London Cheesecake

Is cheesecake a summery thing? It definitely feels like it. Not that I don't love a crazy rich, super indulgent cheesecake in January, but there's something about a plain white cheesecake, all sharp and creamy, that seems to sit well with summer.

The oooonly thing about this one was, I made it to take to a barbecue. A barbecue on the beach which a friend and I had planned while we were sat in the garden in superdooper hot afternoon sun the day before.

It was going to be soooo hot we would probably swim in the (North) sea.

Turns out though, we chose the worst day of the week to do the actual bbq. It didn't help that I didn't change my weather checking info from Somerset to Scotland after I tool a little trip there last week, 20° it told me....WINNNN. In actual Scotland though, it was prrrrettty chilly and my bikini remained firmly in my bag. Good job the sun came out in force the next day, you know, when no bbq was on the horizon.

But while a steaming hot sponge pudding and custard may have felt more appropriate, the cheesecake did go down a storm, and added to the illusion that we didn't in fact have freezing toes in St Andrews, Fife, but were on some balmy coast of, I don't know, the Riviera. Ahhh next time. With Love and Cake. 

London Cheesecake.

A recipe from Nigella's How to be a Domestic Godess

A few notes:

•  As with most cheesecakes, I have specified the use of a springform tin, you know, one of those ones that you clip open. This is just so you don't have to drag the sides of a normal loose bottomed tin down the sides of your cheesecake which will probably muss it all up a bit. However, if it's only a loose bottomed one that you have, don't be put off, it will cook just as yummily.
• You could of course dress this up to the nines, it would look fabby covered in a tumble of summery berries and a good sprinkling of icing sugar.

Serves 8-10

You will need

1 x 20cm springform tin

foil

a roasting tray, large enough to hold the cake tin

For the base

150g digestive biscuits

75g butter, melted

For the filling

600g cream cheese

150g caster sugar

3 eggs

3 egg yolks

1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

For the topping

145ml sour cream

1 tbsp caster sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• First we make the base by processing the biscuits in a food processor until they look nice and sandy (or you can put them in a double layer of plastic bags and bash them with a rolling pin, then transfer to a bowl).
• Add the butter and pulse (or stir) in.
• Press the mixture into the bottom of your cake tin to create a firm, even layer and transfer to the fridge to set.
• Preheat the oven to 180°c.
• Now to make the filling. Beat the cream cheese lightly so it becomes smooth, then beat in the sugar.
• Next beat in the eggs and egg yolks, followed by the vanilla and lemon juice.
• Fill the kettle and turn it on to boil.
• Now we have to wrap the base of the cake tin in foil to stop any water leaking in as we bake, so sit the tin in the middle of a big piece of foil and scrunch it up the sides of the tin.
• Do this a second time, so you're double layered.
• Put the cake tin into the roasting tray and pour the cream cheese mixture over the biscuit base.
• Pour water from the recently boiled kettle into the roasting tray, so it comes about half way up the side of the cake tin.
• Carefully transfer everything to the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the cake is set but maintains a bit of healthy wobble.
• Whisk together the topping ingredients.
• Pour the topping over the cake and spread out evenly.
• Bake the cake for a further 10 minutes.
• Take everything out of the oven, remove the cake tin from the roasting tin, take off the foil and carefully remove the edges of the tin.
• Leave to cool completely before chilling in the fridge.