Ingredients

• 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-qualty Christmas pudding
• cooked
• crumbled into pieces (optional)
• 125g/4½oz good-quality dark chocolate
• minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids
• 125ml/4½fl oz double cream
• 15g/½oz butter
• good-quality chocolate
• grated
• cocoa powder
• for dusting
• clotted cream
• to serve

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/Gas 4.
• For the cheesecake
• crush the bourbon biscuits into crumbs and place into a bowl. Pour over the melted butter. Press into a 20cm/8in spring-form cake tin to form the base.
• Place the chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water and melt
• making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl.
• Place the cream cheese
• ricotta and sugar in a food processor and blend until smooth.
• Next add the eggs
• then the cocoa powder and the melted chocolate. Stir in the Christmas pudding
• if using.
• Spoon the mixture onto the base. Place the cake in the oven and cook for approximately 45 minutes
• or until cake is springy to the touch. Allow to cool in the tin.
• When cool
• turn out of the tin and top with chopped or grated chocolate and a dusting of cocoa.
• For the sauce
• place the chocolate and cream in a clean bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt
• making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. When melted
• whisk in the butter. The sauce must be prepared just before the cake is served
• because it can't be reheated.
• Serve large slices with a big spoonful of sauce and a dollop of clotted cream. Dust the edge of the plate with cocoa.