The Ultimate Cheesecake

Blueberry cheesecake is one of my favorites!

Servings: 8 to 10

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

Base:

•        12 graham crackers crushed. Can use Jack and Jill biscuits

•        1.7 oz / 50g unsalted butter, melted

•        2 tablespoons sugar

Filling:

•        32 oz / 900g cream cheese or white soft cheese

•        ½ cup sour cream

•        1.5 cups / 12 oz / 300g sugar

•        3 tablespoons plain flour

•        4 teaspoons vanilla extract

•        6 large eggs

•        1 teaspoon packed lemon zest, from 1 lemon

•        2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon

•        1/8 teaspoon salt

9- or 10-inch springform pan

Topping:

•       12.5 oz / 350 g Blueberries

•       1 cup / 8oz / 200g sugar

•       3 Tbsp Corn flour

•       1/2 Cup water

Method:

To make the ultimate cheesecake, preheat the oven to 160°C. Wrap the bottom of a 9- or 10-inch springform pan with a piece of tin foil, covering the bottom of the pan and up the sides, 3/4 of the way up the pan. there should be no gaps. Use one piece of foil.

Line the pan with baking paper.

In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, (use a ziplock bag to crush them. Put cookies inside, zip up and roll / bang with a rolling pin), melted butter and sugar. Stir until well combined. Press the crumbs in an even layer on the the bottom of the pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes till slightly browned and set in place.

Remove the pan from the oven and set aside.

Using a mixer or hand mixer or even a wooden spoon, beat all the filling ingredients together starting with the cheese, sour cream and sugar and adding the rest in. Beat till smooth.

Pour the mixture into the pan, over the baked crumb base.

Smooth the top.

Place this whole pan into a large roasting pan and fill the large roasting pan with boiling water, 1 inch high so that it does not cover the top of the wrapping around the cheesecake pan. You don't want any water leaking in. This is called a 'baine marie' or 'water bath'.

The idea is to keep the temperature of the cake more even throughout the baking.

Place the tray in the oven.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the cake is firm with a slight wobble in the center.

Carefully remove the cake from the oven. You can remove it from the water bath now or when it has cooled.

When it is cool, place in the fridge over night or preferably for 2 -3 days to improve the flavour.

To make the sauce, boil up the blueberries and sugar in a pot over the stove.

Mix. Turn it down to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Prepare the corn flour and water in a cup, mix till smooth and pour this into the blueberries. Stir over a low heat for 2 minutes till it has thickened. You may add more water if necessary.

You can store the sauce in the fridge for a week.

To serve, remove the springform pan from the cake and pour over the blueberry sauce.

Can be frozen!

Find the video for this recipe in the 'Free Tutorials' section of the site.

Enjoy!!