This delicious creamy baked cheesecake with summer berries is an indulgent addition to any summer lunch or alfresco dinner. Top with seasonal berries of your choice.
Prep time: 45 minutes, plus cooling and chilling
Cook time: 1 Hour 35 Mins
Effort: Medium
Yield: Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Base- 60g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- 200g oat biscuits (we used Hobnobs)
- 20g toasted flaked almonds
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten (from one of the separated eggs from the filling)
- 840g full-fat soft cheese, at room temperature
- 200g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or the seeds from 1 vanilla pod)
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 50ml double cream
- 150ml soured cream
- 6 eggs, 2 separated
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 200g strawberries (hulled)
- 200g raspberries
- 200g blackberries
- Whipped cream (optional)
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 ̊C, gas mark 4.
- Grease a deep 23cm springform cake tin; line the base with baking parchment, then the side so that it sits 3cm above the rim.
- For the base, put the biscuits and nuts in a plastic food bag and bash to crumbs with a rolling pin.
- Pour into a bowl and mix in the melted butter. Tip into the tin and even out with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then brush with a little egg white and bake for 2 minutes. Cool while you make the filling.
- Lower the oven to 140 ̊C, gas mark 1; put a roasting tin half-filled with water on the bottom shelf.
- Put the soft cheese, sugar, vanilla and flour in a large bowl and slowly beat to a thick, smooth mixture using electric beaters.
- Mix in the double and soured creams until incorporated.
- Slowly beat in the 4 whole eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Finally, beat in the 2 egg yolks, lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Pour the mixture over the cool base and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour 20 minutes, until set but still with a gentle wobble in the middle.
- Turn the oven off, but leave the cheesecake inside for at least 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- If the top has cracked, use a palette knife dipped in hot water to gently push the cracks together and smooth.
- For the topping, whip the cream until it is firm. Spread on the cheesecake and arrange summer fruits over the top of the cheesecake.
