White Chocolate Marble Cheesecake

Biscuit base

125g butter

200g digestive biscuits, finely crushed

50g cornflakes, finely crushed

30g almond flakes, toasted and lightly crushed

25g brown sugar

25g cocoa powder dark chocolate mixture

12g cocoa powder

2 teaspoons instant coffee powder

30ml hot water

1 tablespoon coffee liqueur white chocolate mixture

750g cream cheese at room temperature, chopped

120g caster sugar

8g cornflour

4 tablespoons Irish cream (optional)

3 grade A eggs, lightly beaten

100g white chocolate, melted

300ml sour cream glaze

50g apricot jam

2 tablespoons water

To prepare biscuit base: Melt butter over low heat in a pan. Add remaining ingredients, mix and cook until fragrant.

Remove from heat. Spread and press mixture evenly onto the base of a 23cm loose-bottom, round cake pan. Cover with cling film and chill until firm. Remove pan from the fridge 5 minutes before proceeding with the next step.

To prepare dark chocolate mixture: Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Set aside.

To prepare white chocolate mixture: Beat cream cheese in electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar, cornflour and Irish cream; mix. Gradually mix in eggs, white chocolate and sour cream. Set aside 150g of the mixture. To the remaining mixture, add the dark chocolate mixture; mix well. Pour half the white mixture onto the prepared biscuit base. Dot half the dark mixture in the white mixture. Swirl a palette knife through the mixtures to create a marbling effect. Top with remaining white mixture and dot with remaining dark mixture; repeat the marbling step.

To bake: Preheat oven to 150°C. Place the cake in a larger (non-loose bottom) pan and set in a baking tray. Fill tray with 4cm hot water. Bake in the oven for 80 minutes, or until cake is set – the centre should still be slightly soft. Turn off the heat and leave cake to cool in the oven, with door closed, for 30 minutes. Remove cake and waterbath from the oven, and run a knife round the sides of the cake pan to loosen the cake. Set the cake back in the oven to cool completely with the door ajar. Refrigerate overnight.

To glaze: Remove cake from pan. Place apricot jam and water in a saucepan. Mix and cook over low heat until smooth. Allow to cool and thicken. Spread glaze over the surface of the cheesecake and leave to set.

Thanks to Catherine Lau