We all love cheesecake, especially a New York style baked cheesecake. I usually make Nigel Slater’s lemon trifle at Christmas but this year I tried this recipe from delicious magazine and it was a triumph. Lovely crunchy base, rich creamy cheesecake that was not too sweet. It looks pretty good on the table too. I made it a day before I needed it and kept it in the fridge. Remove an hour before serving so it is a little easier to slice. Try it, I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Ingredients
For the base
- 200g Biscoff biscuits (available in Waitrose and Sainsbury’s)
- 75g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra to grease
For the filling
- 600g full-fat cream cheese at room temperature (we like Philadelphia)
- 200g caster sugar
- 200ml soured cream
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Finely grated zest 4 lemons, juice 1
- 50g plain flour
For the caramelised lemon
- 1 lemon cut into thin slices
- icing sugar
You will also need a 20cm springform tin or loose bottomed cake tin.
Method
- For the caramelised lemon slices. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and sift over a good layer of icing sugar. Lay the lemon slices on top of the sugar, then sift more icing sugar on top of them. Sprinkle over a few drops of water, then bake for around 1 hour until the lemons are golden and caramelised. I baked them in my bottom oven for over an hour at 120°C. Carefully lift them off the baking paper with a palette knife and leave to cool on a wire rack until they are ready to use. If you are making ahead, store in between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container.
- For the base of the cheesecake, whizz the Biscoff biscuits in a food processor, or put in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin to form fine crumbs. Whizz or stir in the melted butter in a mixing bowl along with a pinch of salt, then pack into the base of a 20cm loose bottomed cake tin in an even layer, smoothing it down using the back of a spoon. Chill until needed.
- For the filling, mix the room temperature cream cheese, caster sugar and soured cream together in a mixing bowl with a balloon whisk (or with an electric mixer) until smooth. Gently beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and juice. Fold in the flour with a balloon whisk until smooth. Spoon the mixture over the chilled biscuit base, then level the top.
- Bake in the centre of the top oven at 160°C – 180°C for 50-60 minutes until the top is lightly golden and set at the edges but the middle still has a good wobble when the cheesecake is shaken gently. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before removing from the tin. To serve, top with the caramelised lemon slices and dust with a little more icing sugar.