Chocolate Cheesecake Gateau Recipe

For the base:
25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
175 g/6 oz digestive biscuit (Graham cracker) crumbs
75 g/3 oz butter or margarine, melted
For the filling:
100 g/4 oz plain (semi-sweet) chocolate
300g/10 oz cream cheese

3 eggs, separated
45 ml/3 tbsp cocoa (unsweetened chocolate) powder
25 g/1 oz plain (all-purpose) flour
50 g/2 oz soft brown sugar
150 ml soured (dairy sour) cream
50g/2 oz caster (superfine) sugar
For decoration:
100 g/4 oz/1 cup plain (semi-sweet) chocolate
25 g/l oz/2 tbsp butter or margarine

120 ml/4 fl oz double (heavy) cream
6 glace (candied) cherries

Method:

To make the base, stir the sugar and biscuit crumbs into the melted butter and press into the base and sides of a greased 23 cm/9 in springform cake tin (pan).

To make the filling, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Leave to cool slightly. Beat the cheese with the egg yolks, cocoa, flour, brown sugar and soured cream, then blend in the melted chocolate. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then add the caster sugar and whisk again until stiff and glossy.

Fold into the mixture using a metal spoon and spoon over the base, leveling the surface. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3 for 1.5 hours. Turn off the oven and leave the cake to cool in the oven with the door ajar. Chill until firm, then remove from the tin.

To decorate, melt the chocolate and butter or margarine in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly, then stir in the cream. Swirl the chocolate over the top of the cake in patterns, then decorate with the glace cherries.