by Natasha Sheldon

Created on: November 12, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2010

This beautiful cheesecake is small on effort but big on taste.

It looks and tastes decadent. Packed with cocoa rich chocolate and a decadent splash of rum, its marbled filling is visually impressive. It might look complicated but  it is simplicity itself to achieve.

Whatever the occasion, this is the perfect  dessert to end to the perfect dinner! It makes an indulgent reward for the cook too. 

Ingredients.

For the base:

150g/6oz chocolate digestive biscuits

0.5 tsp ground cinnamon

75g/3oz melted butter

 For the Filling:

225g/8oz good quality cream cheese

75g/3oz caster sugar

3 eggs, separated

100g/4oz  good quality plain melted chocolate (choose one with a high percentage of cocoa)

225ml double cream

1 tbsp rum

0.5 tsp vanilla essence

4 tsp gelatin

Crush the biscuits until finely crumbed. Add the cinnamon, then pour the the melted butter into the mixture. Blend with a wooden spoon of spatula until you have a firm but soft consistency. Press into a 22cm cake tin and chill well.

In the meantime, beat together the cheese, egg yolks and sugar. Set to one side. Whip the cream into soft peaks, then fold gently into the cheese mixture.

Dissolve the gelatin in hot water or according to instructions.

Split the cheese mixture between to two bowls. Add half the gelatin along with the melted chocolate and rum to one bowl. In the other, add the vanilla essence.

 Now, take stiffly whisked egg whites. Take half of the egg whites and into the chocolate mixture. The other half are folded into the vanilla mixture.

Pour the chocolate mixture onto the biscuit base. Spoon the vanilla mixture on top and swirl it through the chocolate below it to create a marbled effect.

Put the cheesecake in the fridge to chill for two-three hours. Serve with fresh raspberries and cream, or on its own.

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