Baked Lemon Cheesecake

I can’t remember where I sourced this recipe from, but it is a good one!  It is great for a dessert, served with fresh berries.

What you need

250g packet of Marie Biscuits

150g melted butter

500g cream cheese (softened)

¾ cup caster sugar

3 teaspoons grated lemon rind (about 3 large lemons)

3 eggs (at room temperature)

¼ cup lemon juice (use the lemons you have used for the rind)

How to make it

Pre-heat your oven to 160° and Grease and line a 20cm spring form cake tin.

Process the biscuits until finely chopped.

Add melted butter to biscuits and combine well.  

Pour the biscuit mixture into your cake tin and use a flat-bottomed glass or jar to press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the tin and up the sides of the tin.  Be patient with this part (and don’t worry if it not perfect, we like rustic things!).  When you have finished, place your tin in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the mixture (or for at least 15 minutes).

In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and lemon rind until smooth.  

Add eggs one at a time and combine each one.  Add lemon juice.  Beat the mixture for one minute until it is smooth.

Pour mixture into the cake tin.  Bake in oven for approximately 40 – 50 minutes, or until just set.  (You will notice that mine is a little brown on one side because of the oven – if you have this issue, turn your cake around once at about the 30 minute mark).  When cooked, turn off oven and leave cake to rest in oven with door ajar.

Put cake in fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.  I would leave it in the cake tin until you serve too.

Serve as it is or with berries.  Enjoy!

CLASSIC CARROT CAKE RECIPE

Carrots are about $2 a bag at the moment, so I thought it was a perfect excuse to make a carrot cake!

This recipe is from a cookbook called “Food with Friends” that was published in 2011 by The Hamilton and Alexandra College.  It is a great collection of recipes contributed by parents of the school.

The recipe I have used was contributed by Alison Kennedy.  It is a delicious cake – very moist and the icing is perfect.  Try it at home – it is so easy!

Ingredients - cake

1 cup plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarb soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup oil (I use olive oil)

2 ½ cups grated carrot (typically this is three larger carrots)

1 cup chopped walnuts (you can use less if you like – I have used ½ a cup and that was fine)

Ingredients – frosting

50g butter (softened)

150g cream cheese

¼ teaspoon vanilla essence

½ cup icing sugar

Method

The boring bit:  Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.  Grease and line a 20cm spring-form cake tin.

The fun bit: Sift flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and cinnamon into bowl.  Stir in sugar.  Beat eggs and oil in a small separate bowl with electric mixer.  When combined, add to dry ingredients.  Add carrot and walnuts.  Combine everything.

Pour mixture into your lined cake tin and leave to rest for 5 minutes (while you clean up!).  

Bake cake for 45 – 50mins or until knife or skewer comes out clean when tested.  Stand for 10 minutes once out of the oven and before turning the cake onto a cooling rack.

To make the frosting, simply combine all the ingredients and mix with an electric beater until smooth.

Cover cake with frosting once the cake is completely cooled.  Sprinkle with walnuts. 

Tips

• Make sure the butter is softened otherwise your icing won't be smooth.
• I always leave eggs out before use so they are at room temperature.
• The mixture will look very carrot-y, (see picture above) but that is how it should be.
• Dress the cake with chopped walnuts.
• Best served cold and I think it is better the next day!

Happy Baking!