This London Cheesecake is simply sublime and once you’ve made it you will keep on making it as it’s so addictive. I adapted a Nigella Lawson recipe and it worked out fine. I guess you could change the biscuit base, and use fromage frais too. Experiment. Serves 8.
Ingredients
For the base:
- 150g digestive biscuits
- 75g unsalted butter, melted
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- 350g cream cheese like Philadelphia
- 150g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1½ tbs vanilla extract
- 1½ tbs lemon juice
For the topping:
- 145ml sour cream
- 1 tbs caster sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Line the bottom of a 20cm springform tin with greaseproof paper. I used a cake tin with a removable base as I forgot I had thrown out my springform tin as it went a bit rusty. It worked just as well but remeber to grease well.
- Process the biscuits until they are like crumbs, then add the melted butter and pulse again. Press the biscuits into the base of the tin with your hands or the back of a spoon. Put the tin in the fridge to set.
- Next beat the mascarpone and cream cheese gently until smooth, then add the sugar. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks, then finally the vanilla and lemon juice. Put the kettle on the hotplate to boil.
- Line the outside of the chilled tin with strong foil so that it covers the bottom and sides in one large piece, and then do the same again and put it into a roasting dish. This will protect the cheesecake from the water as it is cooked in its water bath.
- Fill the roasting tin with boiled water until it reaches about half way up the cheesecake tin. Place in the middle of the top oven carefully at around 200ºC. Bake for around 50 minutes, checking at around 40 minutes – adjust time depending on the setting you have your top oven on.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the sour cream, vanilla extract and sugar for the topping. Remove the cheesecake from the oven when it looks set but not rigid. It needs to be firm enough to pour on the topping without it sinking in. Pour on the topping and place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.
- Carefully remove the roasting tin from the oven. Remove the cheesecake from the roasting tin and unwrap the foil carefully. Leave the cheesecake to cool in the tin. Once cool transfer to the fridge to set further.
- Remove from the fridge about 20 minutes before you wish to devour the cheesecake. Carefully remove from the tin and cut with a sharp, knife that’s been dipped in hot water.
- Enjoy! Serve on its own, with raspberries or blueberries.