New York Baked Cheesecake with Rhubarb
Make the most of the stunning forced crop while it lasts. This rhubarb and custard combo will go down a storm. Hands-on time 30min. Cooking time 1hr 20min, plus cooling and chilling. Serves 10
for the biscuit base
◆ 75g (3oz) unsalted butter,
plus extra to grease
◆ 200g (7oz) Hobnob biscuits
◆ 50g (2oz) blanched almonds for the rhubarb topping
◆ 400g (14oz) forced rhubarb
◆ 75g (3oz) caster sugar
◆ ½tsp vanilla bean paste for the cheesecake filling
◆ 450g (1lb) full-fat cream cheese – we used Philadelphia
◆ 250g tub mascarpone
◆ 175g (6oz) caster sugar
◆ 2tsp vanilla bean paste or extract ◆ 2tbsp plain flour
◆ 3 medium eggs, plus 1 yolk ◆ 150ml (¼ pint) soured cream
1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Grease and line the base of a 23cm (9in) spring-form cake tin with baking parchment. First make the biscuit base: melt the butter in a medium pan, then set aside. Put the biscuits and almonds in a food processor and whiz to form crumbs, making sure the almonds are finely chopped. Alternatively, place in a sealed food bag and crush with a rolling pin. Tip into the pan with the butter, and mix well. Spoon the biscuit crumb mixture into the tin and press with the back of a spoon to evenly cover the base. Chill for 1hr. 2 Meanwhile, cut the rhubarb into short lengths – about 5cm (2in), and spread out in a single layer in a large shallow roasting tin. Scatter over the sugar, vanilla and 3tbsp cold water, cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven for about 15min until completely tender but still holding its shape – return to the oven for a couple more minutes if too firm. Remove the pieces to a plate using a slotted spoon and set aside to cool, reserving the syrup – pour this into a jug. Reduce oven to 150°C (130°C fan) mark 2.
3 Once the base is chilled, make the filling: put the cream cheese and mascarpone into a large bowl, beat briefly with a hand-held electric whisk until just combined and smooth, then beat in the sugar until just incorporated. Add the vanilla and flour, followed by the eggs and yolk one by one, beating between each addition. It’s important not to over whisk here. Finally, on the slowest whisk setting (or by hand), mix in the soured cream. Pour into the tin and bake for 1hr or until set with a slight wobble. Turn off the oven and leave inside to cool completely, then transfer to the fridge. Chill for at least 2hr or, ideally, overnight.
4 Remove from the fridge 30min before serving. When ready to serve, unmould from the tin and place on a cake stand or platter, top with a pile of rhubarb and drizzle with a little syrup.
PER SERVING 663cals, 8g protein, 51g fat (29g saturates), 42g carbs (29g total sugars), 1g fibre
GET AHEAD Bake the cheesecake and cook the rhubarb up to a day ahead, and then cover and chill both. When ready to serve, unmould the cheesecake from the tin and complete the recipe.