Let’s be honest – not a lot of people opt to bake a cheesecake; they would rather do no-bake version. No doubt it can be a bit intimidating and stressful to get a baked cheesecake perfect without it sinking and the top burning or cracking. But I’m here to share a few tips that will hopefully guide you to making the most delicious baked cheesecake. If I think cheesecake; three words come to mind – velvety, rich and heavenly and that is exactly what my berry cheesecake is. And can I let you in on a little secret – it is low in carbs and contains no refined sugars. Apart from this, the taste is still pure mouth-watering bliss.
Cheesecake Baking Tips
Let me give you the low down on perfecting a baked cheesecake. First of all you need to bear in mind not to rush the process. Allow me to be the bearer of bad news if you think you can bake a cheesecake within an hour and eat it within another hour – this is impossible. Unfortunately a baked cheesecake is a slow process but if you follow the proper method – it is worth the effort and the wait.
Secondly, before you start make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. This will ensure a smooth and creamy batter. To bake the cheesecake, I use a springform baking pan and will always bake the crust first, allowing it to cool before I start making the creamy batter. For the batter, I use a stand mixer but you can also use a hand-mixer. It is imperative that the ingredients are mixed on a slow speed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl in between mixing.
Now comes the most important part; I always use the baine marie method when baking a cheesecake. This will ensure that the cheesecake bakes evenly. Wrap the outside of the springform baking pan with aluminum foil. When the cheesecake batter is ready, pour it over the baked crust. Place the foil wrapped springform baking pan in an oven roasting dish, pouring boiling water around the baking pan. Bake the cheesecake in the center of the oven and avoid opening up the oven door whilst baking. The cheesecake will take between 50 – 60 minutes to bake depending on your oven, the center should be a little bit jiggly.
The following tip is important too; switch your oven off, do not open the door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for 10 minutes. Then open up the oven door slightly and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and by now the edges should’ve moved away from the pan. If it didn’t then just run a knife around the edge. Allow to cool further and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or even overnight.
Now that I have given you a few tips; here is the recipe for my Heavenly Berry Cheesecake.
Heavenly Berry Cheesecake
velvety, rich and heavenly
Prep time: 20 min
Baking time: 55 min
Servings: 10
Ingredients
Cheesecake Crust
1⅓ cup almond flour
⅓ cup coconut flour
70g melted butter
10 drops liquid stevia
Cheesecake Batter
2½ tubs plain cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅔ cup powdered erythritol
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 eggs
Berry Compote
1 cup blueberries
1tsp water
1tsp erythritol
2 tsp lemon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180C. Combine almond, coconut flour, butter and liquid stevia and mix well. Press dough at the bottom of a greased springform baking tin. Bake crust for 10 minutes until it is golden brown. Remove from oven and let it cool.
For the filling, cream the cream cheese and powdered erythritol on a low speed. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the sour cream, vanilla and lemon juice. Mix until all ingredients are well combined, making sure to scrape down the side and bottom of the bowl. Wrap the springform baking tin in aluminum foil and pour batter over the crust. Place the springform baking tin in a oven roasting dish and pour boiling water around the baking tin.
Bake in the centre of the oven still at 180C for 50 – 55 minutes until the center is a little bit jiggly. Switch off the oven but leave the cheesecake in the oven for 10 minutes before opening up the door slightly and then leave it in the oven for another 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool further before refrigerating it for 4 hours. Whilst your cheesecake sets in the refrigerator make your berry compote.
Place blueberries, water, erythritol and lemon juice in a saucepan. Simmer on a medium heat for 5 minutes until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and let it cool. Once the cheesecake is completely set, remove from springform pan, top with berry compote and fresh berries of your choice. Serve and enjoy this Heavenly Berry Cheesecake!!.
