Milky Bar Basque Cheesecake
There's cheesecake and then there's Basque cheesecake. Once you've sampled its unbelievably light and creamy texture, there really is no going back. Here, Alexina Anatole adds a white chocolate ganache to the filling to make it yet more irresistible.
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Introduction
Also affectionately known as THE cheesecake.
Ingredients
| For the ganache: | |
|---|---|
| 200g (7oz) | white chocolate, finely chopped (The best/closest flavour to Milky Bar comes from Meunier white cooking chocolate – I strongly recommend) |
| 360ml (12fl oz/1½ cups) | double (heavy) cream |
| For the cheesecake: | |
| 840g (1lb 14oz) (3 x 280g/10oz family packs) | full-fat cream cheese (Philadelphia cream cheese is essential for cheesecakes as it is sufficiently stable) |
| 100g (31/2oz/scant ½ cup) | sour cream |
| 140g (43/4oz/⅔ cup) | caster (superfine) sugar |
| 4 large | eggs |
| 40g (1½ oz/3 heaped tbsp) | cornflour (cornstarch) |
| 1 tsp | flaky sea salt |
| 2 tsp | vanilla bean paste |
| 2 tsp | fresh lemon juice |
Essential kit
You will need: a 20cm (8in) springform cake tin. I like to use a 20cm (8in) tin in order to get a deep slice – fair warning, it will be pretty full but it won’t spill over when baking; however, you could use a 23cm (9in) tin if you prefer.
Method
Preheat the oven to 240°C fan/260°C/500°F/gas 10.
Press a large piece of greaseproof paper roughly into your springform tin (this doesn’t have to be neat or elegant – just make sure that it reaches up and slightly over the sides).
For the ganache, add the chopped chocolate to a bowl. Gently heat the double cream in a saucepan until hot, then pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until fully melted. Set aside.
In a large bowl, briefly whisk together the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth, then add in the sugar and whisk until dissolved. (The aim is to combine everything, not whisk air into the mix – so avoid any sort of ‘whipping cream’ action.) Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the white chocolate ganache.
Sift the cornflour into a separate small bowl, then add the salt. Add 2–3 large spoonfuls of the cheesecake mix and whisk until there are no lumps. Add this thicker mixture back into the main cheesecake mix (use a spatula to ensure you don’t leave any behind), then whisk together.
Lastly, add the vanilla and lemon juice, and use a spatula to ensure that everything has been fully combined.
Pour the mix into your prepared tin and bake until puffed up, blackened on top and reasonably jiggly in the middle – the reality is that the baking time will vary a lot depending on the fierceness of your oven, so this is one to trust your instincts on. Start checking from the 30-minute mark, and rest assured that a good wobble in the middle is okay as the white chocolate ganache helps it to firm up considerably in the fridge. I find the sweet spot is around the 35-minute mark.
Allow to cool to room temperature, then store in the fridge overnight. I love eating a Basque cold, but you can also bring it to room temperature (it will have a softer set/won’t slice as nicely if you do this).
Tip: Every cheesecake benefits from an overnight stint in the fridge, tempting though it is to eat it immediately – it’s this step that ensures a luscious, creamy texture.
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