Classic South African Baked Cheesecake
This Classic South African Baked Cheesecake recipe pairs a creamy, lightly lemony filling with a buttery Tennis biscuit base. The biscuits bring a familiar coconut flavour, while a little sour cream keeps the filling pleasantly tangy rather than overly sweet. It is a straightforward baked cheesecake made with ingredients you can find at most South African supermarkets.
For a hot South African Christmas, bake it the day before and leave it in the fridge overnight. That gives it time to set properly and frees up the oven for Christmas lunch. Bring it to the table chilled, with fresh strawberries or cherries alongside. There is no water bath to fuss over here: gentle baking and gradual cooling do the work.
Ingredients
Tennis biscuit base
Cheesecake filling
To serve, optional
Instructions
- 1Heat the oven to 170 °C conventional or 150 °C fan. Grease a 22 cm springform cake tin and line its base with baking paper. Place the tin on a rimmed baking tray to catch any butter that might leak.
- 2Crush the Tennis biscuits into fine crumbs and mix with the melted butter. Press firmly and evenly over the base of the tin, using the bottom of a glass to flatten the crumbs.
- 3Bake the base for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 150 °C conventional or 130 °C fan.
- 4Beat the cream cheese and caster sugar on low speed until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Avoid whisking in lots of air.
- 5Add the eggs one at a time, mixing briefly on low speed after each addition, just until incorporated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then gently stir to finish combining.
- 6Pour the filling over the biscuit base and smooth the top. Bake on the middle shelf for about 65 minutes. The outer edges should look set, while a central patch about 5 cm wide should wobble gently as one piece when the tin is nudged, rather than ripple like liquid. If still liquid, bake for another 5–10 minutes and check again.
- 7Switch off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour with the door slightly ajar. This gradual cooling helps limit cracking.
- 8Remove the tin from the oven. Run a thin knife around the inside edge to release any filling stuck to the sides, then cool on a rack for about 30 minutes. Refrigerate in the tin for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight; cover once cold.
- 9Unclip the tin once the cheesecake is thoroughly chilled. Transfer carefully to a serving plate, or serve on the lined tin base. Add the optional fruit just before serving and cut into 12 slices with a warm knife, wiping it clean between cuts.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 31 g
- Protein
- 7 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Saturated fat
- 21 g
- Sugar
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 0.4 g
- Sodium
- 280 mg
- Cholesterol
- 145 mg
Estimated values based on the ingredients used.
Notes
Christmas tips
- Bake the cheesecake a day ahead. The listed preparation and cooking times exclude the 1 hour 30 minutes of cooling and at least 6 hours of chilling.
- For a hot Christmas lunch, keep it refrigerated until serving. Return leftovers promptly to the fridge; do not leave it out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when the temperature is above 32 °C.
- Fresh strawberries and cherries make a simple summer topping. Dry the fruit well and add it at the last minute so its juices do not pool on the cheesecake.
- Transport the chilled cheesecake in its tin inside a cooler box with ice packs, then refrigerate it as soon as you arrive.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use another biscuit for the base?
Yes. Use 200 g digestive biscuits with the same quantity of butter. The base will be less coconut-flavoured but will still work well.
Why did my cheesecake crack?
Overmixing, overbaking and sudden temperature changes can all cause cracks. Use room-temperature ingredients, mix gently and stop baking while the centre still wobbles slightly. A small crack will not affect the flavour and can be covered with fresh fruit.
How long can I keep it?
Keep the cheesecake covered in the fridge at 4 °C or colder for up to 3 days. Without the fruit topping, it can also be wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
