Chocolate orange cheesecake

If you're preparing for a dinner party or need a dessert to finish off a meal there are plenty of options for puddings that can be fully prepared in advance. I feel you can't go wrong with chocolate but often it can seem a little heavy. For this reason I decided to add a touch of citrus in the form of orange. It adds a refreshing taste plus an easy and effective decoration. By baking this cheesecake it ensures it sets so it won't fall apart at the crucial moment! It also means there are no raw eggs in the cheesecake.

Click here for a printable recipe.

Equipment: 9" (23cm) springform tin base lined with baking parchment, glass bowl and small saucepan, large bowl

Ingredients

7oz (200g) Ginger biscuits

3oz (85g) Unsalted butter

9oz (250g) Dark chocolate

1½ tsp Orange extract

3½oz (100g) Caster sugar

1lb (450g) Full-fat soft cheese

3 Large eggs

2 Oranges

Method

1. Crush the ginger biscuits.

2. Melt the butter and then in a bowl mix with the crushed biscuits.

3. Pour into the base of the lined tin. Spread out so all the base is covered and press down.

4. Put in the fridge to set while you prepare the other ingredients.

5. Pre-heat the oven 160°C/Gas mark 3.

6. Using a bain marie (glass bowl over a saucepan of hot water) melt the chocolate. Once melted keep stirring and add the orange extract.

7. In a large bowl beat together the sugar, soft cheese and eggs. Add the melted chocolate and then mix well until all the ingredients are combined. Give the bowl a couple of taps on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.

8. Pour onto the biscuit base and spread around so it is evenly covered.

9. Keep the oranges unpeeled and slice into rounds. Lay round the edge of the cheesecake.

10. Bake for an hour until the cheesecake has set. Once cooked turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door ajar. Refrigerate until it is time to serve.

Linking to my own Love Cake challenge with this month's theme of 'Feeling Fruity'.