AMERICAN BAKED CHEESECAKE

THE shortbread dough of this cheesecake’s base is layered with a delicious zesty filling.

Makes 8-10 slices

Kit you’ll need

20cm (8in) round springclip tin, 6.5cm (2¾in) deep

Baking sheet

For the shortbread crust 100g (3½oz) butter, at room temperature 50g (1¾oz) golden caster sugar 175g (6oz) plain flour

For the filling

600g (1lb 5oz) full-fat soft cheese, at room temperature 3 medium eggs, plus 1 medium egg yolk 125g (4½oz) golden caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp plain flour Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 2 tsp lemon juice 150ml (¼ pint) soured cream

For the soured cream topping 125ml (4fl oz) soured cream 1½ tsp golden caster sugar 1 tsp lemon juice

1 Preheat the oven to 160c/140c fan/325f/gas 3. Put the butter and caster sugar for the crust in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the flour half at a time, then work the mixture with your fingers until it

clumps together. Sprinkle into the tin then press in and smooth with your fingers to make a flat, level base. The warmth of your hands will help this. Prick the base lightly with a fork and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until pale golden. Leave to cool. (This can be done a day ahead.)

2Place

the soft cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer on low speed until smooth. Drop in the eggs one at a time, then the egg yolk, beating well before each addition, still on low speed. Where the mixture has splattered up the sides of the bowl, scrape it back down with a spatula. Beat in the caster sugar, one third at a time, add the vanilla, then sift the flour over and briefly whisk that in. Now beat in the lemon zest and lemon juice, then the soured cream, beating just until mixed.

3Pour

the filling over the cooled crust and jiggle the tin gently to level the mixture. Pop any air bubbles with a spatula. Put the tin on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. At this stage, the sides will be slightly puffy and, if you gently shake the tin, the cheesecake should still be slightly wobbly in the centre. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for two hours to cool slowly. This helps to stop it from cracking but don’t worry if it does as any cracks will be covered by topping. After two hours, remove the cheesecake from the oven and, when cool, cover and chill in its tin for several hours, preferably overnight.

4About

40 minutes before you want to serve, make the soured cream topping. Stir the soured cream, caster sugar and lemon juice together. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the tin with a palette knife and remove. Spread the topping on smoothly, right up to the edge. Chill for about 30 minutes before serving so that it can set slightly. To serve, slice with a sharp knife.