There are only couple of months in a year when blackcurrants are in season July and August. Unfortunately most of these little berries are harvested to be processed into squash and juices. So if you have a chance to get some fresh blackcurrants please do. They are truly amazing. With distinctive flavour and noticeable sharpness can stand up to sugar and retain their own character. That’s why they make such a great ingredient for preserves. Also blackcurrants are really good for you 100g of raw berries contain 181m of vitamin C – 218% of the recommended daily value! Last weekend we spend Sunday afternoon at my in laws. They have several blackcurrant bushes so I helped myself to a small basket of these little gems. It didn’t take me long to decide how to use them. To counter balance all of their goodness I decided to use blackcurrants in a cheesecake. Since it is Summer, at least on paper, I made a proper crowd pleaser – no bake cheesecake! It works ideal if you have larger group to feed. Maybe a garden party or just big family meal. You can make it in advance, stick it in a fridge and serve when you are ready.

Serves 8

Equipment required: 23cm (9 inch) spring form cake tin (essential), food processor, electric whisker, blow torch (optional)

Ingredients:
Base:

• 170g digestive biscuits
• 30g amaretti biscuits
• 100g butter, melted

Topping:

• 300g blackcurrants
• 2 tblsp blackcurrant jam
• 5 tblsp sugar

Filling:

• 250g mascarpone cheese
• 200g cream cheese
• 300g double cream
• 6 tblsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Juice of ½ lime

Method:

1. Line cake tin with a greaseproof paper and butter inside of the tin gently
2. Put blackcurrants, sugar and jam into a pan. Heat gently until blackcurrants sugar and jam turns into syrup and currants only just released their juices. You want them to retain their shape. Take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool down.
3. Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to make fine crumb. If you don’t have food processor, place all biscuits in a large plastic bag and crush well with a rolling pin.
4. Add crushed biscuits to the melted butter and mix thoroughly. Transfer the mix into the cake tin and press to the bottom with a back of a spoon until you have a even surface on the bottom of the tin. Place in the fridge to chill.
5. For the filling beat the mascarpone and cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. In a separate bowl whisk the cream, vanilla extract, sugar and lime juice together until the cream forms peaks.
6. Transfer the cream into the bowl with the cheeses and fold gently. Add half of the blackcurrant topping into the same bowl and fold briefly again to create ripple effect but doesn’t turn the whole mix purple.
7. Spoon the filling into the cake tin making sure it forms a smooth even layer. Wrap it with cling film and put in the fridge for about 30 – 45 minutes to chill.
8. Remove the cake from the fridge and spoon over the remaining blackcurrant topping. Cover the cake with cling film again and put it back in a fridge until you are ready to serve.
9. When you are ready to serve remove the tin from the fridge. Heat the tin around with a blow torch before removing the spring form side. Transfer the cake to the cake stand and serve.

What is your favourite cheesecake flavour? Do your prefer baked or no bake cheesecakes?