CLASSIC NEW YORK CHEESECAKE
A classic New York cheesecake that will make you mmmm with every bite! The smooth, rich and creamy texture of this cheesecake will melt in your mouth and make for a delicious showstopper at any gathering!
INGREDIENTS
For the crust:
16 digestive biscuits, crushed
50g of unsalted butter, melted
For cheesecake filling:
900 grams of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
4 eggs, at room temperature
4 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons vanilla essence
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 teaspoons lemon zest
Pinch of salt
For topping:
2 cups fresh strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon juice
5 tablespoons water
PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 175°C and grease a (9-inch) springform pan and set aside.
2. To make the crust, finely crush the biscuits in a food processor, add the melted butter and mix to form a moist, sticky mixture. If needed, add more butter to reach the desired texture.
3. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the pan and smooth it out with the back of a spoon and bake for 8 minutes.
4. For the filling, using a handheld mixer or a spatula, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, then add the sour cream mixing until all is evenly combined. Then the heavy cream, mixing until all is combined.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, while beating on low speed, then add the cornstarch, vanilla essence, lemon juice, zest and salt and fold everything using a spatula.
6. Pour the filling over the crust smoothing the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
7. Place the cheesecake in a water bath, by wrapping the outside of the pan with foil extending all the way under the pan, and then placing it on a bigger baking dish and filling the baking dish with hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
8. Bake the cheesecake for an hour, until the top looks dry and the centre is set but still jiggles. Turn off the oven, but keep it in there for another hour.
9. After an additional hour has passed, take the cheesecake out, remove it from the water bath and allow it to completely cool. Then very gently run a knife around the sides, wrap with plastic and refrigerate the cake overnight.
10. For the topping, combine the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and water in a saucepan, then add the strawberries and cook over medium heat. Let it simmer, continuously stirring, until it starts to thicken.
11. Allow the sauce to completely cool down before drizzling it over the cheesecake. I would even suggest refrigerating the sauce until cheesecake has completely chilled.
12. Before serving, take the cheesecake out of the fridge, run a knife around the side and remove the springform pan sides. Now you can top with the strawberry sauce.
Notes:
Oven temperatures vary, so there may be some differences in how the cheesecake turns out. I would suggest experimenting until you find the right temperature that works for you. You may need to bake it slightly longer, or less. If you are worried about overbaking your cheesecake, I recommend baking at 160°C for 1 hour and 20 minutes, but do check on it around the 1 hour mark. It should look dry around the edges, but still have a jiggle at the centre.
You can also substitute the strawberries with any other type of berries (blueberries, blackberries or raspberries). Or just get canned pie fillings to top the cheesecake with.
