Vanilla and Lemon Curd Cheesecake with Spring Berries and Mint

Ingredients

Base

• 200g digestive biscuits
• 100g gingernut biscuits
• 150g butter

Cheesecake Mix

• 300g mascarpone or cream cheese
• 250ml whipped double cream
• 130g caster sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
• 1 jar lemon curd

Garnish

• 1 punnet strawberries
• 1 punnet blackberries
• 2 punnets raspberries
• 1 bunch mint

Method

1. Heat the oven to 165°C.
2. Crush the digestive and gingernut biscuits.
3. Melt the butter, take off the heat, and stir into the biscuit crumbs.
4. Line the base of a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. Press the biscuit mixture into the base and bake at 165°C for 10 minutes to help the base set and develop a roasted flavour.
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Chill while preparing the cheesecake mix.
6. Put the caster sugar and lemon zest in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips.
7. Beat together the cream cheese and lemon-sugar mixture until smooth.
8. Whip the cream and fold it into the cream cheese mix.
9. Fold or ripple in the jar of lemon curd, being careful not to overmix.
10. Spoon the cheesecake mixture on top of the chilled biscuit base and smooth with a palette knife.
11. Place the cake in the fridge for 4 hours to chill.
12. Half the strawberries and place them in a bowl with raspberries, blackberries, and chopped mint.
13. Use the berry mix to top the cheesecake and chill again in the fridge until ready to serve.
14. When ready to eat, remove from the fridge and run a hot knife around the edge of the tin to release the cake.
15. Dip your knife in hot water to heat the blade, then portion the cake.