Baked Cheesecake Recipe (step-by-step with pictures)
(…with unicorn pattern embossed)
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(It is ultra c ♥ r ♥ e ♥ a ♥ m ♥ y & the texture is melt-in-your mouth like a soufflé!)
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This must be one of the most easiest of cake recipes!
- It doesn’t involve separating eggs.
- Nor whisking any time-delicate meringues, so you can take as much time leisurely making it.
- There’s minimal washing-up to do too, as all the mixing happens in one bowl.
- As for the biscuit base, you can further avoid washing-up by simply massaging the store-bought biscuits & butter in a food bag! Of course you can do it the usual way by using bare hands, but do it my way, you’d also avoid getting unpleasant biscuit-mash in your nails & your fingers buttery.^^ On that same note, I also suggest cling-filming the 3 middle fingers when pressing down the biscuit to the base.
- There is no adventurous water-bath method to contend! (Some cheesecake recipes use the water-bath method to cook it gently so that it doesn’t crack, but I for one have a long hate-relationship with the method ever since the water seeped in to my cakes via the removable bottom in many occasions in the past…)
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The texture of the cheesecake is creeeeeamy! I managed this by tweaking the balance of the ingredients so that it uses tons of double cream/ sour cream/ cream cheese, but as little as possible of flour (… flour creates the ’structural pillar’ that holds the cake in the inflated spongier shape - please read my blog-entry on flour for explanation of this).
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I sell my cheesecakes down at the market. And I’m happy to say that it’s been a hit no problem. It’ll always definitely be in my line-up because it has acquired a bit of a following ^^
- Like the lady who said: “I used to buy your flour-less chocolate cake all the time, but now I converted to always buying the cheesecake!” And the spectacled-man who’d get disappointed if it’s sold-out. There’s also my favorite tomato-seller girl who’ve been buying the whole cake for 4 weeks in a row, but says she never gets to eat as much as she’d like to because her boyfriend & her family loves it too!
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The pattern:
When I first started selling the cheesecake, it had no pattern on top. Although I was perfectly confident with the taste, I felt the presentation needed ‘Something’. Y’know, that ‘Something special’ for the wow factor & for the customer to justify their purchase. For a long while I was thinking of a solution to this; & I was enquiring around to see if I could get an iron stamp that I could heat & emboss/ burn a pattern with. But, one, it is difficult to get hold of, & secondly it’s never in a pretty pattern!
- So next I thought what about stenciling with cocoa powder? But maybe not. It’ll be too smudgy…
- Then it occurred to me while I was embossing my chocolate bird tart. Ah! Just invert it! Cocoa powder & cookie cutter! Simply dab cocoa powder on the blunt end of the cookie cutter, then tap off the excess & stamp the cake!
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(I get asked A LOT at the market on how I do it!)
(My favorite stamp! - I love unicorns…)
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Note:
- I mixed together oat biscuits to the plain digestives to add interest in flavour. It also gives you a different sort of crunch compared to the pap the digestives can become.
- Resting the pressed biscuit base in the refrigerator while you make the filling firms the butter within.
- Sour cream tenderizes the cake, as well as enhancing the tang of the cream cheese.
- Excessively tapping away the air bubbles is the key to avoiding cracks on the surface that is the oh-so-common pitfall of baking a cheesecake.
- Lining the sides of the pan with baking paper also helps to avoid cracked surface. The common problem with the cheesecake is that it tends to stick to the side of the pan, but as it cools it tries to pull away from the wall. This tension ends up with a cracked surface. Whereas if you line it with baking paper, the paper will agreeably pull away with the cake too…
- The only down-side about this cake (if there is one) is that you have to keep your mitts off & leave it to mature over-night!
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So here it is! (Finally!) My baked cheesecake recipe.
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The Baked Cheesecake Recipe:
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Ingredients:
- For the biscuit base:
70g Oat biscuits
(…Obviously it depends on brands, but for me it was 4 ½ biscuits)
85g Digestive biscuits
(…Obviously it depends on brands, but for me it was 5 ½ biscuits)
70g unsalted butter
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- For the filling:
70g unsalted butter
90g castor sugar
330g cream cheese
90 ml sour cream
100g whole eggs (approximately 2 eggs)
100 ml double cream
25g flour
12 ml lemon juice
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Method:
- 1. First begin by greasing a 8″ round spring-form cake pan with butter. Then line both the base & the sides with greaseproof baking paper.
