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This creamy baked dessert features a velvety center studded with juicy blueberries and finished with a fruity sauce on top. Its texture balances airiness with decadence, making it a standout treat for anyone who loves rich, fruity desserts.
Why Make This Cheesecake
You'll love how the crispy bottom layer contrasts with the silky middle and plump berries. Though it's straightforward to whip up, it'll wow your guests. The best part? You can throw this together year-round since both fresh and frozen berries work great.
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Ingredients
- Marie or Graham Crackers: They form your crunchy foundation. Try digestive cookies as an alternative.
- Unsalted Butter: Melted down to bind your base together.
- Cream Cheese: Make sure it's softened for easy blending.
- Plain Flour: This helps your dessert firm up nicely.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds lovely flavor. A real vanilla bean works wonderfully too.
- Full-Fat Sour Cream: Creates that lush texture. Full-fat yogurt can pinch-hit if needed.
- Caster Sugar: It blends in better than chunky regular sugar.
- Lemon Zest: Just one lemon's worth. Brings a bright touch.
- Eggs: Let them sit out until room temp for smooth incorporation.
- Blueberries: Don't worry about which kind, fresh or frozen both do the job.
- Lemon Juice: For your topping mixture.
- White Sugar: This sweetens your sauce.
- Cornflour: Makes your topping nice and thick.
- Water: You'll need this to mix with your cornflour.
Instructions
- Fire Up Oven:
- Warm to 160°C (320°F). Drop to 140°C for fan ovens. Set rack right in the middle.
- Get Pan Ready:
- Grab an 8-inch springform tin. Put parchment on the bottom. Oil the sides and wrap with paper.
- Build Bottom Layer:
- Smash crackers into tiny bits. Stir in melted butter until it looks like damp sand. Pat firmly across pan bottom and a bit up the edges.
- Craft Filling:
- Whip soft cream cheese till smooth (about 20 seconds). Fold in flour, then mix in vanilla, sour cream, sugar, and lemon zest. Drop in eggs one by one, mixing just enough to blend.
- Mix In Berries:
- Carefully fold 250g blueberries into the mix. Pour everything over your base.
- Cook It:
- Bake for 70 minutes until slightly golden. Kill the heat, crack the door, and let it sit there cooling for 2 hours.
- Cool Down:
- Stick it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or leave it overnight.
- Whip Up Sauce:
- Cook a cup of blueberries with sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice for 7 minutes until it gets syrupy. Mix cornflour with water, stir into sauce to thicken. Drop in the rest of the berries.
- Last Touches:
- Let sauce cool down, spread across your chilled cake. Pop back in fridge before you serve it.
Making the Base
Getting your base just right means balancing crumbs and butter perfectly. Turn crackers into fine powder, mix with melted butter until it clumps like wet beach sand. Press it down hard into your pan and up the sides with a flat-bottomed cup. This creates a sturdy foundation that'll hold your filling without crumbling.
Making the Filling
Always go for block cream cheese for the best outcome. When you add your berries, do it gently. If you're using frozen ones, toss them in still frozen to keep your mix from turning purple. The sour cream makes everything fluffier while lemon zest adds a fresh kick. Don't overmix or you'll trap air that can cause splits later. No need for water baths. The slow cooling does all the crack prevention for you.
Making the Topping
Your sauce turns out great with either fresh or frozen fruit. Just cook your berries with sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until they soften up. Mix cornflour with water and stir it in to get that perfect thickness. While this bright mixture might stain your spoons, it'll make your dessert look amazing and taste even better. It'll blanket the entire top with sweet, thick fruit goodness.
Preventing Cracks
The trick to a smooth top is cooling your dessert gradually. Just leave it sitting in the turned-off oven with the door cracked open. This easy step keeps everything smooth and stops the surface from splitting. And don't worry if you get a crack anyway. Your berry sauce will hide any flaws.
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Sauce Options
Feel free to switch up your topping with different fruits. Raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries all taste fantastic. Just make sure your sauce isn't runny but also not too stiff. You can swap out fruits based on whatever looks good at the market right now.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I use frozen berries?
- No need to defrost
- Mix them in frozen
- Bake a few extra minutes
- Batter may turn a little purple
- Topping works well with frozen berries
- Budget-friendly option
- → How do I stop it from cracking?
- Soften cream cheese first
- Avoid over-mixing everything
- Room temp eggs are your friend
- Keep the oven door closed
- Let it cool gradually
- Add a water pan in your oven
- Small cracks are totally okay
- → Best way to serve it?
- Serve it chilled
- Use a sharp knife
- Wipe the blade after each slice
- Cut straight downward
- Dip knife in warm water before slicing
- Wait 5-10 minutes for it to warm slightly
- Add extras right before serving
- → Can I use yogurt instead of sour cream?
- Greek yogurt works best
- Just strain watery yogurt beforehand
- Measure it the same as sour cream
- Gives it a tangier flavor
- Regular yogurt’s too runny
- Flavored options won’t work
- → How long does it keep?
- Lasts 4 days in the fridge
- Wrap it well to seal in freshness
- Keep it away from strong-smelling stuff
- Freezing isn’t great (the texture changes)
- Let it warm up before serving
- Fruit toppings might get soggy after two days
Conclusion
Enjoy experimenting? Add some zest to a basic cheesecake or sub raspberries for a fun twist. The same starter recipe, but totally different flavors in the end.