Cappuccino Cheesecake

Coffee flavoured desserts are a favourite of mine, as is cheesecake. This Cappucino cheesecake which is meant to look a little like a cappucino meets the requirements for both coffee and cheesecake. I only make this when there are plenty of others to share it with - the leftovers are just too tempting.

The chocolate ripple biscuit base is topped with a thick coffee layer, partially baked and then a thin layer of vanilla cheesecake poured over and cooked. The finished cheesecake is dusted with cocoa just as a cappuccino is.

Cappuccino Cheesecake

1/3 cup butter, melted 250 g Chocolate Ripple biscuits, crushed 500 gm cream cheese  1 1/4 cups castor sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup sour cream 3/4 cup cream 4 large eggs, 2 tablespoons instant coffee dissolved in 2 teaspoons boiling water To Serve 1 tablespoon Dutch cocoa mixed with 1 teaspoon icing sugar

Method

Place oven rack in centre of oven; heat to 160C.

Coat 8inch (20cm) springform pan evenly with butter. Line the bottom of tin with Gladbake / cooking parchment.

Place biscuit in a bowl and add melted butter, mix well. Press crumbs gently onto the base of the tin. Place in the fridge until the filling is made. This helps set the crumbs.

Cut cream cheese into small cubes; place in food processor or large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until completely smooth.

Add sugar and vanilla. Process or beat until mixture is smooth.

Add sour cream, cream and eggs to cheese mixture; pulse or beat at medium speed until blended. Do not over beat the mixture as you will make too many air bubbles.

Remove 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and put aside. This will form the top layer of the cheesecake.

Add the dissolved coffee to the remaining mixture and mix well. Pour the coffee batter into the springform pan. Tap the tin gently on the bench and allow it to sit for a little while so that any air bubbles can come to the surface and be broken.

Bake until sides of cake are set 5 cm in from edges and centre is still pudding like, about 40 minutes.

Carefully pour the white/top layer batter into the springform pan. Pour at the edge and allow the mixture to gently run into the middle. Do not pour directly into the centre.

Return the cheesecake to the oven and continue to cook until the edges are set and the middle still is firm but still a little wobbly, approximately 30 minutes.

Turn the oven off. Let cheesecake stand in the oven with door propped open for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool undisturbed until sides and bottom of pan are completely cooled . Remove sides of pan. Refrigerate cake overnight or for several hours.

To serve

Dust the top of the cheesecake with the cocoa mixture and serve with thick cream.