Nigella's London Cheesecake
Nigella Lawson's London Cheesecake recipe. Classic baked cheesecake with hints of lemon and vanilla, and a delicious sour cream topping. A make-ahead friendly dessert, great for all kinds of gatherings.
Servings 12
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
- 300 g digestive biscuits crushed
- 140 g butter (salted or unsalted) melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 600 g full-fat cream cheese left out at room temperature for one hour to soften
- 150 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Sour Cream Topping
- 150 g full-fat sour cream
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180ºC / 160ºC Fan / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4. In a mixing bowl, combine the biscuit crumbs and melted butter. Mix well until the biscuit crumbs are moistened. Tip this mix into a 23cm/9-inch springform tin and press the biscuit crumbs into an even layer - smooth over with the back of a spoon. Set aside for the moment.
- Beat the cream cheese gently until it's smooth and then add the sugar. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks, then finally the vanilla and lemon juice. Put the kettle on.
- Line the outside of the springform 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.
- Pour the cream cheese filling on top of 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. Put it into the oven and cook for 50 minutes until set on the top.
- Whisk together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla for the topping and pour over the cheesecake. Put it back in the oven for a further 10 minutes.
- Take the roasting tin out of the oven and leave to cool at room temperature. When it's cooled down completely, put the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight for best results. Allow the cheesecake to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving and slicing. The cheesecake will keep stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.