Baked lemon cheesecake

 Source: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/lemon-cheesecake-recipe/

Ingredients

CRUST

210 g digestive biscuits

71 g unsalted butter

50 g sugar

CHEESECAKE FILLING

250 g sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest (about one lemon)

904 g plain cream cheese

120 ml fresh lemon juice (3-4 lemons)

80 g plain yoghurt (can use Greek yoghurt or sour cream)

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

LEMON CURD

4 egg yolks

134 g sugar

1 tbsp lemon zest (about one lemon)

80 ml lemon juice (2-3 lemons)

1/8 tsp salt

85g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, cut into 6 pieces

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees.

2) FOR THE CRUST: Blend the biscuits into fine crumbs. Mix with sugar, then stir in melted butter until the mixture forms a sandy texture. Press firmly onto the bottom and slightly up the sides of a pregreased 22cm baking pan (springform i.e. with removable sides if possible) with baking paper on the bottom if you so wish. Put in the oven and prebake for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and wrap the bottom of the springform pan in tinfoil (double wrapped), as this will then go into a water bath to bake the cake later. 

3) LEMON SUGAR: Put the sugar for the filling in a food processor, add lemon zest, blend together. 

4) FILLING: Using a hand beater, beat lemon sugar from previous step together with cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add lemon juice, sour cream/yoghurt, and vanilla extract and beat together. Add eggs one at a time, beating in each egg before adding the next one. Once all the eggs are beaten in, stop mixing. Avoid overmixing the batter.

5) Pour the batter into the warm crust. Smooth over the top with a spatula.

6) WATER BATH: Boil a kettle and pour into a large roasting pan. Put the springform tin into the bath. There should be around 2.5 cm of water. DON'T POUR THE WATER INTO THE CAKE.

7) Bake the cheesecake for 55-70 minutes, until the centre is almost set. 

8) LEMON CURD: Make the curd while the rest of the cake is cooking. Boil a pot with about 5cm of water in it. Once it comes to the boil, reduce the heat and put a heatproof bowl over the simmering water. Place the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt into the top pot and whisk until completely blended, then continue whisking as it cooks. Whisk and cook for about 10 minutes until it thickens and resembles hollandaise sauce. Temperature should reach 77 degrees. If it isn't thickening, turn up heat and continue whisking. 

9) Remove from heat and add in the sliced butter directly. Whisk in the butter until it melts into the mixture. Pour the curd into a jar or bowl and place a piece of clingwrap on the top, touching the curd, so that it doesn't form a skin. Leave to cool. Can be stored for ten days. 

10) COOLING: Switch off the oven and leave the cake and bath in the oven with the door ajar for about an hour. Then, remove the cake from the oven and the bath and leave to cool for another hour at room temperature. 

11) TOP WITH LEMON CURD: Once cooled entirely, spread 3/4 cup of the curd (half the recipe quantity) over the top with a spatula. 

12) Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 

13) Can be served with whipped cream, berries, or lemon slices.