Our guest baker is Jo’burg resident and blogger Krysia Gaweda. She has a passion for delicious food and of course making sure everyone around her always has a tasty treat on hand. We hope you enjoy her Rustic Baked Cheesecake!
If you ask me, the only way to celebrate berry season (which usually kicks off around spring), is with a totally delicious and ever so indulgent baked cheesecake, topped with very, very berry coulis, of course. Talk about yum!
This recipe comes from my mum (it was passed down from a friend of a friend of a friend), and is one of the most-baked goodies in my kitchen. Not only because it’s a super scrumptious cheesecake, but also because it’s really easy-to-make and is a major crowd-pleaser.
Light and fluffy, with a creamy, silky texture, this is one recipe you’ll keep coming back to over and over, and over again. Add the berry coulis on top and you have yourself an (eet)rite winner!
Makes around 8 (decadent) slices
You’ll need:
The cheesecake
For the base
- 1 packet Marie biscuits, crushed
- ½ cup butter, melted
For the filling
- 4 250g tubs of cream cheese
- 250ml fresh cream
- 4-large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- 4 teaspoons custard powder
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon rind
The berry coulis
- 500g of berries—you’re welcome to choose any types of berries (alternatively, in non-berry seasons you can use 1 bag of frozen berries)
- 1 tablespoon custard powder
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1 tablespoon sugar, to taste
Get started
The cheesecake
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C
For the base
- Crush the Marie biscuits finely in a bowl
- Pour the melted butter over the crushed Marie biscuits and mix well
- Press the base firmly into the bottom of a lightly greased round baking tin (around 25—30cm)
For the filling
- Mix all the remaining ingredients together until light and smooth
- Pour the wet mixture over the biscuit base
- Bake for 1 hour until the top is golden and slightly crusty
- Allow the cheesecake to cool completely before removing from the baking tin
The berry coulis
- Heat the berries slowly in a saucepan on the stove
- Mix the custard powder with the water until completely dissolved
- Add the custard powder mixture to the heated berries on the stove and stir until the mixture becomes thick and clear—originally, the custard powder will make the berry mixture milky, but as the mixture cooks it will become a clear red colour
- Add sugar to taste
- Allow the berry coulis to cool completely
The finishing touches
Place the fully cooled cheesecake on a cake stand, or serving board. Place spoonfuls of cooled berry coulis on top allowing for some of the coulis to flow over the slides. If desired, dust the top with icing sugar, and serve.
Top Tip: Give yourself enough time to allow your baked cheesecake to cool completely overnight—that way your cheesecake will be slightly crusty on the outside with a firm and velvety filling.
words and imagery: Krysia Gaweda