For all the Christmas cake haters out there this week, we’ve decided (with a little help from BBC Food)  to put a festive twist on one of your favourite classic puddings!

Ready, set… bake!

Christmas Pudding

Chocolate Christmas pudding cheesecake!

Preparation time – it’s super quick, less than 30 mins

Cooking time – 30 mins to 1 hour!

Serves – Serves 6-8 people

 

Christmas Chocolate Cheesecake

 

Ingredients

For the cheesecake:

125g/4½oz bourbon biscuits

65g/2½oz butter, melted

100g/3½oz good-quality dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids

200g/7oz full-fat cream cheese

400g/14oz ricotta

75g/2½oz golden caster sugar

3 eggs

40g/1½oz cocoa powder

125g/4½oz good-quality Christmas pudding, cooked, crumbled into pieces (optional)

For the sauce

125g/4½oz good-quality dark chocolate, minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids

125ml/4½fl oz double cream

15g/½oz butter

Method

  1. First things first, preheat the oven to 180C (350F/Gas 4).
  2. Starting with the cheesecake, crush the bourbon biscuits good and proper into tiny crumbs and put them in a bowl. Pour over the melted butter and press into a cake tin (20cm/8in preferably spring-form) to form the base.
  3. Grab the chocolate and place in a bowl over simmering water to melt. Little tip, make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl!
  4. Mix the cream cheese, ricotta and sugar in a food processor and blend together until silky smooth.
  5. Next, add the eggs, cocoa powder and the melted chocolate, and stir into the Christmas pudding.
  6. With a spoon, pop the mixture onto the base and, place the cake in the oven and cook for approximately 45 minutes, until the cake is springy to touch and allow to cool in a tin.
  7. When cool, turn out of the tin and top with chopped or grated chocolate of your choice and a little touch of cocoa powder.
  8. Last but not least, the sauce! Place the chocolate and cream in a clean bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt.
  9. Once the chocolate is melted, whisk in the butter. Remember folks, the sauce MUST be prepared just before the cake is served, because it can’t be reheated.
  10. And finally, you can enjoy! We suggest serving in large slices with a big dollop of sauce and clotted cream. And for a final festive twist, why not dust the edge of the plate with cocoa!

 

We hope we’ve soothed your sweet tooth and found you a fantastic sweet alternative for Christmas Day! If you’ve got another amazing recipe that you want to share with us? Why not Tweet us @JoeBrowns and join in all things sweet and festive!