Lemon and Thyme Cheesecake
By OcadoLife
Published on 04 September 2022
Food writer and former finalist in The Great British Bake Off, Benjamina Ebuehiis no stranger to creating magical bakes. Her Lemon and Thyme Cheesecake is no exception, with aromatic, earthy thyme and zingy lemon bringing a wonderfully refreshing flavour to the dish. It’s perfect for afternoon tea but equally good as a pud.Time and servings
40 minsTotal time
6Servings
20 minsPrep time
20 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 30 g of unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for the tin
- 100 g of digestive biscuits
- 165 g of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 lemon, zest
- 60 g of soured cream
- 1 egg, medium
- 0.5 tsp of cornflour
- 100 g of double cream
- 0.5 lemon juice, for the syrup
- 1 tsp of lemon juice, extra
- 60 g of caster sugar, plus 15g for the syrup
- 1 tsp of thyme leaves, plus 1 sprig, leaves picked, plus extra to decorate
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Line the base of a 18cm loose-bottomed or springform cake tin and grease the sides with butter.Step 2
In a food processor, blitz the biscuits and thyme until fine; mix in the melted butter. Tip into the tin and press into the base and halfway up the sides. Bake for 8 mins, then set aside to cool a little. Set the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3.Step 3
In a bowl, whisk the cream cheese, lemon zest and 60g caster sugar with a balloon whisk until smooth. Whisk in the soured cream and egg until well combined, then stir in the 1tsp lemon juice and cornflour.Step 4
Pour into the tin; bake for 20 mins until set but with a slight wobble. Leave to cool in the oven for 20 mins with the door ajar, then cool at room temperature. Chill for at least 2 hrs before serving.Step 5
Make a syrup by simmering the juice of ½ lemon, 15g caster sugar and leaves from 1 thyme sprig in a pan for 2 mins. Set aside to cool completely.Step 6
Whip the double cream to soft peaks and dollop onto the cheesecake. Drizzle over the syrup and decorate with the extra thyme leaves.