Blueberry cheesecake

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Take the cream cheese, sour cream and eggs out of the fridge about an hour before you start. Room-temperature ingredients blend smoothly, while cold ones leave the filling lumpy. The cream cheese is soft enough when your finger sinks in easily.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Preheat the oven to 175°C and line the bottom of a 20 cm springform pan with parchment paper. The parchment makes it easy to slide the cheesecake onto a plate once it has set. The oven is ready when the heating light switches off.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Mix 150 g digestive biscuit crumbs with 15 g granulated sugar and 70 g melted unsalted butter, tip it into the pan and press it down firmly with the bottom of a glass. A well-packed crust won't crumble when you slice. The crust is ready when it's flat and even, with no soft spots when you press it.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Bake the crust at 175°C for 8 to 10 minutes, then take it out and lower the oven to 160°C. A quick bake lets the butter bind the crumbs so the crust stays crisp longer. The crust is done when it smells buttery and the edges are slightly darker.

   Bake at 175°C for about 8 to 10 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Beat 600 g cream cheese on low speed until soft, add 150 g granulated sugar, 15 g cornstarch and a pinch salt, then add 120 g sour cream, 5 g vanilla extract and 15 g lemon juice. Low speed keeps air bubbles to a minimum, and air is the main reason cheesecakes crack. The filling is ready when it's as smooth as cream and you see no lumps of cheese when you scrape the bowl with a spatula.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Add 150 g eggs one at a time, beating on low speed only until each egg is just blended in. Eggs help the filling set as it bakes, but overbeating makes the cheesecake puff up and then sink. The filling is ready when it's glossy, flows slowly in a ribbon and has no streaks of egg white.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Pour the filling over the crust, tap the pan gently to bring air bubbles to the surface, then set it on a baking sheet and bake at 160°C for 55 to 65 minutes. A low temperature cooks the filling gently so it stays smooth and free of pinholes. The cheesecake is ready when the edges are set and slightly puffed, while a center about 7 cm across still wobbles gently when you shake the pan.

   Bake at 160°C for about 55 to 65 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Turn off the oven, prop the door open and let the cheesecake cool gradually inside for about an hour, then take it out and let it cool completely at room temperature. Cooling slowly lets the filling shrink evenly and helps prevent cracks. The cheesecake is ready when the sides of the pan feel only slightly warm.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Put 250 g fresh blueberries, 50 g granulated sugar and 15 g lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat, then stir 8 g cornstarch into 30 g water and pour it in. The cornstarch thickens the sauce so it stays put on top of the cheesecake instead of running off. The sauce is ready when it's gently bubbling, clear and glossy, and about half the berries have burst; let it cool completely.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Spread the cooled blueberry sauce over the cheesecake and refrigerate it in the pan for at least six hours or overnight. Cheesecake needs a long chill for the filling to firm up and the cheese flavor to deepen. It's ready when a knife cuts clean slices without the filling sticking to the blade.

    Suggested time: about 360 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done