DARK CHOCOLATE & ORANGE BASQUE-STYLE CHEESECAKE WITH JAFFA GLAZE

SERVES 12 / PREPARATION 20 MINUTES PLUS AT LEAST 4 HOURS CHILLING TIME / COOKING 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES

750g cream cheese, room temperature

250g crème fraîche

330g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

5 eggs

50g cocoa

300ml thickened cream

100g dark chocolate, melted orange slices, to serve

JAFFA GLAZE

1 tablespoon orange juice

½ teaspoon orange essence

1 teaspoon gelatine powder

35g cocoa

2 tablespoons cream

55g caster sugar

Heat the oven to 200°C fan forced or 220°C conventional. Grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm round springform cake pan with baking paper, making sure the paper extends 2cm higher than the top of the tin. Set aside on a baking tray until required.

Place the cream cheese, crème fraîche, sugar, vanilla essence and orange zest in a food processor and whizz until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, pulsing between additions, until smooth. Combine the cocoa and cream, then add to the mixture along with the melted chocolate and whizz until smooth and combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Reduce the oven to 180°C fan forced or 200°C conventional, and bake for 70-80 minutes, or until dark brown on top (it’s even OK if it’s slightly burnt towards the edges) with a slight wobble across the cheesecake. Stand for 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge to cool completely for 4 hours until the centre of the cheesecake is firm to touch (or better still, chill it overnight).

For the Jaffa glaze, place the orange juice and essence in a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine. Stand for 5 minutes, then mix to combine and set aside until required. Put the cocoa and ¼ cup water in a saucepan and mix to create a paste. Add the cream and sugar and place over a medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine mixture, stir to dissolve, return to the heat and stir until smooth. Strain through a sieve into a jug and stand to cool to room temperature.

To serve, remove the cheesecake from the tin and place on a plate. Pour over the glaze and serve with orange slices.