- 2. Now on to making the biscuit base. First measure your biscuits (70 grams Oat biscuits + 85 grams Digestive) in a food bag.
- 3. Crush them by hand or bash it with wooden rolling pin. Leave some chunky for interesting texture.
- 4. Melt 70 grams of butter. Put it in the food bag.
- 5. Massage the food bag to combine.
- 6. Empty the mixture in a greased & lined pan.
- 7. Press the biscuit mixture firmly to the base. I like to do the edges & work to the middle. (Optional: cling-film the three middle fingers for hygiene & to avoid buttery fingers!)
- 8. Refrigerate the pressed biscuit base while you make the filling.
- 9. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade.
- 10. Next, in a mixing bowl whisk the 70 grams of butter until very soft & creamy.
- 11. Add in the 90 grams of sugar. Whisk & combine.
- 12. Add 330 grams of cream cheese. Whisk & combine.
- 13. Add 90ml of sour cream. Whisk & combine.
- 14. Add 100 grams of whole eggs. Whisk & combine.
- 15. Add 100ml double cream. Whisk & combine.
- 16. Add 25 grams of flour. Whisk & combine.
- 17. Add 12ml Lemon juice. Whisk & combine.
- 18. TAP the bowl MULTIPLE times on the work surface to let the air bubble out. (take your time doing this as this is the key to avoiding cracked surface!)
- 19. Slowly pour the mix in to the cake pan. Tap it some more on the work surface.
- 20. Place the pan on top of a baking tray, & pop it in the oven. (You need the baking tray to collect the small amount of butter that seeps out from the bottom of the cake pan)
- 21. Bake for 30 minutes first.
- 22. Have a look. If it looks like it is starting to brown too much on top, cover loosely with foil.
- 23. Bake for another 10 minutes.
- 24. Skewer test. I like it when it isn’t thoroughly cooked. (But obviously not raw!) If there’s a tiny bit of curdle on the skewer still, it’s fine, take it out.
- 25. Leave aside - still in the cake tin - overnight to mature.
Yippee I am the first to comment this time.
BRAVO (again) to you Tamami.
An absolutely brilliant new year recipe post.
Wonderful pictures, great explanations.
I cant praise you enough.
You make me forget about the calories and just relish the baking experience.
Keep up the great job. Have a wonderful year ahead.
Comment by Swati - January 15, 2010 12:20 pm
Happy New Year Swati!! Wow, thank you for leaving such a lovely comment. re: calories, yeah, forget ‘em, this cheesecake’s gotta be tried! :) :) :)
Comment by tamami - January 15, 2010 2:44 pm
mmmm–another reason to buy digestives! will have to look for the oak biscuits. our local groceries aren’t known for thier large selection of ‘imported’ goods.
Comment by jonquil - January 15, 2010 2:57 pm
Thanks for the recipe! And thanks also for the air bubble trick, whenever I do cheesecake i always end up using some topping because the surface is all cracked and uneven: I can’t wait to try your tricks! Of course not that the topping is a bad thing, but now and again I just love plain cheesecake. I also love your printing trick, but I won’t be able to use it because my man hates cocoa :(
Comment by Caffettiera - January 15, 2010 4:01 pm
Thanks for the recipe Tamami, I’ve never made a cheesecake before (can you believe it!) and will try it on the weekend for a barbeque I am going to here in Melbourne Australia (sunny sunny summer).
May I ask a baking question, every time I bake a cake or a quick bread the edges are tough, what am I doing wrong????? Thanks!!!
Comment by Ren - January 15, 2010 9:59 pm
Hello Jonquil! No oat biscuits where you live? Well, you can always make do with just digestives, or any other biscuits you fancy using! - Y’know what the funny thing is? I always thought you’re from the UK! But I guess not!
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Caffettiera, I hope these tricks work for you! ;) Your man hates cocoa??! Ohhh no… It’s one of the best things in life… he’s missing out! :) Kidding. But I just thought of something - what about substituting with other dark powder like coffee? I’ve never tried, but it might work…
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Ren, thank you for leaving your first comment!
RE dry cake edges:
- it sounds as though you need an oven thermometer for precise temperature reading - My old oven used to ‘lie’ to me & was off by 20 degrees for example.
