Bloodcurdlingly Good Cheesecake

If we ever had to entertain a vampire, you can bet your bottom dollar this is what we’d be serving up. With a devilish red velvet filling, spine-chillingly smooth texture and a crumbly cookie base, this is literally the best cheesecake you could possible sink your fangs into. Dripping with Halloween flare, come with your knives and pitchforks ready because we’re telling you now, it’ll be the quick and the dead when this bad boy’s around.

Ingredients

For crust

• 1 packet Oreos, crushed into fine crumbs
• 5 tbsp melted butter

For cake filling

• 3 blocks cream cheese, at room temp.
• ¾ cups granulated sugar or Morlife® Certified Organic Monk Fruit equivalent
• ¼ cup Morlife® Certified Organic Cacao Powder
• ¼ cup Morlife® Certified Organic Beetroot Powder
• 4 large eggs, at room temp.
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅓ thickened cream

For gel blood frosting

• ¼ cup cold water
• 3 tsp corn starch
• ¼ cup rice malt syrup or light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Morlife® Certified Organic Beetroot Powder or red food colouring

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper or foil, letting the paper cover the edges of the bottom of the pan and closing the springform edge around it (this makes for easy removal later on).
2. Combine the crushed Oreos and melted butter until the crumbs are evenly coated. Press into the prepared pan.
3. Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar/monk fruit. Add the cacao and beetroot powder and mix until combined.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Then mix in the vanilla, salt and thickened cream.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it over the crust.
6. Bake for 20 mins at 160°C. Then reduce the oven temperature to 110°C and bake for 30 more mins. Turn the oven off and DO NOT open the oven door. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven until the oven cools to room temperature. This prevents cracking.
7. Use a knife to gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan before popping the springform sides open.
8. To make the gel frosting, stir together the cold water and corn starch until smooth. Pour it into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Pour in the rice malt syrp/light corn syrup and stir until the mixture is heated through and smooth. You will need to stir frequently; you will see it thicken as it cooks.
9. Remove the mixture from the burner after 1-2 mins. Stir in the vanilla and beetroot powder. Let the gel cool before spooning it over the cheesecake
10. Refrigerate for 4 hrs before serving.