Bailey’s & Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

Definitely one for the grown-ups, this no-bake cheesecake has a light texture with the unmistakable flavour of Baileys. We used milk chocolate and caramel Digestive biscuits for the crust, which is sweet and a little bit chewy (but if you’re a die-hard crunchy base fan, you can use milk chocolate digestives instead), with a few chunks of milk chocolate for good measure. Served with dollops of whipped cream and salted caramel sauce, this is a sure crowd-pleaser.

1. For the shaved chocolate (ideally half a slab in one piece) that will be used at the end for decorating, place the milk chocolate, smooth side up, on a small plate and microwave for 10-15 seconds, just enough so that it’s no longer brittle. Using a sharp and straight-edged knife, lightly shave the chocolate, gently placing the shavings on a plate to be kept for later. Tip: keep the knife as close to flat on the surface of the chocolate as possible and shave the chocolate towards you, carefully.
2. Once you have enough shavings to decorate, roughly chop the remaining chocolate into small chunks and place in a medium-sized bowl.
3. Line the bottom of a 20cm (8 inch) round springform cake tin with parchment paper, set aside. Tip: turn the base of the springform upside down, this makes it easier to remove the cheesecake later from the base as the lip of the base won’t be in the way.
4. Place biscuits in a strong freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin or other heavy object (a small saucepan will do the trick). Pour the crumbs into the bowl with the chocolate pieces.
5. Add the melted butter and stir well to make sure all the crumbs are coated in butter.
6. Spoon base mixture into the prepared baking tin and spread the mixture evenly over the bottom. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon until the base is even and level. Refrigerate while you make the cheesecake.
7. Place gelatine sheets in a bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to sit for about 5 minutes to soften. Discard water and squeeze out excess water from gelatine. Place back in the bowl then add 3 tbsp boiling water and stir until gelatine is completely melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
8. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, cream, Baileys and icing sugar. Whisk slowly with an electric mixer until ingredients are combined. Add the cooled gelatine then whisk on high speed until mixture is thick and holds soft peaks, 3-5 minutes.
9. Pour mixture into the cake tin over the set base then smooth the top with a spatula. Return to the fridge and leave overnight.
10. When ready to serve, use a sharp knife and run it around the edge of the tin then carefully remove the collar of the springform pan. Tip: if the outside edges of the cheesecake aren’t perfectly smooth, run a cake spatula around the outside to lightly scrape the sides, smoothing them. Place cheesecake on a serving plate.
11. Heat salted caramel in the microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring between each, until sauce is pourable but not hot.
12. Whip double cream in a small bowl or jug to soft peak. Drop dollops of cream around the edge of the cheesecake, between 10 to 12 dollops, depending on how many slices you want to serve. Use a fork to gently pick up chocolate shavings and sprinkle into each dollop of cream. Serve each slice with a drizzling of salted caramel sauce. Tip: For neat slices, use a sharp straight-edged blade and clean the blade after each cut.
13. If not serving immediately, keep refrigerated. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.