Classic Baked Lemon Cheesecake with Ginger Biscuit Base & Swan Meringues

Shopping list

• 250 g Ginger biscuits — finely crushed

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• 90 g Butter — unsalted, melted

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• 0.5 tsp Ground ginger — extra, optional for kick

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• 600 g Cream cheese — full-fat, at room temperature

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• 200 g Sour cream

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• 150 g Caster sugar

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• 3 large Eggs

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• 2 unit Lemon — zest of + 60ml juice (about 2 lemons)

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• 20 g Cornflour

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• 1 tsp Vanilla — extract

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• 1 pinch Salt

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• 2 large Egg white — at room temperature

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• 100 g Caster sugar

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• 0.25 tsp Cream of tartar

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• 1 drop Vanilla — few drops

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Step by step

1. 1

   Heat oven to 160C fan 180C conventional. Line base of tin with parchment.

2. 2

   Mix crumbs, melted butter and ground ginger. Press firmly into tin, slightly up sides. Bake 10 min, then cool.

3. 3

   Lower oven to 140C fan 160C. Beat cream cheese, sugar, salt until smooth. Do not over whip.

4. 4

   Add sour cream, vanilla, lemon zest and juice, cornflour. Mix.

5. 5

   Add eggs one at a time, just combined. Pour over base.

6. 6

   Bake in water bath: wrap tin in foil, sit in deep tray, pour hot water halfway up. Bake 55- 65 min until edges set and centre has slight wobble.

7. 7

   Turn oven off, crack door, leave 1 hour. Chill at least 6 hours, overnight best.

8. 8

   Whisk whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Add sugar 1 tbsp at a time, whisk to stiff glossy peaks, add vanilla.

9. 9

   Pipe: for each swan, pipe a 3cm teardrop body with a slight curl, then a separate S-shaped neck/head with a tiny beak point, plus two tiny wings if you like. Use small round tip No.2 for necks, No.4 for bodies.

10. 10

    Bake 90 min at 90C fan 110C conventional until crisp and dry. Cool completely. Assemble necks into bodies with a dot of meringue, dry 10 min.

11. 11

    Decorate: Zest lemon over chilled cheesecake, arrange 4-6 swans on top just before serving so they stay crisp.