The Ultimate Party Cheesecake

Apologies for not posting in a long time! But I hope I've made up for it with this yummy recipe!

Line a 23cm springform cake tin (8inch sides) with baking paper at the bottom.

Cheesecake Base
100g digestive biscuits
150g ginger nut biscuits
75g butter
2 tbsp soft brown sugar

Crush all the biscuits either in a food processor or using a food bag and rolling pin. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Once melted remove from the heat and add the crushed biscuits and sugar. Mixing to make sure it is fully incorporated. Then put into the baking tin using a spoon to press it down gently until it has formed a dense base. This will take 5-10mins. Then refrigerate.

Cheesecake Filling
800g full fat soft cream cheese
800ml double cream
2 lemons zest
75g icing sugar

Put the soft cream cheese and lemon zest in your largest bowl. Then mix together, but don't over mix otherwise it will go too soft.
Then in another large bowl add the double cream and sift the icing sugar on top. Then using an electric whisk or hand whisk, whisk the cream and sugar together until you have a slightly thinner consistency to that of the cream cheese. But don't over whip otherwise the cream will split and go hard and grainy.
Then add the cream to the cream cheese mix and very carefully incorporate the two mixtures. Make sure to be gentle and not to over stir it!
Then remove the base from the fridge and add the mixture on top. Make sure to get the mixture at the bottom of the tin so you don't get any holes when you take it out. Then smooth the top and put it back in the refrigerator for at least 4hrs or overnight. (You can put it in the freezer for 30mins if time is against you!)

Chocolate ganache
75g dark/milk chocolate in small chunks
90ml double cream

Heat the cream in a saucepan until it's close to simmering (starts to get a skin on the top) then remove from the heat and add the chocolate chunks and stir continuously until all the chocolate is melted. You want a dripping consistency so if it's not runny enough add a splash of milk or more chocolate if it's too runny. Then using a spoon add the ganache around the top edges of the cheesecake and allow the chocolate to drip down.

Now place your chocolate bars on how you would like them displayed. Store in the fridge until needed. Remove from the fridge 10mins before serving to warm up a bit. But don't leave it for hours as it will go a bit soft.

Enjoy!

Lemon Drizzle Traybake - Mary Berry's Recipe

This is one of my favourite cakes. It is really easy to make and tastes great. You need to add the topping to the cake while the cake is still warm. It will then absorb the lemon syrup easily. If the cake is too hot the syrup will tend to run straight through.


Ingredients

225g softened butter
225g caster sugar
275g self-raising flour
2 level teaspoons baking powder
4 large eggs
4 tablespoons milk
finely grated rind of 2 lemons

For the crunchy topping:
175g granulated sugar
juice of 2 lemons


Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3, 160°C (Fan 140°C).
2. Grease a 20 x 20cm tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.
3. Measure all the ingredients from the traybake into a large bowl and beat until well blended. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top gently with the back of a spatula.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the cake has shrunk from the sides of the tin and springs back when pressed in the centre with your fingertips.
5. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes then turn out, carefully peel of the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack.
6. To make the crunchy topping, mix the granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl to give a runny consistency.
7. Stand the wire rack on a tray to catch any drips of the topping.
8. Spoon the lemon syrup evenly over the traybake while it is still a little warm.
9. Cut into 30 squares when cold.
10. Can be stored in greaseproof paper and in an air-tight container.