If for some peculiar reason, I had to choose only one cake I had to make for social distance events or wherever summer might lure you, I’d choose this New York style cheesecake. It is a smooth and thick assembly of cream cheese, a rich tang from the sour cream and fresh eggs, making this New York cheesecake, a pure classic and undeniably not for the faint hearted. It is heavy on the richness, light on the cherry coulis, impressively smooth around the edges and tenderly enticing in the centre.

Deceptively easy, ridiculously addictive with a short lifespan. Go all in, serve a hefty slice, it’s cosily decadent with a sticky swoosh of cherry sauce and the jolt and texture of a soft silky pillow. Heavenly!

NEW YORK STYLE CHEESECAKE

Ingredients

• 3 x 250g cream cheese
• 1 x 250ml sour cream
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 pkt tennis biscuits
• 70g butter

Method:

• Preheat oven to 150-degree celcius.
• Grease a spring foam pan with cook and spray.
• Wrap tin with foil to seal the outside bottom.
• Prepare a water bath. Set aside.
• Crush the tennis biscuits and add the melted butter.
• Press the biscuit mixture onto the bottom of the pan.
• Bake the base for 10 mins. Let cool and keep aside.
• Beat cream cheese with a handheld machine until smooth. Add in the sour cream and continue to beat, forming a soft fluffy consistency.
• Scoop in the castor sugar and whip until fully combined. Drop in the eggs, one at a time, beating softly after every addition. Lastly pour in the vanilla essence and lemon juice. Fold in lightly to combine.
• Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the cooled biscuit base. Tap the tin lightly to remove any air bubbles.
• Place pan into the water bath and then into the oven to bake for 70 mins.
• Try to avoid opening the oven door during baking.
• Once baked, allow cheesecake to cool completely before decorating with coulis.

CHERRY COULIS

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen cherries
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbs corn starch
• 1/2 cup water

Method

• Make a slurry with the corn-starch and water.
• Add cherries, sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan and place on low to medium heat.
• Pour in the slurry and continue to stir until the liquid thickens and the cherries are softened.
• Let cool completely before pouring over the cheesecake.

HINTS AND TIPS

Avoid opening the oven door during baking, to avoid the cheesecake from cracking.

You can use any of your favourite biscuits for the base. I used tennis biscuits because we just love it.

You can use any frozen fruits for your coulis.

You can easily double the quantity if you’d like more coulis.