Brownies and cheesecake are two of my favourite sweet treats and putting them together in this recipe makes one of my favourite cheesecakes. The cheesecake is perfect to serve for afternoon tea or morning coffee but also makes an indulgent dessert served with scoops of vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce. As with all brownie recipes, feel free to add additional ingredients – omit the nuts if you wish, and add chocolate chips and orange zest for the perfect chocolate orange treat.
FOR THE BROWNIES
100 g/7 tablespoons butter
150 g/5½ oz. dark chocolate
100 g/½ cup caster/white sugar
100 g/½ cup soft dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
80 g/scant ⅔ cup plain/all-purpose flour, sifted
50 g/½ cup chopped pecans
FOR THE TOPPING
150 g/⅔ cup cream cheese
160 ml/⅔ cup sour cream
50 g/¼ cup caster/white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 eggs
30 g/scant ¼ cup plain/all-purpose flour, sifted
125 g/4½ oz. dark chocolate, chopped
a 23-cm/9-inch round springform cake pan, greased and lined
SERVES 12
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
To prepare the brownies, melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a small pan of simmering water, taking care that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until melted, then leave to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugars and eggs with the vanilla until doubled in size and the mixture is very light and creamy. Slowly pour in the cooled melted chocolate mixture, whisking all the time. Fold in the flour and nuts, then pour into the prepared cake pan.
For the cheesecake topping, whisk together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, eggs and flour until smooth, then stir through the chopped chocolate. Place large spoonfuls of the cheesecake mixture at intervals on top of the brownie mixture. Swirl the cheesecake and brownie mixtures together with a round-bladed knife to create swirled patterns.
Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven for 40–45 minutes until a crust has formed on the brownie and the cheesecake mixture is set. Allow to cool before serving.