Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

 Are you salivating already?  Well, you should.  This cake is sooooo yummy.  The brownie bottom is so moist, rich with chocolate and the cheese top is very creamy and yet very light.  Truly delicious!  The original recipe uses strawberries dipped in chocolate as the decoration with chocolate drizzle all over the cheese top.  Since I can't find any strawberries, I decided to use canned peaches instead and chocolate curls in the center.  I made this for my dear hubby's birthday yesterday.  I can tell you now, that I will certainly make this again.  My daughter's best friend who is our neighbour's kid, came over today and she never turned down an offer  whenever I cook or bake something.  And when I asked 'Who wants to have a piece of mommy's Brownie Bottom Cheesecake?', well, you guessed it.  My 2 girls and their friend raised their hands and said 'I want, I want'!  (17.02! You want?) wakaakaakakkaaa.....

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

Brownie Bottom:

1/2 cup/115g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

4oz/115g bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

1 cup superfine sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup milk

1 cup all purpose flour

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C. Lightly grease a 9in round springform cake pan.

2. Melt butter and chocolate in a pan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the sugar.

3. Add the eggs and milk, beating well, stir in the flour, mixing just until blended. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 25mins. Remove from oven while preparing the topping. Reduce the oven temperature to 325F/160C.

Topping:

2 1/4 cups/520g cream cheese 

2/3 cup superfine sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used buttermilk as substitute)

melted chocolate, for drizzling

Strawberries dipped in melted chocolate, to serve.

1. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until well blended.

2. Stir in the yogurt, then pour over the brownie bottom. Bake for an additional 45-55 mins or until the center is almost set.

3. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen from the pan. Let cool before removing from the pan. Chill in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight before cutting the slices.

4. Drizzle with melted chocolate and serve with chocolate-dipped strawberries.