White Chocolate Sernik

• Updated 14 February 2025.
• This is a baked sernik (cheesecake) that I discovered recently.
• It is based on one in a Christmas book by Mary Berry.
• I tried it out with the ingredients adjusted several times.
• This is my final version, which is slightly different to the one in Mary Berry’s book. 
• It is very rich and creamy – in many ways like a set sernik.
• The sernik tends to crack on top – do not worry it does not affect the taste!
• I used Lindt white chocolate, which is super.
• (I have read that Milky Bar does not melt as well.)
• There is no sugar in the cake – the sweetness is from the chocolate – and the biscuits in the base.
• I found it best to loosen the cake slightly in the tin and then leave it in the tin to cool.
• I think this sernik is best served chilled.

INGREDIENTS – base

• 150g of plain chocolate digestive biscuits
• 40g of butter – plus a little to grease the tin.

METHOD – base

• Melt the butter gently in a small saucepan.
• Grease a 20cm round loose bottomed tin with some of the melted butter.
• Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin.
• Mix in the crushed biscuits with the melted butter.
• Put the mixture in the bottom of the tin and flatten out to all the sides.
• Leave to cool.

INGREDIENTS – sernik

• 400g of full fat cream cheese or yoghurt cheese.
• 2 eggs & 1 egg yolk (or 3 eggs)
• 150 ml of soured cream
• 300g of white chocolate
• 2 – 3 drops of vanilla essence 
• A little cocoa powder for dusting the edges.

METHOD – sernik

• Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160°C.
• Whisk together the cheese, eggs and yolk and vanilla essence until smooth.
• Mix in the soured cream and again whisk until smooth.
• Break the chocolate into a bowl and place over a pan of water.
• Slowly heat the water and mix the melted chocolate well with a wooden spoon,
• Take care not to overheat and keep mixing so it is smooth.
• Allow to cool (this is the hardest part to gauge when to use the chocolate).
• Slowly stir the cooled, melted chocolate into the cheese mixture and mixture until uniform.
• Pour the mixture over the dark chocolate base.
• Flatten the top.
• Bake for around 50 minutes.
• When the centre is set – turn off the oven and leave for another 15 minutes with the door slightly open,
• Using a spatula loosen the sides from the tin.
• Leave to go cold in the tin before removing.
• Best kept in the fridge before serving.
• Dust the edges with cocoa powder using a fine sieve.
• *
• NOTE 
• This is quite rich so maybe do not give huge slices!
•