Strawberry-topped Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the Crust:
300g Graham Cracker (or Digestive Biscuit) Crumbs
6 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the Filling:
675g cream cheese (or you can use my home-made cream cheese recipe to prepare your own)
150g sugar
3 eggs
60ml lemon juice
2 tsp freshly-grated lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 batch Strawberry Cheesecake Topping
6 large, fresh, strawberries

Method:

Combine all the crust ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix thoroughly. Press the mixture into the base and 5cm up the sides of a well-buttered 25cm diameter springform cake tin. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for 5 minutes before removing from the oven and setting aside to cool.

Whilst the base is cooking prepare the Strawberry Cheesecake Topping according to the recipe then set aside to cool.

In the meantime, beat the cream cheese for the filling in a bowl until smooth. Add the sugar and beat thoroughly to blend before adding the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly to mix after each addition. Now mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Beat well then turn the filling into the prepared crust. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

When the cake had cooled wash and hull the strawberries then split in half lengthways. Spread the strawberry topping over the cheesecake then arrange the fresh strawberries, cut side downwards, evenly over the top. Transfer to a refrigerator and chill for at least 3 hours before removing the sides of the pan and serving.