The second it gets hot, the last thing I want to do is turn the oven on for a baked good. This is where cheesecakes swoop in to save the day. The perfect summer dessert, this cheesecake makes use of cherries as a topping to add an extra punch.
This recipe will make a 12 inch cheesecake in a springform pan.
Ingredients
Cheesecake Crust
200gr digestive biscuits
70gr brown sugar
115gr unsalted butter
Cheesecake Filling
300ml heavy whipping cream/double cream
680gr full fat cream cheese
100gr granulated sugar
15gr icing sugar
60gr sour cream
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1tspn vanilla paste (or 1tbsp vanilla essence)
Cherry Topping
330gr frozen and pitted cherries
170ml water
40gr granulated sugar
1tbsp lemon juice
1.5tbsp cornstarch
Method
1. Making the cheesecake crust. Create a small pouch using baking paper. Fill with the digestive biscuits and start crushing the biscuits using a rolling pin until the texture resembles sand. Place the crumbed biscuits into a large mixing bowl.
2. Melt the butter and add to the biscuits. Add the brown sugar and mix. The mixture should just about hold it's shape when pressed together, but should not resemble a dough by any means.
3. Place the crust in your springform pan, pressing down and along the sides using the bottom of a cup measure. Once happy with the bottom, set in the fridge.
4. Making the cheesecake filling. In a large bowl, whip the double cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sugars, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whisk until combined and smooth - there should be no clumps of cream cheese.
6. Slowly start adding the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream in very small increments so as not to deflate the whipped cream. Fold to combine. Once all combined, pour into the crust you've created, cover with cling film, and set back in the fridge for 6 hours or ideally, overnight.
7. Making the cherry topping. This must be added on the cheesecake filling AFTER the filling has set, otherwise the weight of the cherries will cause the cherries to sink to the bottom of the cheesecake. In a small saucepan, add the cherries, water, sugar, and lemon. Place on high heat until they come to a boil and then switch to a medium heat and allow to reduce slightly.
8. When the sauce has thickened slightly (should NOT coat the back of a spoon), take a few tablespoons of the sauce into a small glass and mix in some cornstarch. Add back into the cherry mixture and take off the heat as it starts to thicken sufficiently. Allow to cool down almost completely (otherwise it'll melt the cheesecake).
9. Once entirely cooled down, place the cherry topping on top of the cheesecake and smooth down, equally distributing the cherries along the cheesecake. Cover with cling film and set back in the fridge for around an hour or so.
10. To serve... if needed, run a thin knife along the side of your springform pan - I didn't need to do so personally as the springform pan gave way easily without wrecking the cheesecake. Serve cold.
Recreating this recipe? Tag me on instagram @juliawgr!
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