Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
This lighter take on the traditional baked cheesecake is none less delicious and indulgent. A perfect dinner party dessert, it can be prepared the night before.
Introduction
A fresher, lighter take on the traditional baked cheesecake, which, if I’m honest, has never really won me round, this uncooked ricotta-based version balances creamy cheese with a bittersweet dark chocolate base and juicy, ice-cold orange slices. Blood oranges are the ideal when in season, but if not the ordinary variety will do just fine.
Ingredients
| 60g | butter |
| 250g | dark chocolate digestives |
| 3 tbsp | cocoa powder |
| 75g | dark chocolate chips or chunks |
| 500g | ricotta |
| 200g | cream cheese |
| 5 tbsp | honey |
| 2 | blood oranges (see intro) |
| 1 tbsp | marmalade |
Essential kit
You will need a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin and a food processor.
Method
Melt the butter, and bash the biscuits up roughly. Put them into a food processor and whiz into coarse crumbs, then pour in the melted butter and whiz until smooth. Mix in the cocoa powder and a good pinch of salt, then stir through the chocolate chips.
Grease a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin, and press the base mixture into it, pushing down firmly. Refrigerate while you make the topping.
Drain the ricotta well in a sieve, then put into a bowl, beat in the cream cheese, and stir in honey to taste. Zest one of the oranges into the mixture, then spoon on top of the biscuit base, cover and chill for an hour or so.
Heat the marmalade gently until liquid. Peel the oranges and remove as much pith as possible. Thinly slice into rings and arrange on top of the cheesecake, then brush with the marmalade. Return to the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours, until ready to serve.
