BEST BAKED CHEESECAKE

Photo: Yolanda Richardson
2nd Photo: Sabrina Merli – Topping Roasted hazelnuts melted chocolate and caramel.

Biscuit Base:
250 g Digestive biscuits
60 g caster sugar
75 g unsalted butter, melted (ek’t gesoute botter gebruik en het lekker gesmaak)
Filling:
3 cups cream cheese, room temperature (ek het medium fat gebruik)
1 cup caster sugar
4 eggs (room temperature)
2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt flakes
300 ml double cream, room temperature (ek het gewone Clover room gebruik)
Garnish (Optional):
raspberries
blackberries
micro coriander
Preheat oven to 175ºC.
Line a 23 cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Double wrap the outside of the cake tin with extra-wide aluminium foil.
For the Biscuit base:
Place biscuits into a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. (Of sit dit in ‘n zip-sakkie en slaan/rol fyn met ‘n koekroller.)
Transfer to a mixing bowl, stir in the sugar then add melted butter and mix until well combined.
Pour biscuit base mixture into the prepared cake tin and press down firmly and evenly with the back of a spoon. If a thinner base is desired, use only part of the mixture.
Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Once baked, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
For the filling:
Place the cream cheese into the bowl of a stand up mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth and creamy.
Add caster sugar and beat until fully dissolved. Add eggs, one at a time, ensuring eggs are fully incorporated by beating well in-between each addition.
Reduce mixer speed and add lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt and mix until combined. Add cream and mix well until combined.
Pour the filling over the cooled biscuit base then place cake tin into the middle of a large, deep roasting tray in preparation for a water bath.
Carefully fill the deep roasting tray with boiled water to a depth of about 2cm and place into the oven. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 65 minutes.
Once baked, turn off oven and leave oven door closed. Leave cheesecake to cool inside the oven for 1 hour.
Remove cheesecake from oven and allow to cool completely, then release from tin, then chill. (Best served if chilled for 6+ hours, otherwise the cake will not set properly and fall apart if you try to cut it at lukewarm/room temperature. It’s best if you do not try to transfer the cake from the bottom of the pan before it has been chilled.)
To serve, top with some fresh raspberries, blackberries and micro coriander leaves.