Baked Chocolate Cheesecake

Buttery, crumbly base, and rich, creamy, chocolaty, silky smooth, mousse-like cheesecake - what more can you ask for in a dessert? *drooling*

Ingredients:

For the base-

50 gm digestive biscuits

25 gm butter (melted)

For the cheesecake batter-

175 gm cream cheese

1/4 cup yogurt

1/4 cup brown sugar

50 gm fresh cream

100 gm dark chocolate

1 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder (optional)

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Crush the biscuits into fine powder using a rolling pin or into a mixer grinder.

2. Add melted butter to it and mix well.

3. Put the mixture in a springform tin lined with 2 sheets of aluminum foil and press it down even and tight.

4. Bake at 180C for 5-6 mins until light golden brown colour.

5. Meanwhile, in a large microwave-safe bowl, add in fresh cream and finely chopped dark chocolate and microwave for 30-40 seconds.

6. Combine well to get a smooth, uniform ganache.

7. To it, add cream cheese, brown sugar, yogurt, instant coffee powder, cornstarch, vanilla extract and salt and mix well using a whisk.

8. Pour the batter over the baked biscuit base and bake at 160C for 30-35 mins over a water bath*.

9. Let the cheesecake come down to room temperature, then cool it in a refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours.

10. Loosen the sides with a knife, demould, slice and enjoy!

Important Points:

- You can use hung curd as a substitute for cream cheese.

- Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature.

- Coffee powder is added to enhance the flavour of chocolate. You can skip it if you like.

- *To create a water bath: Fill a large baking tray with hot water upto about 1/2 inch, and place your cheesecake tin into it. Keep refilling the water while it's baking.

- Water bath creates steam and ensures even baking of the cheesecake, and prevents the top from cracking.

- Cheesecake is perfectly baked when the center does not jiggle and when you touch the top of it, it doesn't stick to your finger.

So what are you waiting for? Stock up your pantry and treat yourself with this indulgent dessert now!