I am no cheesecake expert. I bake one usually only once a year, so I consider myself a novice in the art of the cheesecake.  Still, I do love cheesecake with it’s sumpremely rich taste and smooth texture. I love how adaptable it is – you can turn almost any flavour idea into a cheesecake. Last year, I made a Billionaire Cheesecake – brownies for the base, with a thick layer of vanilla cheesecake, topped off with a layer of dulce de leche and then smothered in dark chocolate ganache.

Raspberry and white chocolate is a classic flavour combination. The tartness of the raspberries is the perfect counterbalance to the sweetness of white chocolate. I knew I could not go wrong with a raspberry white chocolate cheesecake. For this cheesecake, I chose not to make the actual mixture white chocolate, but instead to top a vanilla cheesecake with ganache.

Chocolate ganache, raspberry cheesecake, and a hazelnut base. Mmmmm.

Like many of the treats I bake, this is an amalgamation of a few recipes I came across whilst researching cheesecakes. The centre is very rich and creamy, although I might be tempted add a bit more vanilla next time. Curiously, the raspberries all floated to the top during baking. Normally fruit has a tendency to sink down to the bottom of cakes. I thought that there was plenty of raspberry goodness, but one of my flatmates suggested adding a few more raspberries. The choice is yours.

We all loved the base of this cheesecake. I added ground hazelnuts to the digestive biscuits. It gives it a wonderful nutty flavour which is a delightful surprise. The ganache on top is also delicious and helps set this cheesecake apart. The design with the coulis on top is completely optional, but it helps make it stand out as a dessert for that special occasion coming up.

After baking this beauty, there are certainly more cheesecakes in my future. Are there any in yours?

Happy baking!

Showing off this moreish cheesecake, which coincidentally matched my new eye catching rug!

Raspberry Cheesecake with White Chocolate Ganache

Raspberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 250g crushed digestive biscuits/graham crackers
• 100g ground hazelnuts
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 150g unsalted butter, melted
• 500g full fat cream cheese
• 1x397g tin of condensed mild
• 3 large eggs
• 150 ml sour cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 150g frozen raspberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease the bottom and edges of a 9″ round springform pan with melted butter.
2. Stir together the crushed biscuits, ground hazelnuts, sugar and melted butter until thoroughly mixed. Using the bottom of a glass, press the mixture firmly into the bottom of the springform pan.  Chill in the freezer whilst you prepare the cheesecake mixture.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until soft. With the mixer on medium low, gradually add in the condensed milk.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the soured cream and vanilla. Beat on medium high until very smooth.
5. Pour onto the prepared base and evenly add the frozen raspberries.
6. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour. It is finished when the centre is still slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven and prop the door slightly open (e.g. with a wooden spoon) and let cool for 1-2 hours inside the oven.
7. Cover with the ganache and coulis and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

White Chocolate Ganache and Raspberry Coulis

Ingredients:

• 150g frozen raspberries, defrosted
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tbsp water
• 200g white chocolate, finely chopped
• 75-150 ml double cream

Instructions:

1. Mash the raspberries with a spoon and then place in a small saucepan with the icing sugar and water. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and strain the seeds out through a sieve. Discard the seeds and set aside the raspberry coulis.
3. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave, heating at 20-30 second intervals , or over a waterbath on the stove.
4. Slowly whisk the double cream into the melted chocolate. The amount of cream will vary – always have more cream than you think you will need and just whisk in small amounts of the cream until the ganache becomes smooth, satiny, and irrestible.

Assembly:

1. Spread the ganache evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
2. Optional: Using a spoon, create lines of coulis about 1 cm in width across the top of the cake.  Drag a butter knife through the ganache and lines in a perpendicular direction, first towards you then away from you. Otherwise, serve each piece with a drizzle of the raspberry coulis.