Easy to Impress Dessert Recipe: Baked Lemon Cheesecake

I'm a huge fan of cheesecakes and my choice is always the fluffy baked cheesecakes compared to their dense, pudding-like non-baked cousins. Although occasionally I do enjoy the non-baked Oreo Cheesecake, but that's another story.


So yea, talking about fluffy cakes, it reminded me of my first attempt to bake Butter Cake for dad. I came across this blogger who name himself fatboybakes and I remember the outcome of my butter cake was simply amazing - moist, flavorful and of course, fluffy. It was really really good and dad loved it so much. I can't wait to bake some soon!


So it was only natural that I went back to the same blogger looking for a fluffy cheesecake recipe and boy, there it was a Baked Lemon Cheesecake recipe (Link) just waiting for me to pounce on with eagerness to make my own! The result was an A+ hehehe :D The cheesecake was rich, fluffy, lemony, refreshing and just plain awesome. Definitely a keeper, this one. :D

Baked Lemon Cheesecake

To give you a rough idea of the texture:

The texture I was hoping to achieve - airy and light :)

I didn't have any springform cake pan at home, so I used a baking tray of 35cm (L) x 28cm (W) x 5 cm (H) to bake this cheesecake. And it works! So don't over worry about what pan or tray to use, just improvise with what you have. Recipes are meant to be a guideline, so don't be too strict about it. My recipes are meant for those who have done research on their own and are not afraid to experiment and customize the recipe to make it theirs.


Anyways, here is my experiment and adaptation from the original recipe to make my own Baked Lemon Cheesecake :D


Biscuit Base

Ingredients
Biscuit crumbs of your choice (I used Marie Digestive Biscuits because it's easier to crush into crumbs)
Melted Butter

(I didn't follow any recipe or bother to do any measurements because the amount is entirely based on your preference - e.g. thickness of the biscuit base, texture, additional ingredients like nuts is completely up to you. Some recipes add sugar in their base but not for me.)


Step 1: In a bowl, combine biscuit crumbs and melted butter until you get a soft crumbly sand-like texture (you can use a fork or your clean hands to do this task).

Step 2: Line baking tray with aluminium foil and then with baking paper on top. Gently press the crumbs with a back of the spoon or a fork to make the biscuit base on the baking tray.

Step 3: Refrigerate for at least an hour/overnight.


Filling

Ingredients
500gm cream cheese
100g sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons corn flour
400 gm whipping cream (or in Aussie, they call it thickened cream)
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon


Step 1: Prepare and measure all the ingredients. Put aside.

Step 2: Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Put aside. (Recommended to use the mixer but if you are want to build some arm muscles, go ahead and whisk it on your own. That's what I did. Luckily the pain was worth it! Haha)

Step 3: Preheat oven to 160C.

Step 4: Add cream cheese and sugar in the mixer and beat until the colour is light and fluffy. Add yolks one at a time. Add cornflour and then the lemon zest and juice, mix well.

Step 5: Slowly stir in the whipped cream (you have to whip the whipping cream to make it whipped cream, if you don't already know! >_<)

Step 6: Fold in the whisked eggs whites into the batter.

Step 7: Pour filling into the biscuit base and bake in a water bath for 1 hour or more until set. Switch off oven, take it out from the water bath and let it rest in the oven with the door ajar for an hour or so until it cools down completely.

This was how it looks after it was taken out from the oven

Step 8: Refrigerate overnight. Time to reveal the beauty.....or the ugly!! Lol.

Don't judge me by my looks!

Step 9: Serve with some strawberries and cream if you fancy.

After some trimmings and addition of some beautiful strawberries laced with chocolate. Pretty and YUM :D

That's it! Awesome dessert after a good dinner :)


I can't say it was easy because I whisk the egg whites with my own hands and TWO of my guinea pig's hands too!! Lol! It was the only tiring part which is why I decided the next time I try this recipe again, I will whisk the egg whites first with the mixer and then put it aside to cream the cheese and all. Important lesson learned. But no regrets, all pain was worth it :')


I can proudly say I've baked my first cheese cake and it was awesome!


Have you? ;P