My love of cheesecake started at a fairly young age, probably inherited from my dad. He’s the one person I know who will happily turn down almost any sweet treat but absolutely adores cheesecake. This particular clementine cheesecake, baked with juicy pieces of clementine throughout, would be right up his alley.
Cheesecake was actually one of the very first recipes I ever made, back in the days when my kitchen was missing not only fancy gadgets but some fairly basic essentials too, like an oven! I found the recipe in an old dessert book and adjusted it to suit my then limited kitchen. The result was delicious: soft, wonderfully creamy and surprisingly easy to make.
Though this clementine cheesecake is slightly different, for starters, it’s baked, and more importantly, it’s filled with juicy fruit, the passion remains the same. Cheesecake recipes are still my absolute favourites. My go-to recipes.
The sweet, juicy citrus brings a lovely freshness to the rich, creamy cheesecake, with little bursts of bright, fragrant flavour in every bite that complements the cheesecake perfectly.
The result is a beautifully light and fruity cheesecake with a creamy centre, a golden top and a buttery biscuit base. Fresh and indulgent at the same time, it’s perfect for summer days, and elegant enough to serve when you have guests.
Ingredients:
For the Fruit Filling
1 can preserved clementine
For the Biscuit Base
400g biscuits
40g unsalted butter
1 tbsp sugar
½ cup of the clementine preserved syrup
For the Cheesecake
250g mascarpone
200g cream cheese
100g caster sugar
3 large eggs
100g white chocolate
80g cornflour
135ml sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method:
To ensure all the ingredients blend together smoothly and give your cheesecake a beautifully silky, creamy texture, remove them from the fridge about 30 minutes before you start.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
The Clementine
Strain the can of clementines.
Juice added to biscuits (see Biscuit Base), clementines go to cake (See Bake Cake)
The Biscuit Base
In a small saucepan over low heat, gently melt the butter and sugar together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor. Alternatively, place them in a sealed food bag and crush with a rolling pin.
Pour the melted butter mixture and the fruit juice over the biscuit crumbs and mix until evenly coated.
Lightly grease a loaf tin, spoon the biscuit mixture into the tin and press it firmly and evenly over the base and slightly up the sides.
Bake for 8–10 minutes, until lightly golden and firm. Set aside to cool.
Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C. No fan.
The Cheesecake Filling
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring between each one until smooth. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, gently beat, with a wooden spoon, the mascarpone, cream cheese, cornflour and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolks and mix just until incorporated.
Fold in the sour cream, followed by the cooled melted white chocolate.
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the sugar until the mixture forms soft peaks.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cheesecake mixture, taking care not to knock out too much air.
Pour half of the cheesecake filling over the cooled biscuit base and smooth the surface. Arrange the clementine pieces evenly over the filling, then gently spoon the remaining cheesecake mixture on top, spreading it carefully to create a smooth, even layer.
Place a wide ovenproof dish filled with hot water on the bottom shelf of the oven to create a moist baking environment.
Cover the cheesecake loosely with foil and bake on the middle shelf for approximately 1 hour. The cheesecake is ready when the edges are set and golden but the centre still has a gentle wobble.
Turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar and allow the cheesecake to cool inside for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and leave at room temperature for another hour before slicing.
Tips
– Bring all chilled ingredients to room temperature before you begin. This helps everything combine smoothly and prevents lumps.
– Drain the clementines thoroughly, removing as much excess juice as possible before using them. Too much liquid can affect the cheesecake consistency.
– Don’t overmix the eggs. Beating too much air into the filling can cause the cheesecake to rise in the oven and then sink or crack as it cools.
– Cheesecake benefits from a moderate, even temperature, so bake it low and slow without using the convection setting. It’s ready when the edges are set but the centre still has a slight wobble.
– Avoid moving a hot cheesecake straight into the fridge. Allow it to cool first, then refrigerate it for several hours, ideally overnight, for the creamiest texture and cleanest slices.
Enjoy!
Clementine Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Fruit Filling
- 1 can preserved clementine
For the Biscuit Base
- 400 g biscuits
- 40 g butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ cup fruit syrup
For the Cheesecake
- 250 g mascarpone
- 200 g cream cheese
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 100 g white chocolate
- ⅓ cup cornflour
- 135 ml sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Ensure all refrigerated ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. This will help the ingredients blend together smoothly and give your cheesecake a beautifully silky, creamy texture.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
The Clementine
- Strain the can of clementines.
- Juice added to biscuits (see Biscuit Base), clementines go to cake (See Bake Cake)
The Biscuit Base
- In a small saucepan over low heat, gently melt the butter and sugar together, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat.
- Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs using a food processor. Alternatively, place them in a sealed food bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Pour the melted butter mixture and the fruit juice over the biscuit crumbs and mix until evenly coated.
- Lightly grease a loaf tin, spoon the biscuit mixture into the tin and press it firmly and evenly over the base and slightly up the sides.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, until lightly golden and firm. Set aside to cool, then reduce the oven temperature to 150°C. No fan.
The Cheesecake Filling
- Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring between each one until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, gently beat the mascarpone, cream cheese, cornflour and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolks and mix just until incorporated.
- Fold in the sour cream, followed by the cooled melted white chocolate.
- In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the sugar until the mixture forms soft, glossy peaks.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cheesecake mixture, taking care not to knock out too much air.
- Pour half of the cheesecake filling over the cooled biscuit base and smooth the surface. Arrange the clementine pieces evenly over the filling, then gently spoon the remaining cheesecake mixture on top, spreading it carefully to create a smooth, even layer.
- Place a wide ovenproof dish filled with hot water on the bottom shelf of the oven to create a moist baking environment.
- Loosely cover the cheesecake with foil and bake on the middle shelf for approximately 1 hour. The cheesecake is ready when the edges are set and golden, but the centre still has a gentle wobble.
- Turn off the oven, leave the door slightly ajar and allow the cheesecake to cool inside for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and leave at room temperature for another hour before slicing.