Baked Lemon Cheesecake

Have you decided upon your weekend cake yet? If not, then may I recommend this lovely and creamy and very lemony baked cheesecake? One of the local dairies has began to market cream cheese in 400 g tubs, and I had had one of those in my fridge for week or so. As I had also come across some very nice large Spanish lemons, I ended up making this delicious and creamy baked lemon cheesecake. I used a smaller cake tin this time, ending in a slightly higher cheesecake, but this would be also nice if made in 24 cm tin.

Note that this has quite a thick biscuit base, which nicely balances the zesty lemon filling. You may use much less, if you prefer.

Baked Lemon Cheesecake
Serves 8

Base:
250 g Digestive biscuits
125 g butter, melted

Filling:
400 g cream cheese, softened
150 g caster sugar
1 heaped Tbsp finely grated lemon rind
4 Tbsp lemon juice
3 large eggs

whipped cream, to serve (optional)

Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a 20 cm round springform cake tin with butter, line the base with parchment paper. Process biscuits into fine crumbs, add melted butter and combine (I actually crushed the biscuits with a wooden spoon and mixed it all by hand). Press the cookie mixture over base and sides of the prepared tin. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese, sugar and lemon rind together until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined. Add lemon juice, beat for another minute. Pour the mixture into prepared cake tin.
Bake for about 1 hour or until filling is just set (mixture may wobble slightly in centre, but will firm on standing). Cool in oven with door slightly ajar.
Refrigerate for 4 hours or until cold.
Garnish with some lemon zest and serve with cream.