Soft London Cheesecake

Asked by Hashiba. Answered on 6th October 2015

Full question

Although the London Cheesecake tasted yummy I found that on cutting the cheesecake it was soft and runny on the inside. I took the cheesecake out of the oven after 50 minutes as it was already starting to burn and then added the topping before planing it back one oven for more than 10 minutes. Because the cheesecake was not set, spreading the topping was difficult. How can I prevent a soft cheesecake and at the same time prevent the top from burning.

Our answer

Nigella's London Cheesecake (from Domestic Goddess and on the Nigella website) is cooked in a bain marie (water bath). This lets the cheesecake filling cook very gently, giving a silky texture. The cheesecake should take around 50 minutes to cook, but as ovens vary it can take longer and it is best to check the cheesecake before adding the topping. The cheesecake should be almost set. When you shake the pan it should still have a very slight wobble in the centre. If you shake the pan and the mixture underneath the crust looks like it is still quite liquid then return the cheesecake (in the bain marie) to the oven and give it another 10 minutes before checking again.

If the top of the cheesecake is starting to colour too much then firstly check that the bain marie has enough water in it; the water should come about half way up the side of the springform pan. You can also cover the top of the pan with a piece of foil, this will stop the top from becoming too brown or scorching.