Raspberry Brownie Cheesecake

I've been quite ill these past few weeks, and have only just begun feeling a bit like my old self. So to celebrate, I baked up one of my favourite treats, a recipe I've wanted to share since the first time I tried it out of the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook over two years ago.

This recipe combines three of my favourite things: chocolate brownies, baked cheesecake, and raspberries. When I first tried a slice of this from the London store many, many years ago (gosh... it's been so long since uni), I feel completely in love with it. So when my friend, Jimmy, came back from a holiday in the States with a copy of the Hummbingbird Bakery Cookbook for me, it was the first thing I searched for. And lo, there it was!

It's a simple enough recipe to whip up on a night in, assuming you have all the ingredients on hand. So turn on the telly, watch a couple episodes of The Voice, and bake away! Yes, that's exactly what I did on Saturday night after attending a friend's wedding with my boyfriend, and I can't think of a better way to spend a night in.

Raspberry Brownie Cheesecake
from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Brownie ingredients:

• 200g chopped dark chocolate
• 200g unsalted butter, softened
• 250g confectioner's sugar
• 3 eggs
• 110g all purpose flour

Cheesecake ingredients:

• 400g cream cheese
• 150g confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Raspberry cream ingredients:

• 300ml whipping cream
• 100g confectioner's sugar
• 150g fresh raspberries, plus extra to decorate

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 9x6 baking tin
2. Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie, and while waiting for that, beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat the eggs in, one at a time, then incorporate the flour and mix on medium speed. Pour the chocolate in and gradually increase speed to get it all combined. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and set aside.
3. To prepare the cheesecake layer, put the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy, then add the eggs one at a time and increase speed of the mixer to ensure everything is mixed thoroughly. Spread the batter over the brownie batter, then bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 2 hours (I like to leave it overnight at this point and finish in the morning)
4. When ready to serve, prepare the raspberry cream. First chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 minutes (I can't remember where I learned this trick, but have always done it for whisking cream). Whisk the cream and sugar until stiff peaks form, then whisk in the raspberries. Spread or dollop the raspberry cream over the brownie cheesecake, and serve with fresh raspberries!