Caramel brownie cheesecake
EVERYONE LOVES CHEESECAKE AND THIS STRIPY VERSION LOOKS PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE. IT CONTAINS INTERLEAVING LAYERS OF BROWNIE, CARAMEL CHEESECAKE AND BROWNIE CHEESECAKE.
FOR THE BROWNIE:
200 G PLAIN CHOCOLATE, BROKEN INTO PIECES 125 G BUTTER
3 LARGE EGGS
250 G CASTER SUGAR
100 G PLAIN FLOUR, SIFTED
FOR THE CARAMEL CHEESECAKE:
360 G CREAM CHEESE, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
400 ML CRÈME FRAÎCHE
250 G SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
3 LARGE EGGS
1 TABLESPOON PLAIN FLOUR
POURING CREAM, TO SERVE
23 CM ROUND SPRING-FORM CAKE PAN, GREASED AND LINED
SERVES 10
PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 180°C (350°F) GAS 4.
BEGIN BY MAKING THE BROWNIE. PLACE THE CHOCOLATE AND BUTTER INTO A HEATPROOF BOWL OVER A SAUCEPAN OF SIMMERING WATER AND HEAT UNTIL MELTED. REMOVE FROM THE HEAT AND LEAVE TO COOL.
IN A SEPARATE MIXING BOWL WHISK THE EGGS AND THE CASTER SUGAR TOGETHER USING AN ELECTRIC WHISK FOR ABOUT 3-5 MINUTES UNTIL VERY LIGHT AND CREAMY. FOLD IN THE MELTED CHOCOLATE MIXTURE AND THE FLOUR.
NEXT MAKE THE CHEESECAKE MIXTURE. PLACE THE CREAM CHEESE, CRÈME FRAÎCHE, SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE, EGGS AND FLOUR IN A MIXING BOWL AND WHISK WELL UNTIL THE MIXTURE IS SMOOTH. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE CREAM CHEESE IS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE OTHERWISE THERE MAY BE LUMPS IN THE BATTER.
WRAP THE CAKE PAN IN SEVERAL LAYERS OF CLINGFILM SO THAT IT IS WATERTIGHT, AS THE CHEESECAKE NEEDS TO BE COOKED IN A WATER BATH TO ENSURE EVEN COOKING. POUR HALF OF THE BROWNIE MIXTURE INTO THE BASE OF THE CAKE PAN AND SPREAD OUT IN AN EVEN LAYER.
ADD ONE-THIRD OF THE CARAMEL CHEESECAKE MIXTURE TO THE REMAINING BROWNIE MIXTURE AND FOLD IN.
POUR HALF OF THE REMAINING CARAMEL CHEESECAKE MIXTURE ON TOP OF THE BROWNIE LAYER IN THE CAKE PAN. POUR THE BROWNIE CHEESECAKE MIXTURE ON TOP AND SPREAD OUT VERY GENTLY IN AN EVEN LAYER. FINALLY POUR THE REMAINING CARAMEL CHEESECAKE ON TOP AND SPREAD OUT VERY GENTLY SO THAT YOU DO NOT MIX THE LAYERS. YOU WANT THE CHEESECAKE TO BAKE WITH STRIPY LAYERS IN IT.
BAKE IN THE OVEN FOR 1 HOUR-1 HOUR 15 MINUTES UNTIL THE CHEESECAKE HAS SET BUT STILL HAS A SLIGHT WOBBLE IN THE CENTRE. TURN THE OVEN TEMPERATURE DOWN SLIGHTLY IF THE TOP STARTS TO BROWN. LEAVE TO COOL, THEN CHILL IN THE REFRIGERATOR FOR 3 HOURS BEFORE SERVING. THIS CHEESECAKE WILL STORE FOR UP TO 3 DAYS IN THE REFRIGERATOR. SERVE WITH POURING CREAM IF YOU WISH.