Emma 
This is a simple baked cheesecake recipe topped with sliced strawberries and strawberry sauce. Use the leftover creme fraiche to cover any over cooked points or cracks with your cake.
125g/4½oz unsalted butter
250g/9oz digestive biscuits
3 eggs and 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 vanilla pod (or 1 tsp vanilla paste)
900g/2lb cream cheese, at room temperature
100g/7oz golden caster sugar
300ml/½ pint full-fat crème fraîche
200g/7oz strawberries
25g/1oz icing sugar
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat.
Brush a little of the melted butter around the base and sides of a 23cm/9in springform tin, then line the base with a circle of baking parchment.
Put the biscuits into a large bag, squeeze out the air and seal the top.
Use a rolling pin to crush the biscuits to fine crumbs or use a food processor.
Stir the crumbs into the melted butter until completely combined.
Press the crumbs into the tin compacting as much as you can.
Put into the fridge to firm up while you make the cheesecake.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Add seeds from vanilla pod (or paste) to mixing bowl with the cream cheese.
Beat the cheese and vanilla together until smooth.
Add the sugar, then beat again till smooth.
Now add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, followed by half of the crème fraîche.
When the base is well chilled, wrap the outside of the tin in two sheets of wide foil.
Ensure that the foil covers the sides of the tin more than halfway, then sit the wrapped tin in a deep roasting tin.
Spoon in the cheesecake filling and smooth the top.
Pour the hot water into the roasting tin around the cheesecake so that it comes halfway up the sides.
Bake for 10 minutes at 180C/350F/Gas 4, then turn the oven down to 140C/275F/Gas 1 and cook for another 40-50 minutes until the cheesecake is set, It should wobble slightly in the middle.
When cool, place in the fridge.
Place half of the strawberries into a food processor or blender, add the icing sugar then whizz until smooth. Slice the remaining strawberries and set aside.
Remove cheesecake from the fridge, around half an hour before eating.
Spread the remaining crème fraîche over the surface of the cheesecake.
Decorate the top with the sliced strawberries and sauce.
Strawberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 125 g/4½oz unsalted butter
- 250 g/9oz digestive biscuits
- 3 eggs and 2 egg yolks at room temperature
- 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 900 g/2lb cream cheese at room temperature
- 100 g/7oz golden caster sugar
- 300 ml/½ pint full-fat crème fraîche
- 200 g/7oz strawberries
- 25 g/1oz icing sugar
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat.
- Brush a little of the melted butter around the base and sides of a 23cm/9in springform tin, then line the base with a circle of baking parchment.
- Put the biscuits into a large bag, squeeze out the air and seal the top.
- Use a rolling pin to crush the biscuits to fine crumbs or use a food processor.
- Stir the crumbs into the melted butter until completely combined.
- Press the crumbs into the tin compacting as much as you can.
- Put into the fridge to firm up while you make the cheesecake.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Add seeds from vanilla pod (or paste) to mixing bowl with the cream cheese.
- Beat the cheese and vanilla together until smooth.
- Add the sugar, then beat again till smooth.
- Now add the eggs and yolks, one at a time, followed by half of the crème fraîche.
- When the base is well chilled, wrap the outside of the tin in two sheets of wide foil.
- Ensure that the foil covers the sides of the tin more than halfway, then sit the wrapped tin in a deep roasting tin.
- Spoon in the cheesecake filling and smooth the top.
- Pour the hot water into the roasting tin around the cheesecake so that it comes halfway up the sides.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 180C/350F/Gas 4, then turn the oven down to 140C/275F/Gas 1 and cook for another 40-50 minutes until the cheesecake is set, It should wobble slightly in the middle.
- When cool, place in the fridge.
- Place half of the strawberries into a food processor or blender, add the icing sugar then whizz until smooth. Slice the remaining strawberries and set aside.
- Remove cheesecake from the fridge, around half an hour before eating.
- Spread the remaining crème fraîche over the surface of the cheesecake.
- Decorate the top with the sliced strawberries and sauce.
