Summer fruit cheesecake with crumble topping

This delicious cheesecake combines a buttery pastry base, a creamy, thick curd cheese filling, plenty of fresh summer fruit and a golden crumble topping. The filling is firm enough to hold the fruit in place, so it won’t sink to the bottom. You can use pretty much any seasonal fruit, either on its own or in a mixture – I went for a selection of red summer berries this time. Well-drained tinned fruit works too. It’s a lovely recipe to have up your sleeve for the summer months; simply use whatever fruit is in season! 

Ingredients for the pastry base:

• 170 g plain flour
• 30 g potato starch
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 130 g butter, at room temperature
• 80 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients for the pastry in a food processor and pulse until the mixture starts to resemble crumble. Alternatively, make it by hand: chop the butter into the flour and other dry ingredients with a knife, then bring everything together until crumbly. Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 30 – 60 minutes.

Once chilled, scatter half of the crumble mixture (reserve the other half for the topping) into a 25 cm baking tin lined with baking paper. Press it evenly over the base of the tin. Pre-bake at 180°C for 15 – 18 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 500 g full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese, passed through a meat grinder three times until smooth
• 250 g mascarpone
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 450 g summer fruit – for example, a mixture of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and redcurrants (cut larger fruit in half)
• 2 tbsp potato starch

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place all the cheesecake filling ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer, except for the last two. Mix briefly, just until combined, or simply whisk together by hand. Do not overmix, as this will incorporate too much air into the mixture. An over-aerated cheesecake will rise considerably in the oven and then sink as it cools.

Toss the fruit with the potato starch, mixing gently.

Pour the cheesecake filling over the pre-baked base. Arrange the summer fruit evenly over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining crumble mixture from the fridge.

Bake the summer fruit cheesecake at 175°C for approximately 50 minutes, or longer if needed, until the filling is set and the top is nicely golden. Leave to cool in the oven as it gradually cools down. Before serving, you can dust the cheesecake with icing sugar.

The cheesecake does not need to be stored in the refrigerator, except during very hot weather.

Enjoy!