{Guest Post} Chocolate & Berries Cheesecake

Chocolate and Berries Cheesecake Recipe

Chocolate and Berries Cheesecake Recipe

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Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 mins

Yield: 8in cheesecake

This cheesecake has the aroma of a fresh berry patch, mingling the tartness of blueberries with the sweetness of strawberries and a hint of delicate cherry. It is dense yet soft and the delicious cheesecake flavour goes stunningly with the rich chocolate buttercream frosting. Topped off with a rich chocolate ganache and vanilla whipped cream, it is one of the most decadent party cakes.

Ingredients:

MIXED CHERRY-BERRY PUREE:

  • 285g mixed frozen berries and cherries, thawed
  • 2 tbs caster (superfine) sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

ALMOND COOKIE CRUST:

CHEESE CAKE FILLING:

  • 500g cream cheese
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp strawberry essence (or vanilla)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 354ml sour cream
  • ⅔ cup mixed berry-cherry puree

GANACHE:

  • 113g dark chocolate, chopped finely
  • ⅓ cup thickened cream

RICH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:

  • 150g butter, softened
  • 2⅓ cup icing mixture
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 4 tbsp thickened cream
  • 1 tbsp vanilla essence

WHIPPED CREAM:

  • 1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy or whipping cream
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla paste or extract
  • 2 tsp icing (confectioners’) sugar

Directions:

CAKE:

  1. Prepare the berry-cherry puree: Set thawed fruit in a fine strainer over a bowl to collect excess juices. Press down on berries to extract all the juice. You need approximately 177ml of juice.
  2. Transfer the juice to a saucepan over medium heat and reduce to approximately 60ml. Mix in sugar to dissolve and then add in lemon juice and solid berries. Let cool slightly before placing in a blender and pureeing till smooth.
  3. Prepare Almond Cookie Crust: Preheat oven to 204℃/400℉/Gas Mark 6. Place cookies, almonds, sugar and salt in a food processor and process till finely ground.
  4. Add in butter and process again till mixture is combined. Transfer mixture to a greased (do not line, that was my mistake) 20cm (8in) springform tin and press in to make a thick base. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool. Once semi-warm, refrigerate till needed.
  5. Reduce oven temperature to 170℃/320℉/Gas Mark 3. Combine cream cheese and sugar using an electric beater till smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time until completely combined. Beat in essence and salt. Blend in sour cream until well incorporated. Beat in puree.
  6. Place a large water bath dish on a rack a little lower than where the cheesecake will go in the oven, filled with boiling water. Place the other rack in the middle of the oven and place cheesecake on top. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until jiggles only slightly in the middle, making sure to turn the temperature down to 150℃/300℉/Gas Mark 2 for approximately 30 minutes.
  7. Let cool in the oven with the door open halfway for 20 minutes before letting rest on a wire rack till room temperature. If it looks a little brown do not worry. When it comes to room temperature, transfer to the refrigerator, where it will completely firm up. Chill at least 3-4 hours.
  8. Frost cake carefully with buttercream on sides and top. Refrigerate for 2 hours more.
  9. Make ganache and spoon on top, spreading it slightly to allow it to drip on the sides. Decorate with vanilla whipped cream as desired.
  10. Transfer to a serving plate and slice with a thin knife run under hot water and dried between slices. Serve generous pieces.

GANACHE:

  1. Place the chocolate in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let stand 1-2 minutes. Whisk until smooth.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

  1. Cream butter for a few minutes on medium speed until soft and fluffy.
  2. Add in sifted icing mixture and cocoa powder, scrape butter down into the middle of the bowl and beat on low speed so the dry ingredients do not go flying out. Beat until sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter.
  3. Put mixer back on medium speed and add vanilla essence and cream, beating for 2 minutes more.
  4. If you want to have a stiffer frosting, add more sugar. If you want a thinner frosting, add more cream or full cream milk.

Notes:

If you are decorating the cake my style, I would recommend using a vanilla buttercream since it holds its shape more.

Tips:

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