New York Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the base:

• 300g digestive biscuits
• 140g butter, melted
• 2 tbsp caster sugar

For the filling:

• 1kg full-fat cream cheese (Philadelphia is the reliable choice)
• 250g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 250ml sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• Pinch of salt

To serve (optional):

• 300g mixed berries
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• Squeeze of lemon

Method

1. Heat oven to 160°C fan. Grease and line a 23cm springform tin — line the base with baking parchment, grease the sides.
2. Make the base. Blitz biscuits to fine crumbs (or bash in a bag). Mix with melted butter and sugar. Press firmly into the tin base and slightly up the sides. Bake 10 minutes, then cool.
3. Wrap the outside of the tin in a double layer of foil — important for the water bath.
4. Beat cream cheese with sugar until smooth and fluffy — about 3 minutes with an electric whisk.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
6. Mix in sour cream, vanilla, flour and salt until just combined. Don’t overmix.
7. Pour into tin. Place the tin in a large roasting tray. Pour hot water into the roasting tray until it comes halfway up the sides of the cheesecake tin.
8. Bake 1 hour 10 minutes — the edges should be set but the centre should still wobble slightly when you nudge the tin.
9. Turn off the oven, leave door ajar, and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour. This prevents cracking.
10. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight. Don’t even think about slicing it before 12 hours minimum.
11. Serve with berries tossed in icing sugar and a squeeze of lemon.

Tips

• Full-fat everything — this is not the place for low-fat cream cheese. The fat is the texture.
• Water bath is essential — it cooks the cheesecake gently and evenly. Skip it and you’ll get cracks.
• Don’t open the oven during baking. The temperature drop causes sinking and cracking.
• Cool slowly — oven then counter then fridge. Rushing any step invites cracks.
• Run a knife around the edge once it’s cooled but still in the tin. This stops it cracking as it shrinks.
• Best at 24 hours — the flavours develop overnight. Plan ahead.