Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

225g Chocolate Wafers, finely crushed
100g butter, melted
360g dark chocolate, chopped
360ml double cream
480g cream cheese, softened (or you can use my home-made cream cheese recipe to prepare your own)
50g sugar
4 large eggs
180ml cherry-flavoured liqueur (eg Kirsch)
1 tsp vanilla extract
450g tinned cherry pie filling
120ml double cream, whipped (optional)

Method:

Combine the chocolate wafer crumbs and butter in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly then press firmly into the base of a 22cm diameter springform cake tin, making sure you cover the bottom and about 6cm up the sides of the pan. Transfer to a refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.

As the base is chilling, combine the chocolate and double cream in a bain-marie (double boiler) and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Take off the heat and set aside to cool. In the meantime, cream the cream cheese in a bowl then beat in the sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly to combine after each addition. Now mix in the chocolate mixture, cherry liqueur and the vanilla extract, beating to combine. Pour onto the prepared crust then transfer to an oven pre-heated to 160°C and bake for 60 minutes. After this time turn the oven off, prop the door ajar with the handle of a wooden spoon and leave the oven and cheesecake to cool for 1 hour.

After this time remove the cheesecake and set on a wire rack. Loosen the sides of the pan (but do not remove) and allow the cheesecake to cool completely. Carefully remove the sides of the tin then set in the refrigerator to chill for 24 hours. When ready to serve, spread the cherry pie filling over the top of the cheesecake, top with the whipped cream (if desired) and serve.