a creamy, velvet vanilla cheesecake that doesn't crack in
the oven - without the faff of a bain-marie method
Total time to make : ~ 5 1/2 hours (so very worth it) Time to prep : 20 minutes
Time to bake : 50 - 60 minutes
Time to cool : 2 hours in oven + 2 hours in fridge
Servings : 10 slices
Ingredients
250g digestive biscuits
175g butter, melted
Pinch of salt
150g sour cream
500g cream cheese (full fat), at room temperate
350g caster sugar (I use 300g white, 50g golden)
3 eggs, at room temperature
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla essence/paste
Zest of 1 lemon
250g blueberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)
125ml cup water
100g white sugar
Juice from 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp water to mix
Method
Preheat a fan oven to 160C and grease and line a 8" (~ 20cm) springform cake tin (see 'good to know' below and embedded video to see how)
For the base, use a food processor or zip-lock bag and rolling pin to break the digestive biscuits down into sand-like consistency with no lumps. Pour in the melted butter with a pinch of salt and combine
Pour the buttery biscuit base into the bottom of your lined cake tin firmly using the bottom of a tumbler glass or metal spoon until there are no loose crumbs, making a small 1/2 inch lip around the edges to create a crust to your cheesecake base. Place in fridge to chill whilst you make the filling
In a large bowl, use a spatula to smooth the cream cheese out ready for mixing (see 'good to know', below and be cautious to not over-mix the following steps)
With an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream cheese for ~ 20 seconds, add in the flour and beat again for a few seconds until combined
Add in the sugar, sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest and mix together on a medium speed until just combined ( ~ 10 seconds)
Add in the eggs, one at a time and beat between each egg for a few seconds until each egg is evenly mixed through
Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake for around 50 minutes - 1 hour on the middle shelf (so you can look in to check on the cheesecake, without opening the oven door)
Don't open the door until 50 minutes to check, closing the door gently if it needs longer. The cheesecake will be ready when the top is golden brown and it still has a slight jiggle in the centre
Once ready, turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly and allow the cheesecake to cool here for 2 hours, then remove from the oven and place in the fridge for another 2 hours (minimum), still in the pan
Unclip the pan and remove the ring, peel off any greaseproof paper from the sides and you should have a golden bronze edge to the cheesecake. Using the over-hang greaseproof paper, slide the cheesecake off the paper and onto a flat surface to slice and serve
For the blueberry topping, place the blueberries, vanilla, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer on a low-medium heat for 5 minutes, until the blueberries start to break apart, pressing them with the back of a spoon to check
Combine the cornstarch with water until it dissolves and stir this into the saucepan with the blueberries, turning the heat to high until it boils and then reducing to low to simmer for a few minutes until it reaches your desired consistency, adding a few splashes of water to loosen if it off if needed
Remove from the heat, serve immediately (warm) or bring to room temperature before storing to serve cold
Nutritional Information
550 calories
7g protein, 54g carbs, 33g fat
Good to know:
Baked cheesecakes tend to crack for two reasons; over-mixing the filling and/or opening the oven door throughout the baking
For cheesecakes, I like to flip the bottom of the tin over and line with a square piece of baking paper (so that excess paper hangs out the sides) for 2 reasons - it keeps a clean 90-degree angle between the base/wall of the cheesecake and makes it so much easier to pull off the tin base once the outer ring has been released and it's ready to slice
You can use other fruits such as strawberries or raspberries for the sauce
Store ready sliced pieces of cheesecake either in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months
The blueberry sauce can be cooled to room temperature and keeps well in an airtight container or jar for up to a week in the fridge
Vegetarian