Blueberry cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

  • 18 graham crackers (about 200–220 g / 2 cups fine crumbs)
  • 2 Tbsp (25 g) sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 85–100 g (6–7 Tbsp / ~½ cup) unsalted butter, melted (start with less and add only as needed)

Fruit swirl

  • 500 g frozen fruit of choice (strawberries, mixed berries, or apricots work well)
  • 60 g (¼ cup) sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Cheesecake filling

  • 450 g full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 120 g (½ cup) full-fat sour cream, room temperature
  • 150 g (¾ cup) sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

Method: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C Line a 20 × 20 cm (8 × 8 inch) round baking tin with baking paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
  2. Blitz the graham crackers, 2 Tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Tip into a bowl and stir in the melted butter until the mixture holds together when pressed (you may not need all the butter). Press firmly and evenly into the base and about 2 cm up the sides of the tin. Use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup for a smooth, compact layer.

3. Bake 10–12 minutes until firm and lightly golden. Cool completely on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 160 °C (140 °C fan).

4. Put the frozen fruit, ¼ cup sugar, pinch of salt and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the fruit breaks down and the mixture becomes a thick but pourable sauce (like a coulis), about 8–12 minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed. Cool completely (spread on a plate to speed this up).

5. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until completely smooth and free of lumps (1–2 minutes). Scrape the bowl. Add the ¾ cup sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt; beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until each is incorporated. Do not overbeat — overworking incorporates air and can cause the filling to crack or split.

6. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top. Drop small spoonfuls of the cooled fruit sauce randomly over the surface. Use a skewer or toothpick to gently swirl the sauce through the filling (don’t over-swirl or it will muddy).

7. Bake 25–35 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centre has a slight wobble (it will firm up as it cools). A thin layer is done faster than a deep cheesecake, so start checking at 25 minutes.

8. Cool completely in the tin on a wire rack (1–2 hours). Then refrigerate at least 2 hours (overnight is best) before slicing into bars or squares with a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts.