A Slice Of Delight

There’s a very good reasons why I tend to use Nigella Lawson’s London Cheesecake (How to Be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking) recipe as a basis for many my cheesecakes; quite simply it’s fantastic. Totally and utterly. It tastes wonderful and the texture is perfect.

This cheesecake is very rich and velvety in texture so the ginger really gives it another dimension, cutting through the rich creaminess, providing a warmth and sharpness which is by no means overpowering but mouth-tingling at the same time.

The Recipe:

The Base:

• 150g shortbread biscuits 
• 75g unsalted butter, softened 
• 600g cream cheese 
• 150g caster sugar 
• 3 large eggs 
• 3 large egg yolks 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger syrup 
• 2 pieces of stem ginger, finely chopped 
• 200ml creme fraiche 
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 20 cm Springform tin
•  extra-strength tin foil 

The Topping:

• 200ml creme fraiche 
• 100g dark ginger chocolate (I used Green & Blacks) 
• 3 tablespoons golden castor sugar 
• 240ml boiling water 

1. Process the biscuits until they are like crumbs, then add the butter and pulse again. 
2. Line the bottom of the Springform tin, pressing the biscuits in with your hands or the back of a spoon. 
3. Put the tin in the fridge to set, and preheat the oven to 180ºC or the equivalent. 
4. Beat the cream cheese gently until it’s smooth, then add the sugar. 
5. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks, then finally the ginger and syrup. 
6. Put the kettle on. 
7. Line the outside of the chilled tin with strong foil so that it covers the bottom and sides in one large piece, and then do the same again and put it into a roasting dish. This will protect the cheesecake from the water as it is cooked in its water bath. 
8. Pour the cream-cheese filling into the chilled biscuit base, and then pour hot water from the recently boiled kettle into the roasting tin around the cheesecake. It should come about halfway up; don’t overfill as it will be difficult to lift up the tin. 
9. Put it into the oven and cook for 50 minutes. 
10. It should feel set, but not rigidly so: you just need to feel confident that when you pour the creme fraiche over, it will sit on the surface and not sink in. 
11. Whisk together the creme fraiche, sugar and vanilla and pour over the cheesecake. 
12. Put it back in the oven for a further 10 minutes. 
13. Take the roasting tin out of the oven, then gingerly remove the Springform, unwrap it and stand it on a rack to cool. 
14. When it’s cooled down completely, make the topping. Place the chocolate, creme fraiche, water and sugar in a pan and heat gently. Stir frequently until the sauce is thick and glossy, giving a ribbon pattern when stirred. Pour over the cheesecake and place in the fridge. 
15. Remove the cheesecake 20 minutes before eating to take the chill off. Unmould and when you cut into it, plunge a knife in hot water first. 

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