Bakewell Cheesecake Recipes

BAKEWELL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line the base and sides of a 23cm springform tin with baking parchment. Bash the biscuits and 75g of the flaked almonds to crumbs - try double-bagging in food bags and crushing with a rolling pin. Mix with the almond extract and melted butter, then press into the base of the prepared tin and bake for 10 mins. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.
• In your largest bowl, whisk the cheese with an electric whisk until creamy. Add the sugar and whisk to combine. Whisk in the flour, then the vanilla, the eggs, one at a time, and finally the soured cream.
• Dollop spoonfuls of mixture into the tin, dotting in tbsps of jam as you go. Smooth the top as gently as you can.
• Carefully place tin on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 10 mins. Scatter with remaining almonds. Decrease oven to 110C/90C fan/gas ¼ and bake for a further 35 mins. Turn off the oven, keep the door closed and leave cheesecake to cool for 1 hr. Open oven door and leave it ajar for another hour (you can use your oven gloves to wedge it open). Cool for a third hour at room temp, then cover and chill overnight.
• Remove from the tin and carefully peel off the parchment. Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream.

INSTANT POT BAKEWELL CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Start by blitzing the digestives and amaretti together in a food processor to a fine crumb, then with the motor still running, pour in the melted butter, pulsing to mix.
• Tip into a 7 inch diameter spring form cake tin (I like to line mine with my reusable silicone liners) and press into the base as evenly as you can.
• Spread the cherry conserve over the base, leaving about a half centimetre border around the edge untouched.
• Clean out the food processor and then blitz all the filling ingredients together - pour into the tin on top of the base slowly and gently. It's quite runny at this stage so go slow so not to disturb the cherry conserve.
• Now pour 250ml of water into the Instant Pot and place the trivet on top with the arms folded down.
• Take a long piece of foil and fold lengthways to make a strip long enough to allow you to lower the cheesecake onto the trivet and retrieve when cooked. Take 4 or 5 pieces of kitchen roll and tuck them over the cheesecake before folding the foil very gently over enough to allow you to put the lid on - do this now. These paper towels are to sop up any condensation from inside the pot.
• When closed, ensure the vent is set to "Sealing". Select Manual, adjusting time to 25 minutes.
• Allow a Natural Pressure Release then remove the lid, discarding the kitchen roll (carefully as it will be hot) and using the foil sling, carefully remove the cheesecake. It should have a hint of a wibble wobble in the middle still. Sprinkle over the toasted almonds whilst still warm.
• Cool on a rack and when at room temp, chill for a minimum of 4 hours if not over night in the fridge.
• When ready to serve, unmould the tin and transfer to a serving plate (cheesecakes in the IP are smaller and the bases more sturdy so this is easier than by traditional baking methods).