- Also, check for done-ness 5 to 10 minutes prior to the suggested cooking time with the skewer test, as ‘over-baking’ might also be the culprit?
- - - Good luck with the cheese cake for your barby…, in hot weather, you lucky thing!
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Comment by tamami - January 16, 2010 12:51 pm
upper east coast, usa. larger local grocers consider irish imports to count as english! if i was u.k., guarentee you would’ve met me by now ;)
Comment by jonquil - January 16, 2010 2:55 pm
This looks amazing, I’m going to give it a try! Hopefully one day I can visit you at the market too.
Happy cooking :)
Comment by green apple sorbet - January 16, 2010 11:09 pm
Jonquil - Upper East Coast! Ah-ha! It’s so amazing to find out where my readers are reading from! Thank you very much for letting me know! xx
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Green apple sorbet - I’ll very much look forward to seeing you one day then!! Take care for now!!
Comment by tamami - January 17, 2010 4:28 pm
Mmmmmmmm! Looking forward to being reunited with my cake tins so I can try this (they’re currently in a box at my mum’s in Chicago, ah well)… xx
Comment by Rachel - January 17, 2010 9:17 pm
Rachel! Reunion highly recommended, pronto! ;) ;) ;)
Comment by Tamami - January 18, 2010 10:43 am
What a treat to get your recipe. I have just found you through “A Year in Paris” and I kick myself to think that I did not find your site before we went on our August 2009 trip to London. What a delight it would have been to have shopped in such a local spot and to meet you too. God Bless you and your “sweet” endeavors.
Comment by Jenny N - January 19, 2010 7:25 pm
Hello Jenny N!! Thank you for checking my blog out!! Sorry to hear we missed each other last August…! Please do come one day though - I’m likely to be doing this for a long while still ;) I’ll look forward to it!!
Comment by tamami - January 20, 2010 9:11 am
Wonderful blog, very clever girl! I added it to my blog. Have nice time. Alessandra
Comment by Ale - January 22, 2010 2:22 pm
Wow! Thank you for adding my blog in your list Alessandra! xx
Comment by tamami - January 22, 2010 3:13 pm
Thank you Tamami…another wonderful recipe to share with my family!!! This Xmas we come to London and” your “market was in my personal list of “things to see”,but it couldn’t be…so I hope to to taste in another journey some of your delicious cake…I ‘m crazy for tasting your flourless chocolate cake…kind regards from Barcelona
Comment by giovanna - January 27, 2010 4:15 pm
Hello Giovanna!!
Nice to hear back from you! ;) I hope your family like this recipe too!
- Oh no, sorry to have missed you last Xmas in London…! Hopefully one day??? ;)
Warmest regards, Tamami
Comment by tamami - January 27, 2010 9:13 pm
THANK! YOU! SO! MUCH! :DDDDDD
Comment by kim - January 28, 2010 2:54 am
Hi Kim! Oh, no, thank YOU very much for reading!! ;)
Comment by tamami - January 28, 2010 9:54 am
stay warm on the 30th! here’s to swift sales & pleasant patrons…
Comment by jonquil - January 29, 2010 2:04 pm
Thank you Jonquil! I just finished getting stuff ready for tomorrow! Off to have a shower in a mo, & straight to bed!!
Comment by tamami - January 30, 2010 1:36 am
Hi Tamami,
I’ve been following your blog and visiting your stall in broadway market (unfortunately infrequently for me) for the past year or so that I’ve been in London.
I have a bit of a weird request… I’m wondering if you need an extra pair of hands to help in the kitchen. I’ve just finished my studies (Masters) and am in a bit of a transitory period. I find baking/cooking to be very grounding .. and right now I find that is what my life is craving.
I’m a bit of novice.. but I have worked in a bakery before.
Let me know if you are taking on any apprentices.
Comment by Lauren - February 1, 2010 1:19 pm
Hi Lauren! I just sent you email!!
Comment by tamami - February 1, 2010 5:16 pm
Tamami-san,
Amazing stuff! thank you for sharing. finally i got over my lazyness and made a cheesecake, and i wasnt disappointed, thanks to this.
matcha version next :)
domo arigato!
Comment by obvan - February 3, 2010 11:11 pm
Hello Obvan!
Thank you for trying out this recipe!! I’m very glad that you were not disappointed!!!
