Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

November 18, 2021

Decadence in each mouthful, this deeply rich and satisfying cheesecake. Not overly sweet, the hints of rosemary in the crust and through the cake add a delightful savoury note which complements the rich chocolate and delicious sour cherry.

The best part? It takes less than 20 minutes to assemble. This cake is perfect to make ahead and let sit in the fridge for a day or so, and impress guests at dinner time.

Serves 8 – makes 1 – 8 inch cake.

Ingredients:

1 ¾ Cup Oreo cookie crumbs
¼ cup melted butter
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
¾ cup whipping cream
1 cup chocolate chips
3 eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup coco powder
2 tsp espresso powder/grounds
16 oz / 450 g / 2 blocks cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp + ½ cup Sour Cherry Rhubarb & Rosemary Spread

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the oven rack in in the center of the oven. Prepare an 8-inch springform pan with parchment in the bottom and a butter the sides of the pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in aluminum foil, to ensure the water bath doesn’t leak in.
Mix the cookie crumbs, butter and rosemary until evenly combined and all the cookie crumbs are moist. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan, place in the fridge to set while preparing the batter.
Over medium heat, heat the whipping cream until steam is just starting to rise. Remove from heat and add all the chocolate chips. Set aside to allow the chocolate to melt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or blender, whip the eggs and sugar until light and frothy about 1 minute. Stop the mixer or blender, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the coco powder and espresso. Whip again, until the mixture is fully incorporated, stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the cream cheese in large chunks or spoonsful. Whip until the mixture is lump free and fully emulsified.
Mix the cream and chocolate in the pot, until the no lumps remain, the mixture is fully glossy. Reserve 2 Tbsp of chocolate cream mixture and pour the remaining into the cheesecake mixture. Whip until the mixture if fluffy looking and smooth, no streaks of white cream cheese or lumps.
Remove the prepared pan from the fridge and spread the 2 Tbsp of Sour Cherry, Rhubarb & Rosemary Spread over the cookie base. Pour the cheesecake into prepared pan. Generously dollop the remaining Sour Cherry, Rhubarb & Rosemary Spread over the surface of the cheesecake batter and drizzle the reserved chocolate cream. Using a butter knife or long skewer, swirl the spread and chocolate mixture over the surface of the batter.
Place the cheesecake into a large baking dish and center oven rack. Pour enough water into the baking dish to come up the side of the pan one inch. Bake for 60-65 minutes, until the sides are set, and the center of the cake is a little jiggly. Remove from oven and let sit on a baking rack at room temperature for 1 hour, then chill at least 6 hours in the fridge. When ready to serve, carefully run a knife around the outside of the cake and remove the side of the pan. Slice and serve with chocolate curls as garnish, if desired.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.