Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 150 g butter, melted
- 300 g digestive biscuits, crushed
Cheesecake Filling
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 200 g sugar
- 50 g cornflour
- 850 g cream cheese
- 375 ml heavy cream
- 4 egg
- 250 g blueberries
Blueberry Compote
- 250 g blueberries
- 100 g sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 726 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 57 g
- Fat
- 53 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 37 g
- Sodium
- 661 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 28 g
- Trans Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 196 mg
- Potassium
- 190 mg
- Calcium
- 111 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 14 mg
- Phosphorus
- 136 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 460 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 11 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 11 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.33 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 19 mcg
- Water
- 110 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease the springform tin and line the bottom with baking parchment.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the crushed biscuits until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Press the biscuit mixture firmly into the base of the tin and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the vanilla seeds, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar, cornflour, cream cheese, and heavy cream until completely smooth.
Add the eggs one by one, whisking continuously until the batter is uniform.
Gently fold 250g of blueberries into the cream cheese mixture using a spatula.
Pour the filling over the cooled crust and wrap the outside of the tin in a double layer of aluminum foil to prevent water ingress.
Place the cake tin inside a roasting tin and fill the roasting tin with hot water until it reaches 2cm (1 inch) up the sides of the cake tin.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 75 to 90 minutes until the edges are golden and the center has a slight wobble.
Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door slightly ajar to cool for at least 2 hours.
Combine the remaining blueberries and sugar in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat until the mixture thickens into a compote.
Slice the cooled cheesecake and serve topped with the blueberry compote.
Chef's Notes
- For an extra-smooth crust, pulse the digestive biscuits in a food processor until they form fine crumbs before mixing with the butter.
- Ensure your cream cheese is at room temperature for a perfectly smooth filling, free of lumps.
- A water bath (bain-marie) is crucial for even baking and preventing cracks. Make sure the foil is tightly sealed to prevent any water from seeping into the springform pan.
- Don't rush the cooling process; allowing the cheesecake to cool gradually in the oven prevents drastic temperature changes that can cause cracking.
- The blueberry compote can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Adjust the sugar based on the sweetness of your blueberries.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent the crust from absorbing odors.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze without compote for best results; thaw in refrigerator overnight.
Reheating: Serve chilled; do not reheat.
Troubleshooting
Cheesecake surface has large cracks
Cause: The cheesecake cooled too rapidly or was overbaked.
Fix: Cover cracks with the blueberry compote before serving.
Prevention: Ensure the oven is turned off and the cheesecake cools slowly inside the oven as directed.
Soggy biscuit base
Cause: Water from the water bath leaked through the foil.
Fix: Cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Use wide heavy-duty foil and ensure there are no seams below the water line.
Cultural Context
Cheesecake, in its modern form, gained significant popularity in the United States in the early 20th century. While variations of cheese-based desserts exist across many cultures, the dense, creamy, baked American-style cheesecake, often with a biscuit crust, has become an iconic dessert, especially in New York.
