Scarlett WBaked Lemon and Sultana Cheesecake
December 18th 2006 08:56
Baked Lemon and Sultana Cheesecake
About Cheesecake
A cheesecake is a sweet, cheese-based pudding.
Cheesecake is one of the most common puddings in the world and perhaps one of the oldest involving dairy other than milk. The first recorded mention of cheesecake was during the ancient Grecian Olympic Games in the occidental world.
Contrary to what its name suggests, cheesecakes are actually more like custards and are required to be baked at lower temperatures. A common difficulty with baking cheesecakes is its tendency to “crack” when cooled. This is due to the coagulation of the beaten eggs in its batter. There are various methods to prevent this. One method is to bake the cake in a hot water bath to ensure even heating. Alternatively, a little cornstarch blended into the batter prevents the coagulation of eggs.
In UK, cheesecakes are generally a cold dessert which is not cooked nor baked. It is made with crumbled digestive biscuits mixed with butter and pressed into a dish to form a base layer. The topping or filling is a mixture of milk, sugar, cheese, cream and gelatin.
INGREDIENTS
Cut into 10 slices
275 gm caster sugar
50 gm butter
50 gm self-raising flour
½ level teaspoon baking powder
5 large eggs
450 gm cream cheese
40 gm plain flour
grated rind of 1 lemon
3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
150 ml crème fraîche
75 gm sultanas
To decorate
1 tablespoon icing sugar
fresh blackcurrants or blueberries
mint leaves
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Oil a 20.5 cm / 8 inch loose-bottomed round cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
2. Beat 50 gm of the sugar and the butter together until light and creamy, then stir in the self-raising flour, baking powder and 1 egg.
3. Mix lightly together until well blended. Spoon into the prepared tin and spread the mixture over the base. Separate the 4 remaining eggs and reserve.
4. Blend the cheese in a food processor until soft. Gradually add the eggs yolks and sugar and blend until smooth. Turn into a bowl and stir in the rest of the flour, lemon rind and juice.
5. Mix lightly before adding the crème fraîche and sultanas, stirring well.
6. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, fold into the cheese mixture and pour into the tin. Tap lightly on the surface to remove any air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until golden and firm.
7. Cover lightly if browning too much. Switch the oven off and leave in the oven to cool for 2-3 hours.
8. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and when completely cold remove from the tin. Sprinkle with the icing sugar, decorate with the blackcurrants or blueberries and mint leaves and serve.
**From “Quick and Simple Desserts” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia” **
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