… and what better opportunity than Ladies’ Day to catch up with the latest fashion trends… 

Chocolate and Baileys cheesecake – something for the ladies?

With Royal Ascot in glorious full swing, the Rowes accepted a rare invitation to sample the hospitality and discreetly observe the elite action.

Today’s recipe is a chocolate cheesecake dedicated to the ladies. Naturally, Salmon (who maintains that Baileys is “not a man’s drink”), would go nowhere near it.

But trust Trota, it is delicious! For a large cheesecake (or, as we did chez Rowe, for two 18cm Ø tins) you will need: a small packet (around 250g) digestive biscuits, 40g butter, 450g cream cheese (we used half ricotta and half Philadelphia), 3 large eggs, 175g caster sugar, the seeds of a vanilla pod, 150ml soured cream, 50g quality chocolate (at least 70% cocoa), 30ml Baileys.

Start by preparing the base: melt the butter, crush the biscuits and mix together. Put in a lined tin (or split into two as we did) and press well to create the base.

In a different bowl, separate the eggs and whisk the whites to form stiff peaks. In yet another bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla seeds then the cheeses. Cream well. Finally, in the yolk/cheese mixture incorporate a couple of tbsp of the whisked egg whites to loosen the mix, then add the rest of the whites – do this gently, retaining as much air as possible.

Transfer the mixture into the tin(s) and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 40–50 minutes, until the top is slightly browned (but the cake remains wobbly in the middle).

If you’ve used two tins, take 100ml of the soured cream to spread over one of the cheesecakes and bake it for another 10 minutes. For the second cheesecake: in a microwave-safe bowl slightly melt the chocolate in short bursts. Add the remaining 50ml soured cream and the Baileys and mix well to create a creamy ganache. Spread over the cheesecake and allow to rest. Remove the lining paper and the side of the tin(s) to let the cheesecake(s) cool fully.

When completely cooled, place the cheesecake(s) in the fridge to chill – in fact, as for all cheesecakes, they’re better made the day before you intend to serve them.

Now, you’ve guessed it: Salmon and Fidget are going to share the plain version (delicious!) and Trota is having the full chocolate and Baileys experience: the one specially designed for the ladies. Super-delicious! And at two to one, the odds are not bad either!