Marbled Cheesecake

The marbled cheesecake is a delicious variation of the classic dessert that combines creaminess and a vanilla flavor with the addition of chocolate or fruit to create a “marbled” effect. Here I propose a simple version to make.

Ingredients

• 250 g of digestive biscuits
• 100 g of melted butter
• 500 g of cream cheese (like Philadelphia)
• 100 g of powdered sugar
• 1 sachet of vanillin
• 3 eggs
• 150 ml of fresh cream
• 100 g of dark chocolate (or chocolate of choice, or jam/fruit for marbling)

Preparation

1. Start by crushing the biscuits until you obtain a coarse flour. Mix the melted butter with the crushed biscuits until they have absorbed all the butter.
2. Take a springform pan (preferably 22-24 cm in diameter) and line it with parchment paper. Pour in the biscuit and butter mixture and press down well on the base to create a compact crust. Place in the refrigerator to cool while you prepare the cream.
3. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanillin until you get a smooth, homogeneous mixture.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating them well into the mixture.
5. Gently pour in the cream and mix until you obtain a smooth, velvety cream.
6. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave and let it cool down.
7. Take the biscuit base out of the refrigerator and pour the cheese cream on top. Add spoonfuls of the melted chocolate and with a toothpick or the tip of a knife, create designs to marble the chocolate with the cream.
8. Bake the cheesecake in a preheated oven at 160 °C for about 1 hour or until the surface looks firm but still slightly wobbly in the center.
9. Let the cheesecake cool in the turned-off oven with the door slightly open; this will help prevent cracks on the surface.
10. Once cooled, place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.

Curiosity

Cheesecake is a dessert with ancient origins, dating back to classical Greece. It became particularly popular in New York, so much so that we often speak of New York Cheesecake, a dense and creamy version of this delicious dessert.