Baked Lemon Yogurt Cheesecake (Water-Bath Method)

Method

1. Take the cream cheese and egg out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead. Line 4 × 150 ml ramekins or a springform tin, base and sides, with baking paper. Crush the biscuits finely in a bag with a rolling pin, mix with the melted butter until it looks like wet sand, and press firmly into the base with the bottom of a glass. Chill while you make the filling.

   Add in this stepPlain biscuits (digestives or graham crackers) 4Butter, melted 20 g

2. Preheat the oven (oven) to 160 °C and boil a kettle. Beat the cream cheese with the sugar and salt for 2 min, until completely smooth with no lumps; any lumps left now will stay in the cake.

   Add in this stepCream cheese, at room temperature 120 gSugar 30 gSalt 1 pinch

   oven

3. Beat in the yogurt until smooth, then the egg a little at a time, then the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Sift over the cornstarch and mix gently just until it disappears. Pouring the filling through a sieve gives a silky texture.

   Add in this stepGreek yogurt 120 gBeaten egg (a large egg is about 50 g) 50 gLemon (zest and juice) ½Vanilla extract ½ tspCornstarch 8 g

4. Pour the filling over the base and tap the tin on the counter to release air bubbles. Set it in a deep roasting tin and pour in hot water to halfway up the sides (wrap the base of a springform tin in foil first). Bake (oven) for 25 min, until the edges are set and slightly puffed and the centre wobbles like jelly when nudged.

   oven

5. Switch the oven heat off, open the door a crack and leave the cheesecake inside for 15 min. Slow cooling stops the top from cracking and sinking.

   heat off

6. Lift it out of the water bath, cool to room temperature, cover and chill for at least 4 h, ideally overnight. Run a thin knife around the edge to unmould, and slice with a knife warmed in hot water and wiped dry.