A couple of weeks ago we were due to have friends around for Sunday lunch. The food was bought and the cheesecake was setting in the fridge and then to add extra entertainment to our Saturday night and the Eurovision results one of our little Birdies was sick. It meant lunch plans were out on hold but it also meant we had a whole cheesecake to eat. After sharing some with our neighbours, we gallantly ploughed on through and ate the rest of the cheesecake – luckily our other little birdie managed to escape the germs and was more than happy to help us! I’d wanted to make a cheesecake and as we had some frozen raspberries in the freezer that needed using I thought a white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake would probably be a good idea. After Googling a variety of recipes I decided on this Jane’s Patisserie recipe.
I’ve had some cheesecake disasters in the past but luckily this one was a success and set well. Our neighbours who we shared it with gave it rave reviews which helped to take the edge off the disappointment of not being able to share it as intended. When making a cheesecake you need to make sure you use full fat cream cheese, you can alternatively use mascarpone which will give a slightly sweeter taste. You’ll need an 8 inch/20cm springform tin and to allow yourself plenty of time to let your cheesecake set (5-6 hours but ideally overnight to ensure it is properly set). I struggled to find any frieze dried raspberries (I tried both Tesco and Waitrose without any luck) so didn’t use any to decorate the top. This recipe will last for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Ingredients
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Biscuit Base
- Cheesecake Filling
- Decoration
Instructions
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For the biscuit base
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Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to a small crumb or alternatively place the biscuits in a plastic bag and hit with a rolling pin until they resemble breadcrumbs. Then add the melted butter and either pulse in the food processor a few times until the mixture is combined (if using a food processor) or mix together in a bowl.
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Tip the biscuits into a 8″/20cm deep springform tin and press down firmly.
For the cheesecake filling
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Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave on short bursts until full melted – leave to cool whilst doing the rest.
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In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk together the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla together until smooth (alternatively you can use a handheld electric whisk and a separate bowl). Pour in the double cream and whisk until thick.
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Once completed, pour in the cooled white chocolate, and whisk briefly to combine, and then fold through the fresh raspberries.
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Spread the mix over the biscuit base, smooth over and chill in the fridge for at least 5-6 hours, or preferably overnight so it will definitely be set.
For the decoration
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Once the cheesecake has set you're ready to decorate. Drizzle over the melted white chocolate, and then whip together the double cream and icing sugar and then pipe on in 12 swirls around the edge of the cheesecake. Use a 2D closed star piping nozzle to achieve the perfect swirls.
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Add a fresh raspberries to each swirl and then sprinkle on some freeze dried raspberries (if using).
