sturdy bag (such as a resealable bag) and crush thoroughly with a rolling pin, then combine with the melted butter.

Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper. Tip in the biscuit mixture, spread evenly and press firmly into the base. Pre-bake at 175°C for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly 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:

• 500 g full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese, ground three times
• 250 g mascarpone
• 100 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 100 g dark chocolate with a lower cocoa content, chopped
• 125 ml double cream
• 4 large eggs
• ¾–1 cup caster sugar
• 2 tbsp plain flour

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the double cream and both chopped chocolates in a bowl set over a bain-marie. Leave until the chocolate has melted, stirring from time to time, until smooth. Leave to cool slightly.

Place the curd cheese, mascarpone, eggs, sugar and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix just until combined, or whisk together by hand. Add the slightly cooled chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Do not overmix, as this will unnecessarily incorporate air into the cheesecake filling – an over-aerated cheesecake will rise considerably and then collapse. We don’t want that; the cheesecake should remain perfectly level after baking. Finally, fold in the rum-soaked prunes.

Pour the cheesecake filling over the biscuit base and bake in a bain-marie* at 150°C for approximately 60–70 minutes (or longer, depending on your oven). The entire surface of the cheesecake should be set when touched with a skewer. If necessary, extend the baking time slightly. Once baked, remove the bain-marie and place the cheesecake on the worktop to cool. Refrigerate overnight – it only reaches the right consistency after chilling.

Pour the chocolate glaze over the chilled cheesecake and spread evenly. Decorate with additional prunes.

Ingredients for the chocolate glaze:

• 80 g dark chocolate
• 80 ml double cream

Heat the double cream in a small saucepan until almost boiling, then remove from the heat. Pour over the chopped chocolate and leave for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth.

Additionally:

• a few prunes, for decoration

The cheesecake is baked in a bain-marie: this involves placing the cheesecake tin inside a larger tin or ovenproof dish, then pouring in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the cheesecake tin. The cheesecake is therefore baked surrounded by steam, in a very humid environment. The steam allows the cheesecake to bake evenly throughout, including in the centre, prevents it from cracking and helps it retain its perfectly creamy texture.

Enjoy!