- Preparation time
- 15 mins
- Cooking time
- 75 mins
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Serves
- 20 people
- Meal course
- Dessert
- Posted by
- Posted on
- July 8, 2015
This is a recipe for a party (hence the extra large tin and the make ahead nature of it). It will easily feed 20 adults, and it is definitely a dessert I created purely for adults.
I’m not usually a fan of chocolate cheesecakes, but there’s something about the combination of the bitter, savoury beer and the smooth chocolate in this cake that makes it utterly to-die-for. Enjoy!
Base -
185g Whole Wheat biscuits (Digestives or similar)
20g Caster Sugar
20g Dutch Cocoa
1 tsp ground Ginger
90gm Salted Butter - melted
Filling -
1kg Cream Cheese - I use Philadelphia, but any full fat cheese will work
300g Caster Sugar
Pinch Salt
70g Plain Flour
500ml Sour Cream
8 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
250ml Stout or Dark Ale - Use a good quality craft beer, I like Big Shed Brewing’s ‘Frankenbrown’. It pays to use the best beer you can find.
200g Dark Chocolate
Topping-
300ml Thickened Cream
1 tbs Caster Sugar - extra
Dutch Cocoa for dusting
- Line the base and sides of a 28cm springform tin with baking paper - It is imperative you line the sides otherwise they will overbrown and stick during cooking and it will ruin the look of the finished cake. Preheat your oven to 180c on the CONVENTIONAL setting - This is also imperative to ensure a smooth beautiful looking cake (I learnt from bad experience here, so trust me!)
- To make the base - In a food processor (or use zip lock bag and rolling pin) whiz the biscuits until they are finely crushed. Add the sugar, cocoa and ginger, then whiz again, then finally add the melted butter and whiz until it is all well combined and the consistincy of fine sand. Do not add more butter if you think its too dry - it should lightly stick together and the crumbs shouldn't be too wet, otherwise the cooked base will be too hard. Push the crumbs evenly into the base of your prepared tin then bake for 15 minutes at 180c. Once cooked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Once the base is removed, increase the oven to 230c.
- Meanwhile, to make the filling - using a stand mixer or electric beaters, and starting with the softened Cream Cheese, add all the filling ingredients in the order listed - beating in well between additions until you get to the Stout. In a small saucepan over a low heat, melt togther the stout and chocolate until smooth, then after cooling slightly, add to the rest of the cake filling ingredients, beating in well.
- Pour the filling mixture on top of the base - be careful though as the mix should come right up to the sides of the tin, and bake in your 230c oven for 10 minutes, then without opening the door, reduce the heat to 100c and cook for a further 50 minutes. The centre should be still slightly wobbly as this will set upon cooling. Turn the oven off now, and leave the cake for 2 hours with the door closed to cool. After this time, place the cooled cake into the fridge and cool for at least 4 hours (or preferably overnight) before topping and eating.
- To make the topping - Whip the cream until stiff peaks form, then fold in the sugar. Top the cold cake with the Cream and dust with the extra Cocoa. Enjoy with friends and a sneaky beverage or 2!
- Tip: I cannot stress enough how important it is to NOT USE the fan-forced setting on your oven. it will totally ruin the cake. This type of cheesecake requires a gentle conventional heat to ensure a smooth and light looking end result.
- Tip: To avoid the cheesecake cracking, don't open the oven door while baking and make sure you leave it to cool in the oven. Sudden changes in temperature are the main culprit here, as is overcooking - so make sure it's still got a wobble when you turn the oven off. However, if it does crack (and mine still do sometimes...) never fear! The Stout cream will cover it, and your guests will never know!
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