– 7 oz (7 oz) plain digestive biscuits (you can use your favorite biscuits here too. Ginger ones are always nice) – 3.5 oz (3.5 oz) butter, melted
– 2 lb full fat cream cheese – 1.25 cups caster sugar (slightly finer than granulated) – 1 cup buttermilk (or plain yoghurt) – ¼ cup full fat evaporated milk – 3 Tbsp plain flour – 3 Tbsp cornflour cornstarch in the US – 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract – 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1. Preheat oven to 200˚C (390˚F/180˚C Fan). 2. Grease, line and grease again, a 9 inch/23cm springform tin, including the sides.
Place the biscuits in the food processor and pulse to get fine crumbs.
Add the melted butter (through the feed tube if you have one) and pulse until it’s all thoroughly mixed. You’ll end up with a mixture that looks like dark wet sand.
Carefully press this biscuit mix onto the bottom of your greased pan, patting it and packing it flat with your palm.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. When done, I like to keep it out to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then straight in the fridge.
1. In a tabletop mixer (or large bowl with handheld whisk), beat the cream cheese on medium-low until creamy for 1 minute. Add the sugar gradually during this minute in 2 additions. 2. Next, add the two flours, scraping down the sides if you have to. 3. Add vanilla, lemon juice and then the yogurt, whisking for only about 30 seconds. 4. Finally, add the evaporated milk and whisk till just mixed, about 20 seconds. Don’t over beat. Check for lumps, squash the bigger ones with a wooden spoon, but don’t worry about it too much. 5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin gently.
6. Double wrap the base of your cake pan in aluminum foil. This is to prevent the cake mix from dripping onto your oven flour if your cake pan isn't completely sealed.
7. Bake at the initial high temperature for 20 minutes. This aids the rise.
8. Reduce the temperature to 110˚C(230˚F/90˚C Fan) and bake for another hour. When done, the cake should still have a wobble in the middle.
9. Let it cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar for 1 hour.
10. Then cool completely at room temperature on your kitchen counter.
11. Finally, cover loosely with foil and refrigerate overnight.