Baked Vanilla Cheesecake

Ingredients

For 12 portions

• 🍪 250g digestive biscuit
• 🧈 100g butter
• 🧀 900g cream cheese
• 🍚 200g sugar
• 🌾 2 Tbsp flour
• 🥄 2 Tsp vanilla extract
• 🍋 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 🍳 3 large egg
• 🥛 150ml sour cream
• 🍓 300g strawberries

Method

1. Take the cream cheese, eggs and soured cream out of the fridge an hour before you start: cold cream cheese makes a lumpy filling.
2. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper.
3. Crush the digestive biscuits into fine crumbs, in a food processor or in a bag with a rolling pin. Mix with the melted butter and press firmly into the base of the tin. Bake for 10 minutes, then leave to cool. Turn the oven down to 160°C (140°C fan).
4. Beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth. Beat in the sugar, flour, vanilla and lemon juice.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed only until each is just combined. Beating in air makes the cheesecake crack.
6. Pour the filling over the base and smooth the top. Wrap the outside of the tin in foil and put it in a roasting tin. Pour in hot water to come halfway up the sides: this water bath keeps the cheesecake creamy and stops it cracking.
7. Bake for 60–70 minutes, until set at the edges but still with a slight wobble in the middle.
8. Spread the soured cream over the top and bake for 10 minutes more.
9. Turn the oven off, open the door a crack and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour to cool slowly. Then chill it in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight.
10. Run a knife around the edge, release the tin and serve in slices, topped with the halved strawberries.