WHITE CHOCOLATE AND COCONUT CHEESECAKE – WITH SALTED CARAMEL TOPPING

WHITE CHOCOLATE & COCONUT CHEESECAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL TOPPING

FOR THE CRUST:

200 g   crushed Tennis biscuits

30 g     coconut

120 ml melted butter

Mix together and line a well-greased 24cm loose bottomed cake tin (also up the sides)

FOR THE CHEESECAKE:

750 g   cream cheese (must be room temperature)

200 g   castor sugar

5 ml     salt

4          eggs – beaten together

250 ml sour cream

160 g   De Villiers Coconut blonde chocolate, melted (or use any white chocolate plus 5 ml coconut flavoring)

METHOD:

• Heat oven to 150°C
• Beat the cream cheese with the paddle attachment of your beater and add the sugar and salt. Do it at very low speed.  Rest for a few minutes for sugar to dissolve
• At very low speed – add the egg a little at a time and make sure it is mixed in well. You don’t want to beat in air – it will cause cheesecake to rise too much and crack once cooled.  Scrape down the sides a few times.
• Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix in gently. Lastly mix in the melted DVC Coconut Blonde chocolate and mix well
• Spoon into the prepared crust
• Cover the cake tin at the bottom and around the sides with one large piece of foil (to prevent water from getting into the tin) and place in a bain-marie (a pan with boiling water – it must reach up high to the tin. I put it into a larger cake tin filled with water) MAKE SURE THAT NO WATER CAN COME INTO THE LOOSE-BOTTOMED CAKE TIN
• Bake for 1 hour, turn and bake for another 30 minutes. Open the door of the oven and leave in the oven to cool off for one hour. 
• Place in fridge overnight, remove from the cake tin and top with the salted caramel.
• Always cut your cheesecake with a warm knife and it will last in the fridge for up to a week

SALTED CARAMEL

200 g   butter

150 g   soft brown sugar

150 g   castor sugar

150 ml golden syrup

250 ml cream

5 ml     Maldon salt flakes (or add more to taste)

METHOD:       

• Combine all the ingredients, stir to dissolve and cook up to 111˚C (use a sugar thermometer)
• Add the salt once cooled (fold it into the caramel)
• You can store the left-over salted caramel in the fridge for up to one month