New York Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 250 g digestive biscuits, crushed
• 100 g butter, melted
• 900 g full-fat cream cheese
• 250 g caster sugar
• 4 pieces eggs
• 2 pieces egg yolks
• 200 g soured cream
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon zest

Steps

1. 1
   Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted butter, press firmly into the base of a 23 cm springform tin and bake at 180C for 10 minutes. Cool.
2. 2
   Wrap the outside of the tin in two layers of foil so no water gets in.
3. 3
   Beat the cream cheese alone until completely smooth before adding anything else. Lumps at this stage never disappear.
4. 4
   Beat in the sugar, then the flour, vanilla and zest.
5. 5
   Add the eggs and yolks one at a time on the lowest speed. Beating air in now is what makes a cheesecake rise and then crack.
6. 6
   Fold in the soured cream and pour over the base.
7. 7
   Stand the tin in a roasting dish, pour in boiling water halfway up, and bake at 160C for 70-80 minutes. The centre should still wobble.
8. 8
   Turn the oven off and leave the door ajar for 1 hour, then chill overnight before releasing the tin.