Chocolate and Hazelnut Cheesecake

So, I found a recipe for “classic New York cheesecake” and I kind of have a pathological need to change up recipes to include my favourite flavours. And, you may have guessed, but my favourite flavour is Nutella. Without a doubt, every day of the week, I want to make things taste like Nutella. I think that's why I'd be especially terrible at Great British Bake Off - I would just do chocolate and hazelnut EVERYTHING.

So that’s what I did! Sorrynotsorry.

I was really impressed with this recipe, I think it must be the first cheesecake I’ve ever made where the top didn’t crack (SUCCESS!), and I have to imagine that that is due to the lower cooking temperature in the second half of the bake.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get any nice photos of the inside of the cake because I took it into work and we demolished it! A good effort.

Ingredients for the base

• 50g butter
• 35g melted chocolate
• 100g digestive biscuits
• 40g hazelnuts
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• 1tbsp sugar

Ingredients for the filling

• 450g Philadelphia cheese
• 125g caster sugar
• 1.5 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 large egg plus one yolk
• 142ml sour cream

Ingredients for the topping

• 100ml sour cream
• 2 heaped tbsp Nutella
• 40g hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees

Grease the base of a 20cm springform cake tin.

Crumb the biscuits and roughly chop the hazelnuts either by hand or in a food processor. I chose food processor because I wanted to do the hazelnuts and biscuits all together quickly. Pour into a bowl and stir through the cocoa and sugar.

Crush 'em

Stirred through the cocoa

Melt the butter and chocolate together and pour into the bowl of chopped biscuits.

Mix together and then press into the greased tin and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Then increase the oven temperature to 200 degrees.

Now, for the cheesecake mix itself. Beat the creamed cheese with a whisk until creamy. Reduce the speed, and add in the sugar, flour and a pinch of salt. Whisk together, then whisk in the egg.

With a spoon, stir though the sour cream until light and smooth.

Pour this filling over the baked crust and bake for 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 90 degrees and continue to bake for another 25 minutes.

Turn off oven, open the door and allow to cool in the oven.

No crack!! No crack!!

Refrigerate overnight.

When nearly ready to serve, mix together the sour cream and Nutella and spoon over the top.

Sprinkle over the crushed hazelnuts and place back in the fridge for a few hours until ready to serve.