insideKENT Magazine Issue 45 - December 2015 | Page 79

Black Forest Cheesecake
Developed by former Great British Bake Off contestant Kate Henry, this is a wonderful twist on the classic 70’s cake. It looks
very complicated and technical – but it isn’t. Give it a go!

Ingredients:

Method

For the Chocolate Shortbread base:
• 90g unsalted butter
• 40g caster sugar
• 100g plain flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1. To make the shortbread: Rub together all
ingredients and mix well until it form a dough.
Squish the dough into the base of the cake tin
and smooth surface. Prick the surface with a
fork all over and place in preheated oven for
20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool
completely.
2. To make the cream cheese layer: Whisk all
the ingredients together apart from the cherries
until thick and stiff.
3. Spoon half of the mix into cake tin on top of
cooled shortbread layer. Take the jarred cherries
and drain them retaining the liquor, set aside
10 of the best looking ones to decorate at the
end and squish the other cherries into the
cream cheese mixture in the tin then scoop
the rest of the cream cheese over the top.
Refrigerate.
4. Next make the jelly layer. In a small bowl filled
with cold water, place the gelatine leaves to
soften for around 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile add the kirsch liquor from the jar
into a small saucepan and gently heat.
6. Squeeze out the excess water in the gelatine
leaves and add to the warmed kirsch liquor,
stir to dissolve.
7. Allow to cool to room temp and then pour
over the cream cheese layer and replace back
in the fridge to set.

For the Cheesecake Filling:
• 280g cream cheese
• 200g double cream
• 100g icing sugar
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• 1 jar of Opies Black Cherries with Kirsch
For the Jelly Layer:
• Liquor from the Opies Black Cherries with
Kirsch
• 3 sheets of gelatine
For the Chocolate Ganache:
• 100ml double cream
• 100g dark chocolate – Chopped Finely
You will need a 15cm (6inch) high sided spring
form or loose bottomed cake tin. Lined (base
and sides) with baking paper.
Set Oven to Fan 160°C

79

8. Next make the ganache. Place the chocolate
(finely chopped) into a heat-proof bowl and
heat the cream in a saucepan until just boiling.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and
nudge the chocolate very gently to help melt.
9. Once cool, whisk the ganache until light and
fluffy and place in a piping bag.
10. Remove the chilled cheesecake carefully from
the tin and unwrap the baking paper.
11. Pipe swirls of ganache in a circle around the
edge of the jelly layer on the top of the
cheesecake and pop a cherry on top of each
swirl to finish.