Simple Vanilla Baked Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 170C / 150FF and wrap the outside of a 9 inch / 20 cm spring-form pan in foil to ensure no water enters the cake when baking in a water bath. Line the bottom and the sides of the tin with baking paper.

Place the biscuits into a food processor and process to a fine crumb. If you don't have a food processor, follow along with Emelia's hack by adding biscuits to a zip lock bag and rolling with a rolling pin.

Add the melted butter and mix together until combined. Reserve ¼ of the crumb mixture to garnish the cheesecake.

Spoon the remaining ¾ over the base of the prepared springform pan and press the crumb in tightly - I use the bottom of a glass or mug. Bake the base for 8-10 minutes and set aside to cool while you make the cheesecake.

Take the reserved ¼ of the crumb mixture and spread out on a tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes and set aside to cool.

In a stand mixer (with a beater), combine the cream cheese, sugar and zest and blend / beat until completely smooth, making sure to scrape down the inside of the bow a few times to remove any lumps – do not over mix/have the speed to high as this can incorporate too much air. You want this to be really smooth, but don’t want to incorporate any air bubbles as this can lead to cracks when baking.

Once smooth, add the remaining ingredients and process / beat until just combined. Make sure all the ingredients are smooth and glossy before pouring the mix over the chilled crust. Tap the cheesecake on the bench a couple of times to remove any air bubbles that may be trapped.

Place the cake tin into a roasting pan and fill the pan with boiling water from the kettle, until the water reaches halfway up outside of the springform tin. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour 30 minutes - you still want a slight jiggle in the centre to ensure a luscious texture. The cheesecake will set completely as it cools in the fridge. If you do not want any browning on top of the cheesecake, you can cover with foil before baking. I don’t mind the slight caramelization.

Once baked, remove from the water bath and take a sharp knife and run it around the edge of the cake tin to loosen the sides of the cheesecake - this will help prevent the cake from cracking as it cools and shrinks.

Cool the cake completely (in the cake tin) and set in the fridge - overnight is best.

Combine the ingredients onto a roasting tray and bake at 180C for 10-15 minutes or until the berries have just collapsed.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely - this is a great way to jazz up your cheesecake and can be made with any fruit that you love; think apricots, rhubarb, raspberries etc. Or enjoy simply as is!