Salted caramel burnt Basque cheesecake with chocolate sauce

Method

• step 1

  Begin by making the salted caramel. Put ¼ of the sugar into a saucepan over a medium heat. As the sugar begins to dissolve, add another quarter, repeating this process until all sugar is added, swirling the pan as you go. Meanwhile, heat the cream over a low heat in a separate saucepan until just warm. Once all the sugar has melted, stir to ensure it is fully dissolved and cook until it reaches a deep golden colour. Remove from the heat and add the butter and salt, then stir to combine before slowly pouring in the heated cream, whisking continuously. Return to the heat and continue to cook the caramel of a further 2 mins before removing from the heat. Transfer the caramel into a heatproof jug and allow to cool to room temperature.

• step 2

  Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Butter a deep 20cm springform cake tin. Lay two large sheets of baking parchment, one on top of the other, one sheet turned 45 degrees, so the corners point in different directions. Push the parchment into the tin, pressing into the corners and making sure plenty of paper is sticking out above the rim. Press the creases up the sides, but don’t worry about lining the tin too neatly – the grooves in the parchment give this cheesecake its characteristic look.

• step 3

  Add the soft cheese to a large mixing bowl and beat to slacken. Crack in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Then stir through the soured cream, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are fully combined. Pour in the cooled caramel and fold until it is fully incorporated, sift in the flour and mix. Pour the batter through a sieve into your prepared tin and bake for 27-30 mins, removing when there is still a significant wobble in the centre. Leave to cool, and chill overnight.

• step 4

  To make the chocolate sauce, pour the milk and cream into a saucepan over a low-medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer. Put the chocolate and butter into a bowl, then pour over the heated milk mix. Leave to stand for 2 mins before stirring to combine fully. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge 20 mins before serving. To serve, slice the cheesecake with a warmed knife and drizzle with the chocolate sauce.