It was a real dilemma which baked cheesecake to present for this recipe. My head said; keep it simple- baked lemon for this recipe. My heart in the end won (it usually does). The addition of cranberries and a tiny bit of saffron seemed worth the extra effort and expense if going to the trouble to make a really good cheesecake.
Serves 10
Equipment needed: 1x 9inch spring bottom cake tin
Ideally a mixer (but no problem by hand)
Ingredients
40gms (1½oz) softened butter
160gms (5½oz) digestive /hobnob biscuits
625gms full fat cream cheese (1lb 4oz)
125gms caster sugar (4½oz)
4 eggs (carefully separated into clean cups)
150ml (5fl oz) extra thick cream (double will do)
1½ level dessertspoons cornflour.
Fine zest of 3 oranges,
Juice of 1 orange
160gms dried/sweetened cranberries
½ teaspoon (a good pinch) saffron strands
Method
Preheat oven to 150°C
Grease and line cake tin with baking parchment
Crush/blitz the biscuits into 'rough breadcrumbs,' mix with the butter and ¼ of the fine orange zest, evenly pat down into base of the tin.
Beat together the cream cheese and caster sugar until smooth,
Mix in the egg yolks.
Mix the cornflour into the cream with fork or small whisk until smooth, then add the orange juice, orange zest and saffron.
Fold this into the cream cheese mix a little at first until smooth.
Separately whisk the egg whites until fluffy and peaky then gently fold into the mix (1/4 at first) so light and airy.
Finally add the cranberries
Transfer the mix evenly to cake tin and cover with an aluminium foil 'hat' to allow the cake to rise. This cake should be superlight.
Bake at 150°C for approximately 1½ hours or until risen, light but firm to the wobble.
Note: best to keep covered and in a warm place to cool slowly as this prevents cracking.
