Method

Biscuit Base

Preheat the oven to 180 ºC.

Bash or blitz the biscuits until they resemble a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and mix well to combine. Line a 20×20 cm cake tin with baking paper, leaving a slight overhang of paper up the sides, this will allow you to easily lift the cheesecake out once baked. Pour in the crumb mixture, evenly distribute and then press down to form a base (tip: using a flat bottomed glass, or something similar, makes pressing down and getting an even layer easier). 

Bake for 8 minutes, then allow to cool completely. 

Turn the oven down to 140 ºC. 

Berry Swirl

Place the berries, sugar and water into a small sauce pot and cover with a lid. Bring to a simmer and cook until the berries are soft. Use a potato masher to mash the fruit then strain it through a sieve to remove the pulp and seeds. Return the syrup to the pot and simmer to reduce and thicken by half, so that it coats the back of a spoon. Allow to cool before using. 

Add the cream cheese and sour cream to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed to combine, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the sugar and cornflour and mix to combine. Add the eggs and mix until fully incorporated. Add the zest, lemon juice and vanilla and mix on low speed until smooth.

Cheesecake

Spoon the cheesecake mixture onto the cooled biscuit base and use an offset spatula to create a smooth, even surface. Spoon blobs of berry syrup over the top, then use a toothpick to swirl the blobs together to create a pattern. 

Place the cheesecake into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. The middle should have a slight wobble when you jiggle the tin. Turn the oven heat off and allow the cheesecake to cool with the door ajar. Once cooled, place the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set. 

To Serve

Carefully lift the cake out of the tin with the baking paper, then slice into rectangles with a large, clean chef’s knife – tip, for clean cuts, wipe the blade in-between each slice. Top each slice with a raspberry and serve.