Jeremy’s fuss-free cheesecake with strawberry sauce recipe

Ricotta plays a major role in this recipe and when it’s matched with light sour cream, the finished result is an intriguing texture and a dish which is not overly sweet.

WHEN I’m looking to impress but also not have too much fuss just before I entertain, I always make sure that one of my favourite desserts — a baked cheesecake — gets to take centre stage.

Ricotta plays a major role in this recipe and when it’s matched with light sour cream, the finished result is an intriguing texture and a dish which is not overly sweet. This baked cheesecake has no base or pastry shell, which helps make it not too filling, while the finishing strawberry sauce provides a wonderful partner.

The cheesecake, prepared by Jeremy. Picture: Dannika Bonser

CHEESECAKE WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Serves 10

500g ricotta cheese

4 eggs

200ml light sour cream

¼ cup plain flour

2½ tbsp honey

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1 punnet strawberries

2 tbsp icing sugar

1 small tin passionfruit pulp

Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan). Spray a 22cm springform tin with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer beat the ricotta cheese until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the sour cream, flour, honey, 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice and the lemon peel. Beat until combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared springform tin. Put the tin in a baking dish and pour hot water into the dish until it comes halfway up on the sides of the springform tin.

Bake for an hour or until the top feels firm to the touch. Cool to room temperature.

Set aside a few whole strawberries for garnish. Slice the remaining berries. In a blender combine the sliced strawberries, icing sugar and remaining lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Strain through a cheesecloth or fine sieve into a small bowl.

Carefully remove sides of springform pan from the cooled cheesecake. Cut the reserved strawberries into halves. Garnish the cheesecake with the passionfruit pulp and halved strawberries. Serve with strawberry sauce.

HOMEMADE RICOTTA

UNLIKE most other fresh cheeses — cottage and cream cheese, for example — ricotta cheese is formed by the direct addition of acid to the milk, not by fermentation. For that reason the time required to make it is generally short.

Even though it is readily obtainable in supermarkets everywhere, and is relatively inexpensive, it can also be easily made at home.

This recipe makes about 500g. Pour 2.4L full-cream milk into a heavy stainless-steel or enamel saucepan and stir in 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar or ¼ cup strained fresh lemon juice.

Set the saucepan over very low heat and bring the milk very slowly to a simmer. There will be fine beads around the edge of the milk, which will look foamy but will not appear to be boiling.

Remove the pot from the heat and set it, covered, in a spot where the temperature will remain fairly uniform at a reading between 80C and 100C.

Let the milk stand for about 6 hours or until a solid curd floats above the liquid (the whey); more or less time may be required, depending on the temperature of the environment and the characteristics of the milk.

Line a fine sieve with doubled dampened cheesecloth (or better yet, two layers of very fine-meshed nylon curtain netting, dampened) and set it over a bowl. Put the curds and whey into the sieve and allow the whey to drain off until the ricotta is yoghurt-like.

For a firmer cheese, tie the corners of the cloth to form a bag and hang it up to drain further (in warm weather, best to drain in the refrigerator). When the texture is to your liking, add a little salt (up to ½ teaspoon) if you wish.

Store, covered, in the refrigerator. It will be at its best after it has chilled for 24 hours, and it will keep well for four or five days.

For a pleasant light milk dessert, sweeten ricotta slightly and top it with a sprinkling of grated chocolate or cinnamon.

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