Mixed Berry Cheesecake

Say hello to one of my favourite desserts. Creamy and luxurious with pockets of juicy berries cutting through the richness, it’s so good that it’s hard to resist going back for seconds.

EQUIPMENT: BASE:

Blend the cream cheese and sour cream in a food processor until totally smooth, scraping down the sides a couple of times. Add the crème fraîche, condensed milk, lemon zest, vanilla and the custard powder and process again until smooth. Add the eggs and pulse to combine.

FILLING: SERVES 8-10 BASE

250 grams plain biscuits 100 grams melted butter

FILLING

500 grams cream cheese, at room temperature

250 grams sour cream 250 grams crème fraîche 395-gram tin condensed milk

finely grated zest 1 large lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons custard powder

4 large eggs, size 7, lightly whisked together

2 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries, not thawed (I used raspberries, blueberries and blackberries)

Grease a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking paper, bringing the paper 5cm above the rim of the tin.

Preheat the oven to 180°C regular bake.

Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until they form fine crumbs. Add the butter and process again. Tip the mixture into the tin and press firmly into the base and about 3cm up the side. Chill until ready to cook.

Place the tin on a baking tray and pour in the filling. Gently dot the berries over the top.

Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30 minutes then lower the temperature to 150°C regular bake, and cook for a further 40 minutes, or until the centre is set but still has a slight wobble. Turn off the oven, wedge the door open a couple of centimetres and leave the cheesecake to cool for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and, when completely cool, cover and refrigerate. Remove and take out of the tin 30 minutes before serving.