Vanilla Fudge Whisky Cheesecake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes plus 15 minutes cooling time
Cooking time: 1.5 hours
Serves: 10
For base:
- 175g/6ozs. plain digestive cookies (I used a mixture of leftover plain biscuits)
- 3 tablespoons raw sugar
- 60g/2ozs. butter, melted
For Filling:
- 200g/7ozs. vanilla caramel fudge cubes
- 125ml/4flozs. cream
-
Pinch of salt
-
500g/1.1lbs cream cheese, room temperature
-
250ml/8.8ozs sour cream
-
1/3 cup/75g/2.6ozs. caster or superfine sugar
-
3 tablespoons whisky
-
2 tablespoons flour
-
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
-
3 eggs, beaten
For topping
- 250ml/8.8flozs sour cream
- 3 tablespoons caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 200g/7ozs vanilla caramel fudge cubes
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 160C/320F and line the base and sides of a 20cm/8inch springform tin. Process the digestive biscuits until you get very fine crumbs and place in a bowl. Add the raw sugar and melted butter and stir to combine and press into the base of the prepared tin. Bake for 10 minutes.
Step 2 -Heat the cream with the vanilla fudge cubes and salt on medium heat until melted. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Clean out the food processor and beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, whisky, flour, vanilla and caramel mixture until smooth- pulse this so that it doesn't get overbeaten. Add the eggs and pulse the mix together until just combined. I let this mixture rest for 5 minutes so that the bubbles disappear and gently tap the cake tin on the counter to remove air bubbles.
Step 3 -Lower oven temperature to 140C/284F. Pour the filling carefully over the cooked base and bake on a tray for 1 hour and 10 minutes. You don't need a water bath at this lower temperature.
Step 4 -While it is baking whisk the sour cream, caster sugar and vanilla together in a bowl until smooth and loose. When the cheesecake has had its time and is set on top, smooth this sour cream mixture over the top and bake for an additional 20 minutes until set. Turn off the heat on the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for a couple of hours (this also prevents cracking). Set completely in the fridge overnight. Top with extra fudge pieces and serve.