Baked Vanilla & Lemon Cheesecake
An accidental masterpiece. (too dramatic? perhaps.)
I came up with this recipe completely by accident - I was trying to follow someone else's recipe for a baked vanilla cheesecake, but realised I didn't have the exact ingredients while in the middle of baking. So, I had to improvise. The result? Creamy, fluffy indulgence. Cheesecake that was to die for. A dessert that lives in my dreams when it isn't living in my fridge.
Anyways, I think I've made my point - this cheesecake was just unreal. But baked cheesecake can be kind of intimidating - at least it was to me a few months ago! But I've learnt a lot from practice, and also from Sam over on Frosting & Fettucine. Her blog post on how to make a beautiful baked cheesecake, like how to avoid a cracked top, and what to do when a crack might appear anyway, was super helpful.
Her best tip? Cover those cracks up! I used lemon curd, but you can easily do it with caramel, fruit, whipped cream - the options are endless really. I just love how rich and tangy lemon curd is, and how well it pairs with the light, fluffy texture of this baked vanilla cheesecake. You can make lemon curd at home of course, but sometimes, it’s just so damn easy to pop the cap off a jar of the store-bought stuff. In particular, I love this one from Cottage Delight - I'll be running out to buy another jar when it runs out.
Recipe / serves 6-8
Ingredients
For the biscuit base
130g digestive biscuits, crushed
75g butter, melted
10g caster sugar
1/8 tsp of salt
For the cheesecake filling
340g light cream cheese, at room temperature
110g crème fraîche, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping
About 30g lemon curd, or enough to cover the top of your cheesecake
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F, and grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform tin.
Combine the crushed biscuits, melted butter and a pinch of salt, and press firmly to the bottom of the tin. Place in the fridge while you make the filling.
Whisk the sugar, cream cheese and crème fraîche until smooth and creamy. Slowly, whisk in the eggs with the vanilla essence. Avoid whisking too fast or too hard – you don’t want to beat in too much air.
Pour the creamy mixture over the crushed biscuit base, then place the tin in the oven. Place a sheet tray with an inch of water in it on the rack below the cake – the steam will help with preventing cracks in the cheesecake.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, then place a piece of tin foil over the top of the cheesecake to protect the top from burning. Note: Don’t let the tin foil touch the top of the cake – let it sit just on top of the tin, kind of like a tent, to avoid the cake sticking to it.
Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until most of the cheesecake has set, but the inside is still a little jiggly.
Turn off the oven, and leave the cheesecake to cool inside with the oven door slightly ajar. Leave it there for at least an hour, then move it to your counter to cool further.
Once completely cold, remove from the tin and spread a layer of lemon curd, or whatever else you feel like, on top of the cheesecake. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least an hour, or a full day before serving.
Serve chilled , maybe with a little fresh fruit and enjoy!
Notes
All of the ingredients for the cheesecake filling need to be at room temperature. Take them out of the fridge about an hour or two before you plan to start baking.
This cheesecake is best made the day before you plan to serve and share it.
Storage
This cheesecake will keep in the fridge for up to one week. It is not suitable for freezing.