Baked Sour Cream Cheesecake with Berries

By srumbel

Ingredients

• Makes one 8 or 9 inch cheesecake
• Ingredients
• 200 grams (2 cups) Digestive biscuits or graham crackers, crushed
• 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter
• 500 grams (2 and 1/2 cups) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon cornflour or corn starch
• Assorted fresh berries, to serve

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from sweetestmenu.com

Preparation

Step 1

I have so many great cheesecake memories from the States. But THIS Baked Sour Cream Cheesecake is an easy one to make at home. And it tastes divine - just like one from a fancy restaurant. It has a super thick and creamy texture, with just a hint of tang from fresh lemon juice and sour cream (my fav).

Add in a crunchy cookie crumb and a helping of fresh berries and you have the perfect dessert. The best part? No water baths friends. This is a NO FUSS baked cheesecake that is sure to impress.

Those kinds of memories never leave you. So I've been eager to make a sour cream 'New York style' cheesecake for the blog ever since. It's been a long time coming but here is my version. Apart from taste, I wanted to create a cheesecake that was easy to make at home. I don't know about you but the whole baked cheesecake thing used to scare me.

I used to hear the stories of leaking water baths and cracked cheesecakes and I always thought - too hard! If you've thought the same, you need to try this recipe. All your have to do is mix, stir and bake. No water baths. I don't usually have any problems with cracks either (although a crack doesn't greatly bother me anyway).

Just try not to over beat the mixture once you have added the eggs, double check your oven temperature (I recommend getting an oven thermometer because my ovens always seem to run hot) and leave it in the oven to cool and you should be a-ok. Enjoy!

Makes one 8 or 9 inch cheesecake

Assorted fresh berries, to serve

Preheat your oven to 160 C (320 F). Lightly grease an 8 or 9 inch springform pan with a little butter along the bottom and around the sides. Place your cookie crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Melt your butter in the microwave, then pour over the cookie crumbs and mix well. It should resemble wet sand. Place your crumbs into your prepared pan and press down gently to form one even layer. Pop in the fridge.

Next, add your cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Add your caster sugar and beat again. Then add your eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and the vanilla and gently mix by hand. Then stir in your sour cream and cornflour. Stir until smooth but try not to overmix. Taste and see if you would like too add any more lemon juice.

Pour your cheesecake filling over your crust and smooth over the top. Bake in the oven for approximately 35-40 minutes or until it no longer wobbles in the middle. Try not to over bake it as it will continue to cook as it cools. Leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door ajar for at least one hour. Then remove and leave to cool slightly on a cooling rack before transferring to the fridge. The cheesecake is best left in the fridge for 3-4 hours (or overnight) until it cools completely and becomes nice and firm before slicing.

To serve, top with fresh berries and a dollop of cream.