Baked Tangy Lemon Cheesecake

Description:
I saw Dhi's posting on Strawberry Cheesecake the other day and that reminded me with the three packs of cream cheese in my fridge. They are approaching the end of best before date. So at the end, I was searching for some recipes that would utilise 3 packs of cream cheese and I wanted the lemon flavour cheesecake.

I came accross this simple recipe at BestRecipes.com.au and the reviews are also good. The cake is still quite moist for a baked cheesecake and not too rich and too sweet as with usual cheesecake. Luckily enough, there are some good notes from the reviewers to follow.

Here is my adaptation of the recipe. I put a little more lemon juice than the recipe to make it tangy to cut the richness of the cream cheese.



Ingredients:
Base:
180 g sweet crumb biscuit, Arnott's Shredded Wheatmeal Biscuits
80 g unsalted butter, melted
3 Tbsp dessicate coconut

Cheesecake filling:
3 eggs, extra large
0.5 cup castor sugar

3 x 250 g cream cheese, softened Philladephia cream cheese
slightly over 0.25 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1.75 lemons)
3 tsp grated lemon zest


Directions:
Line the base of a 22 cm non stick springform tin with baking paper.

Put biscuits in the food processor and blend it to make fairly fine crumbs. Add melted butter and coconut. Mix well with a spoon. Pour the crumb mixture to the tin. Press evenly on the base and on the side of the tin (about 2 cm from the base) with a glass or flat base measuring spoon. Chill in the fridge while preparing the filling.

Put eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until thick and pale. It takes about 10 minutes at medium speed.

Preheat the oven to 160 deg C.

Add cream cheese, lemon juice and zest to the mixture. Bear until the mixture is smooth. It takes about 5-8 minutes at medium speed.

Pour the mixture to the tin. Level the surface and bake for 40 minutes. Then, turn off the oven and leave it for another 5 minutes. Continue with cooling in the oven with the door ajar. Refrigerate in the fridge to cool the cake before consumption.


Cook's Note:
- Make sure the cheese is softened otherwise, it will be difficult to blend to make smooth mixture.
- When added grated lemon zest, sprinkle the zest gradually as the mixer is running. This will prevent lumps of lemon zest.
- To ensure clean cut, dip the knife in hot water and wipe it dry everytime before cutting the cake.