Zebra-striped Cheesecake

The zebra-striped cheesecake is a very charming variant of the classic cheesecake. It’s achieved by alternating layers of white cheese cream and chocolate cheese cream, creating a “zebra-striped” effect. Here’s how to prepare it:

Ingredients

• 200 g of digestive biscuits or another type of your choice
• 100 g of melted butter
• 500 g of spreadable cheese (like Philadelphia)
• 120 g of icing sugar
• 200 ml of fresh cream
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 150 g of dark chocolate
• 30 ml of hot water

Preparation

1. Start by finely chopping the biscuits and mixing them with the melted butter. Evenly distribute the mixture on the bottom of a springform pan (24 cm in diameter) and press it down to form an even layer. Refrigerate to set.
2. Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave and let it cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whip the spreadable cheese with the icing sugar until you get a smooth cream. Incorporate the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract.
4. Divide the cream into two parts: in one part pour the melted chocolate and mix until you obtain a uniform mixture. In the other part of the cream, add the 30 ml of hot water to make it more fluid.
5. Take some of the chocolate cream and pour it into the center of the biscuit base, then pour some of the white cream on top of the center. Continue alternating the mixtures until they are used up, creating the zebra-striped effect.
6. Bake the cheesecake in a preheated oven at 160 °C for about 1 hour or until the surface appears firm but still slightly wobbly in the center.
7. Let the cheesecake cool in the turned-off oven with the door slightly open, then transfer it to the fridge and let it set for at least 4 hours, better if overnight.
8. Before serving, you can decorate the cheesecake with chocolate flakes or with a thin dusting of cocoa powder.

Curiosity

The cheesecake is a dessert spread in many parts of the world and lends itself to countless variations. The zebra-striped effect is not only aesthetically pleasing but also adds an interesting contrast of flavors between the creaminess of the cheese and the intensity of the chocolate.