I’ve used this classic flavour combination many times to bake great cakes, but only recently decided to see how well it works in a cheesecake. I’m happy to say it’s just as lovely, just as tasty in this form. I’ve gone for a square, tray bake style, as it’s easy to cut and share.

Makes: 16 “moderate” squares, but you may prefer to “go large”.

Time: 40 – 50 minutes hands on and prep, then 55 – 65 minutes baking, followed by cooling time and another 10 minutes to decorate.

Level: Fairly easy

Equipment: A 20cm/8” square tin with deep sides. One with a removable bottom would be good, but not essential. I did all my mixing in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

Ingredients for the base

50g/1¾oz – 75g/2½oz walnuts
100g/3½oz butter
50g/1¾oz golden syrup
250g/9oz biscuits (e.g. shortbread or digestives or Graham crackers in US)

Ingredients for the cake

500g/1lb 2oz Mascarpone or full fat cream cheese
250g/9oz Ricotta
250g/9oz caster sugar
3 large eggs
2 – 3 tsp coffee extract
2 – 3 tsp corn flour (US – cornstarch, I think)
50g/1¾oz walnuts, broken + enough halves or quarters to decorate each piece
1 – 3 tsp instant coffee powder (finely ground)
Some apricot jam (optional)

Method

1. Turn the oven on to 170°C / fan 150°C / 325°F / Gas 3. Line the baking tin with baking parchment. Use a double layer for the sides.

2. Put 100g – 125g walnuts onto a metal oven tray and place in the oven for about 5 – 10 minutes to roast. (Roasting improves the flavour, but keep a close eye on them as they easily burn. Some of these roasted nuts will go into the base, some into the main cake mixture)

3. Put the butter and golden syrup in a medium saucepan and melt together over a medium/low heat.

4. Put the biscuits in a food bag and bash with a rolling pin or whizz them in a food processor. Cut or bash the roasted walnuts into small pieces. Put the biscuit crumbs and walnut pieces into a large bowl and mix them together.

5. Pour the melted butter mixture onto the biscuit crumb mixture and stir well.

6. Press the mixture into the base of the tin, using the back of a spoon or a plastic dough scraper. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes.

(NB many cheesecake recipes simply tell you to chill the base for half an hour. Yes, that will work, but I prefer the firmer, crunchier texture that baking gives.)

7. To make the filling, pulse or beat the cream cheese, ricotta, and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and coffee extract and beat again briefly. (It just needs to be smooth, without whisking in lots of air.) Stir in the ground coffee, tasting as you go.

8. Mix the corn flour with a little of the mixture so there are no lumps then stir this back into the main mixture. Stir in the walnut pieces.

9. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Tap the tin a couple of times on your work surface to release any air pockets.

10. Bake for 55 – 65 minutes. Check at 50. It needs to be setting around the edges, possibly pulling away from the sides, but still a little wobbly in the middle. Turn the oven off and leave the door slightly open with the cheesecake inside until it has cooled.

11. You could cut the cooled cheesecake now, before adding any topping items, or do it afterwards.

12. For the topping you could brush over some warm diluted apricot jam then add the walnut pieces or just add the walnuts without the jam.

Gallery 1

Gallery 2

I hope you enjoy this cheesecake. If you want to see more cheesecake recipes click here. Or click here for more tasty traybake recipes. I’ll put a few examples below for you to have a look at and maybe try.

Also, have a look at my site for other recipes, sweet and savoury.

Simnel Cherry Cheesecake