White chocolate cheesecake

Another white chocolate cheesecake for the collection — because if not here, then where? ;). This time, I didn’t quite follow Yotam Ottolenghi’s original proportions and reduced the amount of white chocolate. Even for me, 600 g in one relatively small cheesecake felt a bit excessive! There’s still plenty of it, though — so much so that my husband claimed it doesn’t even taste like cheesecake. Don’t believe him entirely… it does — just like the most luxurious white chocolate cheesecake imaginable. Add a hint of orange and that toasted almond base… absolute heaven.

Ingredients for the base:

• 70 g almonds
• 180 g digestive biscuits
• 80 g butter, melted

Spread the almonds on a baking tray and toast at 180°C for about 10 minutes. Remove and cool, then roughly chop or pulse into coarse crumbs.

Place the biscuits and melted butter into a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles wet sand. (Alternatively, crush the biscuits in a bag using a rolling pin, then mix with butter.) Add the chopped almonds and combine.

Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking parchment. Press the biscuit mixture firmly into the base and chill for 30 minutes.

Wrap the outside of the tin twice with foil — the cheesecake will be baked in a water bath.*

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 400 g white chocolate
• 500 g curd cheese (or cream cheese)
• 4 large eggs
• 300 g sour cream
• finely grated zest of 1 orange
• seeds from ½ vanilla pod

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Melt the white chocolate over a bain-marie and allow it to cool slightly (it should remain pourable). In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining filling ingredients. Mix until just combined — avoid overmixing to prevent incorporating too much air. Add the melted white chocolate and mix briefly until smooth. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the chilled base.

Bake in a water bath* at 160°C for approximately 75 minutes. The surface should be set and firm to the touch. If needed, extend the baking time slightly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Once cooled, refrigerate overnight (at least 12 hours) — this is essential for the perfect texture.

Serve with a fruit compote (such as cherry, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry or cranberry).

Water bath method*: Place the cheesecake tin into a larger roasting tin or ovenproof dish. Fill with boiling water halfway up the sides of the cheesecake tin. This creates a humid baking environment, ensuring even cooking, preventing cracks and giving the cheesecake its perfectly creamy texture.

Enjoy!