← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 150 g Digestive biscuits (or graham crackers)
• 85 g Butter, melted
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 900 g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 250 g caster sugar
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1½ tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 lemon: zest and 1½ tsp juice
• 3 large eggs, plus 1 yolk, at room temperature
• 280 ml soured cream
• 140 ml soured cream
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Butter a 23 cm springform tin and line the base. Crush the biscuits to fine crumbs, mix with the melted butter and sugar and press firmly into the base. Bake for 10 min, then cool. Lower the oven to 160°C (140°C fan, 325°F).
2. Beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth, then beat in the sugar, flour, vanilla, lemon zest and juice. Keep the speed low throughout so you do not whip in air, which makes the top crack.
3. Add the eggs and yolk one at a time, mixing just until each disappears, then stir in the soured cream. Scrape the bowl well and pour over the base.
4. Wrap the outside of the tin in a double layer of foil and stand it in a roasting tin. Pour in hot water to come 2–3 cm up the side. Bake for 60–70 min, until the edges are set and the centre still wobbles like jelly when the tin is nudged.
5. Mix the topping soured cream, sugar and lemon juice and gently spread it over the hot cheesecake. Bake for 10 min more.
6. Turn the oven off, prop the door open and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edge, then chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, before unclipping.

Tips

• Cold cream cheese makes a lumpy filling: take it out of the fridge 2 hours ahead.
• Use graham crackers instead of digestives for a more American base. Slice with a hot, dry knife.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food Joy of Baking