With my brother living in Brooklyn, New York cheesecake has always had a special place in my heart. It may be simple, just flavoured with vanilla, but a slice of this is a pure indulgence. There are many recipes for New York cheesecake, and many bakeries claiming to sell the original. This is my take: purists among you, don’t judge the English addition of clotted cream – it works very well, I promise!
FOR THE CRUMB BASE
150 g/5½ oz. digestive biscuits/graham crackers
90 g/6 tablespoons butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
600 g/2⅔ cups cream cheese
225 g/1 cup clotted cream (if unavailable, use crème fraîche)
100 ml/generous ⅓ cup crème fraîche
140 g/¾ cup caster/white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
FOR THE TOPPING
300 ml/1¼ cups sour cream
3 tablespoons icing/confectioners’ sugar
a 26-cm/10-inch round springform cake pan, greased and lined
SERVES 12
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.
To make the crumb base, crush the biscuits/graham crackers to fine crumbs in a food processor or place in a clean plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter. Press the buttery crumbs into the base of the prepared cake pan firmly using the back of a spoon. Wrap the outside of the pan in cling film/plastic wrap and place in a roasting pan half full with water, ensuring that the water is not so high as to spill out. Set aside.
For the filling, whisk together the cream cheese, clotted cream, crème fraîche, sugar, eggs and vanilla bean paste in a blender or with an electric whisk. Pour the mixture over the crumb base, then transfer the cheesecake, in its waterbath, to the preheated oven and bake for 45–60 minutes until the cheesecake is set but still wobbles slightly. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool slightly so that the height of the cheesecake reduces. Leave the oven on.
To make the topping, whisk together the sour cream and icing/confectioners’ sugar and pour over the top of the cheesecake. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10–15 minutes until set.
Remove the cheesecake from the waterbath and slide a knife around the edge of the pan to release the cheesecake and prevent it from cracking. Leave to cool completely in the pan, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before serving.