Method
Preparing The Crust
1) Crush the digestive biscuits using a meat tenderiser or food precessor.
2) Melt butter and pour into the crushed digestive biscuits. Mix Well.
3) Wrap around the sides of a 20cm (8") round cake ring with aluminium foil to prevent water from entering during baking (Water Bath).
4) Pour the digestive biscuit into the cake ring and compress it to make an even layer of base.
Preparing Cheese Batter
1) Beat cream cheese, icing sugar, corn flour and lemon zest together at low to medium speed till soft and smooth. The best way of ensuring this is to leave the cream cheese to soften in room temperature a while before beginning.
2) Do not use high speed to beat as it will incorporate air into the batter and may cause cracks when baked.
3) Stop occasionally to scrape the sides of bowls and continue to beat till batter is free of lumps and smooth.
4) Add in eggs one by one and continue to beat till smooth.
5) Pour in milk slowly and followed by sour cream.
6) Make meringue by whisking egg white with sugar together till soft peak.
7) Fold meringue into the cheese batter using a rubber spatula.
8) Set aside 5 tbsp of batter and mix with 1 tsp of cocoa powder.
9) Pour the remaining batter into the pre prepared cake ring with the biscuit base.
10) Using a piping bag, pipe the cocoa batter horizontally across the cake. Use a skewer to drag and create patterns (refer to video) on the surface of cheese cake.
11) Place the cake in a deep baking pan and fill half the pan with water. (Bain Marie)
12) Bake in oven at 150C (300F) for 75 minutes. Depending on your oven, if your cheesecake starts to brown on top before 45 minutes, cover the top of cake with aluminium foil and continue to bake till 75 minuts is up. Serve chilled.
Recipe makes 1 X 20cm (8") Round Cake Ring.
