It is National Blueberry Cheesecake Day on May 26, which may seem like a peculiar holiday but is the perfect excuse to treat yourself to something delicious and homebaked.
Mary Berry’s classic blueberry and fruit cheesecake recipe is a colourful and mouth-watering dish which is perfect to make for anyone looking forward to the summer.
It only takes 30 minutes to prepare before leaving it to slowly bake in the oven for an hour so it comes out creamy and tart once ready.
Writing in her cookbook ‘Simple Bakes,’ Mary explained that the cake recipe has been designed to flatten slightly in the centre so it holds the fruit topping better so do not be alarmed once you take it out of the oven.
She wrote: “Expect the cheesecake to dip in the centre when it is cooked. That’s how it should be, giving a generous space to fill with fruit.
Method
To make the biscuit base: Lightly grease the cake tin and line it with baking paper.
Place the digestive biscuits in a sandwich or freezer bag and crush them into crumbs with a rolling pin.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the crushed biscuits and demerara sugar to the pan and mix well.
Spread the biscuit crumb mixture over the base of the tin and press it firmly in place with a metal spoon. Leave the base to set in a cool place while you are making the rest of the cheesecake.
To make the filling: Preheat the oven to 160C or Gas Mark 3.
Place the butter, sugar, cream cheese, eggs, flour, lemon zest and juice into a large bowl and beat until smooth either with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer.
Fold the lightly whipped double cream into the mixture using a plastic spatula or large metal spoon.
Pour the cream cheese filling onto the biscuit base and gently level the surface with a plastic spatula.
Put in the oven and leave to slowly bake for about one hour to one and a half hours until completely set. Then, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for a further hour to cool.
Once ready, ryn a palette knife around the edges of the tin to loosen the cheesecake, then push the base up to remove it and place it on a serving plate.
To make the topping: Lightly spread the whipped cream in the dip of the cheesecake and scatter the fruit on top. Dust with icing sugar if you wish and your mouth-watering summer cheesecake is ready to serve.
