Classic Lemon Baked Cheesecake
Serves 6
Pastry:
Melted butter for greasing
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1/3 cup caster sugar
125g unsalted butter, chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 Tbsp cold water
Filling:
500g cream cheese
300m1 sour cream 300ml thickened cream
1/2 cup caster sugar
4 x 59g eggs, separated
2 Tbsp plain flour
Rind of 1 lemon, finely grated
1. Line the base of a 24cm diameter deep springform tin with baking paper. Brush the sides with melted butter.
2. Place flours and sugar in a food processor, blend quickly. Add butter and process until a fine crumb is formed. Add the vanilla essence to the water then add to mixture. Process until mixture comes together. Remove pastry from the processor, knead gently. Cover with baking paper and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
3. Roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper large enough to fit the base and sides of the prepared tin. Remove paper from pastry and carefully ease into the tin. Trim the edges. Place the pastry-lined tin in the fridge and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 200°C.
4. To make the filling: Place the cream cheese, sour cream, thickened cream, caster sugar, egg yolks, plain flour and rind in the food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps then pour into a large mixing bowl.
5. Place the eggwhites in the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form. Add the eggwhites to the cream cheese mixture, and with a large metal spoon fold into cream cheese mixture until just combined. Make sure you do not over mix. Pour the mixture into the prepared pastry case.
6. Sit the filled tin on a metal tray. Bake at 200°C for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 160°C and cook for 1 hour. Turn oven off, and with the oven door slightly ajar leave cheesecake in the oven for a further hour to cool slowly. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before cutting.