American sour cream cheesecake

Wish everyone a very happy Women's day !



I am submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #5 : Fruity March , hosted by Jess from Bakericious .

Noted : I am all along not a fan of cheese , specially cheesecake. I have never finished a small piece of cheesecake in my life so far  , but this recipe changed the whole idea  . It's so yummy ! If you are fan of cheesecake , don't wait , grab whatever is needed and pamper yourself with this wonderful recipe .
 Recipe : ( from Crave- Cheese Desserts to die for by MAC WOO & JUNE LEE )
Ingredients :
* Base :
- 165g digestive biscuits , finely ground
- 1 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp butter , melted and still warm
*Fillng :
- 540g creamcheese , soften
- 120g caster sugar
- 1 3/4 tbsp plain flour , sifted
- 2/3 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 1/4tsp  lemon zest
- 3 large eggs
- 50ml whipping cream
* Sour cream topping :
- 250g sour cream
- 1 1/2 tsp caster sugar
- 2/3 tsp vanilla essence
* Strawberry or blueberry pie filling ( optional )
Method :
   Prepare base : Mix together digestives , light brown sugar & warm melted butter . Press firmly onto the bottom and 2,5cm up the sides of an 18cm round springform pan , Refrigerate for 1 hour .
   Preheat oven to 150 degree C .
   Prepare filling : With an electric mixer , beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until creamy .Beat in sifted flour , vanilla essence and lemon zest until smooth . Lower speed & add eggs , 1 at a time , mixing until just incorporated . Gradually add whipping cream until well mixed .
  Pour filling onto prepared base . Bake in a water bath for 1 hour 20 mins to 1 hour 40 mins , or until edge of filling is almost set & centre is slightly wobbly .
   For topping , stir together sour cream , sugar and vanilla essence until smooth . Remove cheesecake from oven , spread sour cream mixture  evenly on top and return to the oven .
   Lower temperature to 130 degree C and bake for another 20-25 mins . Turn oven off & leave the cheesecake inside for 30 mins with oven door closed . Open oven door and leave cheesecake for another 30 mins . Remove cheesecake from oven and cool on a wire rack .
  Refrigerat for at least 6 hours before unmoulding and serving . Top with strawberry or blueberry pie filling , if used .