Actually this cheesecake had a different name on Eleanor’s site, where I got the recipe, it was called “Cheesecake…to die for,” and she said it was the best cheesecake that she had ever tested, so how could I resist to test it. For me it is impossible to resist, no matter what site I visit, if a person says that this recipe was the best she has ever tested the next day I already bought all the ingredients to test it…hehe. And this one was not different, I did it for Christmas and everyone loved it, but I made some changes. First I doubled the base recipe in order to cover the sides of the pan and put it in a larger pan, because in the picture I found that the layer of the filling was too thick and I also changed the topping for a cherry one. And it was delicious, perfect, I loved it.
Cheesecake with Cherry Topping
Ingredients:
Base:
140g digestive biscuits
56g brown sugar
84g unsalted butter
Filling:
500g cream cheese
170g sugar
2g salt
140g eggs (±3 eggs)
14g egg yolks (±1 egg yolk)
75g single cream
3ml vanilla extract
Topping:
284g pitted cherries
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tsp corn starch
2/3 cup water, tawny port or other sweet red wine
4 tsp water
1/2 cup sugar
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 330°F/165°C.
Base:
Line the base of a 20-23 cm springform tin with a baking paper ( Wrap the outside (bottom and sides) of the springform pan with two layers of aluminum foil to prevent any leaking). Crush the Digestive biscuits finely, mix with sugar and melted butter. Press the biscuit mixture onto the base of the cake tin. Place into the fridge for 10 minutes.
Filling:
To prepare filling, beat cheese with a mixer at high speed until smooth. Combine sugar and salt, beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract and single cream. Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan.
Bake the cheesecake in a water bath for 1h and 15min. Bake until the filling is more or less set (it shouldn’t wobble too much, when you lightly shake the cake tin). Remove from the oven and cool for 6 hours.
Topping:
To prepare topping, combine port(or water), 1/2 cup sugar, cherries, and reserved vanilla bean halves in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until cherries are thawed and mixture is syrupy. Remove vanilla bean halves; discard. Combine juice, cornstarch, and 4 teaspoons water, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Stir cornstarch mixture into cherry mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 3 minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and shiny. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Cover and chill. Serve over cheesecake.
Removing from pan:
When cheesecake is done, remove springform pan or cheesecake pan (if using) from “water bath” in oven. Carefully remove larger pan with water in it from oven. It will be very hot. Discard water when it has cooled. Remove aluminim foil from sides and bottom of pan after your cheescake has cooled completely in the refrigerator. When you are ready to release sides of springform pan, or remove cheesecake from a cheesecake pan with removable bottom (if using) and cheescake has cooled in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight; this is the best time to remove aluminum foil.
