Cheese cake

My first baked cheesecake, not bad for a first attempt.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (125g) sifted plain flour
• 1/4 cup (65g) white sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 125g butter
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 560g cream cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 1/2 tablespoons plain flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5/8 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons thickened cream

Preparation method

1.

Preheat oven to 200C.

2.

To make crust: combine 1 cup of the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the beaten egg yolk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Pat 1/3 of the dough into the bottom of one 20cm springform pan with the sides removed. Bake for 6 minutes. Let cool then butter sides of pan and attach to bottom. Pat the remaining dough evenly on the sides to a height of 5cm.

3.

To make filling: preheat oven to 260C. Stir cream cheese to soften, then beat until fluffy add 1/8 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel.

4.

Mix 1 1/2 tablespoons flour, 1/8 teaspoon salt and the remaining sugar together. Gradually blend this mixture into the cream cheese mixture. Add the eggs and the egg yolk one at a time, beating well after each one. Gently stir in the cream. Pour batter into the prepared crust.

5.

Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until top edge of crust is golden. Reduce heat to 100C and continue baking for 1 hour. Remove cake from oven and cool in pan for at least 3 hours. Remove sides of pan to serve.