Preparation Time:- 1 hr
Cooking Time:- 1 hr
Chilling time:- 8hr
Ready:- 10 hr
Ingredients:-
- For the base
- 150g chocolate biscuits
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- For the filling
- 250ml double cream
- 1 bunch fresh basil (about 15g)
- 750g cream cheese
- 150g caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 4 eggs
- For the mousse
- 8g powdered gelatine
- 40ml cold water
- 200g strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 220ml double cream
- 50g caster sugar
Method:-
- Preheat the oven to 160 C / Gas 2-3. Line a 23cm springform cake tin with baking parchment.
- For the base, combine the biscuits and butter in a food processor and process till fine. Tip mixture into the prepared tin and press to evenly cover the bottom of the tin. Chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
- For the filling, combine the cream and basil leaves in a food processor and blend till smooth. Add the cream cheese, sugar, flour, cornflour and eggs. Blend till smooth, then pour over the chilled biscuit base. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. After 1 hour, turn off the oven and open the door. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven completely, then transfer to the fridge and chill for 6 hours.
- For the mousse, sprinkle gelatine over water and let sit 3 to 5 minutes to ‘bloom’.
- Blend the strawberries till smooth and frothy. Combine 1/3 of the blended strawberries with the 50g sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir till sugar dissolves, then remove from heat and stir in gelatine till smooth. Combine mixture with the remaining blended strawberries and let cool.
- Whip the cream to stiff peaks. Add the strawberry mixture and fold together till well combined.
- Remove the rim from the cooled cake and transfer the cake to a serving platter. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the strawberry mousse. Decorate with additional strawberries and basil leaves, if liked.
- Chill the cake in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours, or till mousse is set.
