New York Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 85 gbutter, melted; for the crust, plus a little for brushing the tin
• digestive biscuits, crushed to fine crumbs; for the crust
• 1 tbspsugar, for the crust
• 900 gcream cheese, full-fat; at room temperature; for the filling
• 250 gsuperfine sugar, for the filling
• 3 tbspall-purpose flour, for the filling
• vanilla extract, for the filling; add to taste
• lemon, finely grated zest only; for the filling
• 1 1/2 tsplemon juice, for the filling
• 3eggs, large, plus 1 extra egg yolk; for the filling
• 250 mlsour cream, use 200ml in the filling and save the rest for the topping
• 150 mlsour cream, for the topping
• 1 tbspsuperfine sugar, for the topping
• 2 tsplemon juice, for the topping

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / fan 160°C, with a shelf in the middle. Line the base of a 23cm (9-inch) springform tin with parchment. Melt the butter in a medium pan, then stir in the 140g biscuit crumbs and 1 tbsp sugar until everything is evenly moistened. Press firmly into the base of the tin. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack while you make the filling.

2. 2

   Turn the oven up to 240°C / 475°F / fan 200°C. Using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-low until creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the sugar in a steady stream, then the flour and a pinch of salt, scraping down the bowl and the paddle twice.

3. 3

   Swap to the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Whisk in the eggs and the extra yolk one at a time, scraping the bowl well between each. Still on low, pour in 200ml of the sour cream and whisk just until blended — the batter should be smooth, light and a little airy, so don't over-beat. Keep the remaining sour cream for the topping.

4. 4

   Brush the sides of the tin with a little melted butter and set it on a baking sheet. Pour in the filling and smooth the top, sinking any lumps with the tip of a knife. Bake for 10 minutes at 240°C, then turn the oven down to 110°C / 225°F / fan 90°C and bake for 25 minutes more. Shake the tin gently — the filling should have a slight wobble in the centre.

5. 5

   Turn off the oven. For a creamy centre, open the door; for a firmer texture, leave it closed. Cool in the oven for 2 hours.

6. 7

   Run a knife around the sides of the tin, unlock and carefully slide the cheesecake onto a serving plate.

7. 6

   Stir the reserved sour cream together with the extra 150ml sour cream, 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp lemon juice. Spread over the cooled cheesecake right to the edges. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.