Recipe originally created by and posted on the All Things Two blog.

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When we first attempted this cake, we excitedly got all the ingredients (because cheesecake) and decided to wing it with the recipe. As cheesecake-making newbies this probably wasn’t the best idea, but it did give us a valid reason to make (and eat) it twice.

You might find yourself wanting to do the same. The crumbly, cookie-dough tasting base paired with a creamy, slightly tangy filling and a surprising flavour hit of coffee and dark chocolate is a match made in foodie heaven. It makes this cheesecake not only brew-tiful to look at (sorry couldn’t resist) but a standing favorite in our household.

Now the trick to making an unforgettable cheesecake with that melt-in-your-mouth, velvety texture and buttery sweet flavor that lingers long after taking your last bite, is having Really Good Ingredients. Which we learnt the hard way (lookin at you, standard supermarket cocoa). So if possible, go for raw unprocessed cacao, a good quality mascarpone and real maple syrup or honey, over white sugar.

For the coffee, we picked our favorite specialty brew aka the real hero ingredient in this cheesecake: cold drip coffee.

Our brew of choice? First Press coffee; a Melbourne based company I came across a few years ago while living in Byron Bay, on the lookout for something refreshing to drink in the 32 degree heat and before my morning workout. I picked up a bottle of First Press from the health food store, mixed it with a dash of coconut cream and ice, and the rest is history. I’ve had a lot of coffee in my days but nothing like this, the love was instant and I’ve been raving about it ever since.

The cold drip used in this recipe is called the Little Kicker (the witty product names are another reason my brand crush is still going strong, 4 years later). This cold drip concentrate has a smooth, rich and full-bodied flavour with a slight hint of chocolate and berries. Because it is so concentrated, you won’t need much - 4tbsp. for the whole recipe is plenty and will give the cheesecake a mild but distinct and delicious hint of coffee.

We were going into autumn when shooting this recipe, giving us the perfect backdrop with gorgeous purple, orange and yellow leaves scattered all over the courtyard.

Cold Drip Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the base:
300g digestive biscuits
1/4 cup almond meal
100g butter
2 tbsp. raw cacao
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. First Press Little Kicker cold drip  

For the filling:
2 cups (500g) mascarpone 
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp. First Press Little Kicker cold drip
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. plain flour
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Dark chocolate and fresh berries to top with

How to make
Turn oven to 175 degrees. To make the base, put the biscuits into a clean plastic bag or tea towel and crush with a rolling pin. Put crushed biscuits in a bowl and add melted butter, almond meal, cacao, honey and cold drip, and mix well. If you have a food processor, place all ingredients into processor and pulse until everything is well mixed together. Press cake base into a round springform and smooth out with your hands or the back of a wooden spoon, until evenly spread in the form. Bake for 20-25 mins or until light golden and firm to the touch. Let cool while you make the filling.

To make the mascarpone filling, place mascarpone, honey/maple syrup, egg yolk, flour, cold drip and vanilla extract into a bowl and mix well until smooth. Spoon filling into the springform and bake for 30 minutes or until the filling is slightly firm to the touch and golden at the edges. Let cheesecake cool completely and chill in fridge for 2-3 hours until set.

For the topping, bring a pot of water to the boil. Place a deep dish or steel mixing bowl over the pot, break chocolate into pieces into bowl, and melt carefully whilst stirring continuously. Let chocolate cool slightly, then drizzle over cheesecake. Chill cake in fridge for 5-10 mins to let chocolate firm completely. Decorate with fresh berries - raspberries and strawberries go really well.

Serve with First Press The Purest or why not the Black Cacao for an extra hit of chocolate.