Comment by tamami - February 4, 2010 11:06 pm
OH, thanks for the recipe! Since I can’t come buy to get one from you personnaly I get to find out what it is like. I’ll post pics when I make it and let you know how it turns out.
Comment by joeinvegas - February 4, 2010 11:08 pm
Hello Joeinvegas!! I hope you like the cake! Many many thanks!!
Comment by tamami - February 4, 2010 11:23 pm
What a wonderful treat to find your blog. Amazing recipes and such creative ideas! You are my new favorite!
Comment by Tonya - February 5, 2010 5:21 am
Thank you Tonya!! Hope to hear more from you!!
Comment by tamami - February 6, 2010 1:35 am
とっても可愛いです！
素敵な写真、ありがとうございます！
Comment by chihiro - February 7, 2010 8:36 pm
Chihiro san, どういたしまして！ブログをチェックしていただいて有り難うっ！
Comment by tamami - February 8, 2010 12:43 pm
Hi Tamami, thank you for posting the recipe. I love classic cheesecakes like this. I don’t like too many extraneous flavors because they take away from the flavor of the cream cheese. This looks perfect. When I first saw the unicorn, I thought you achieved that by using heat! You are so clever and creative.
Comment by Jennifer K - February 8, 2010 1:50 pm
Hello Jennifer K!! Ditto about the extra flavourings on cheesecakes! Nothing beats a classic!! - Unicorn, hehe, alot of people at the market ask about how! xx
Comment by tamami - February 8, 2010 4:09 pm
I love your blog - hopefully mine will be as fabulous soon! I’ve seen your stall at B mkt on Saturdays (I live in Hackney) now its great to put a blog to a stall!
can’t wait to read more!
almay
Comment by Almay Jordaan - February 8, 2010 6:39 pm
Oh wow! Thank you for your lovely comment Almay!! Hope to see you down at the market soon!
Comment by tamami - February 8, 2010 8:00 pm
I really like your pattern tip, i will definately have to try this out on my baking.
Xx
Comment by Lovely - February 10, 2010 5:49 pm
How much do you charge for your Cheesecake?
Comment by Lovely - February 10, 2010 5:57 pm
Thank you Lovely! I’m selling an 8 inch cake at £12.00 xx
Comment by tamami - February 11, 2010 12:48 am
Thanx! I wil have to come and visit your stall pne day.
Even though i bake myself it is always good to have a day of eating other great bakers creations.
Comment by Lovely - February 12, 2010 5:05 pm
Hi Lovely! Oh! you are a baker as well?? - I’ll look forward to seeing you down at the market one day then!!! Take care! xx
Comment by tamami - February 13, 2010 10:08 pm
That looks positively yummy! I love the unicorn!
Comment by Marie - February 17, 2010 10:40 am
Thanks Marie!!!
Comment by tamami - February 17, 2010 12:45 pm
hi tamami,
i’ve been searching for a good cheesecake recipe and yours look absolutely delicious. can’t wait to try your recipe. thanks for sharing! i have a question. is double cream also called heavy cream?
Comment by Michelle - February 19, 2010 11:12 pm
Hello Michelle! Sorry for the delay in replying… I’ve been busy with prep for Saturday…!
RE double cream: from what I understand, heavy cream is whipping cream, but then again in the US the terminology describes double cream… (how confusing!) Perhaps check the buttermilk-fat content on the packaging - it should be around 48%. Good luck with the cheesecake baking!!
Comment by tamami - February 21, 2010 1:05 am
Tamami, what’s your email? This is Van from the Vietnamese baguette place.
Comment by Banhmi11 - February 25, 2010 9:50 am
Hello Banhmi11!!!!
I’ve sent you email!!
Comment by tamami - February 25, 2010 11:59 am
hi tamami! :)
i’m sooo glad to have found your foodblog! it’s very interesting. you don’t scrimp on the instructions/notes which make an amateur like me in the baking world really grateful! :P i’ve found your brownie recipe. i wanna try it. i’m really fond of brownies and i’m looking for a fav recipe. i’m sure this will be the one. :) thanks again and keep on writing! thanks again on the pix and detailed instructions. :) all the best!!!
Comment by clarissa - March 9, 2010 12:00 pm
Hello Clarissa! Thank you for leaving such a lovely comment!! It keeps me going! I hope you like the recipes, & all the best to you too!
Comment by tamami - March 9, 2010 6:02 pm