White chocolate Basque cheesecake

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9. Press a large piece of greaseproof paper roughly into a 20cm/8in springform tin (this doesn’t have to be neat or elegant – just make sure that the paper reaches up and slightly over the sides).

2. To make the ganache, put the chopped chocolate into a bowl. Gently heat the double cream in a saucepan until hot, then pour over the chopped chocolate and stir until fully melted. Set aside.

3. Briefly whisk the cream cheese and soured cream together in a large bowl until smooth, then add the sugar and whisk until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the white chocolate ganache.

4. Sift the cornflour into a separate small bowl, then add the salt. Add 2–3 large spoonfuls of the cheesecake mixture and whisk until there are no lumps. Add this thicker mixture back into the main cheesecake mixture (use a spatula to ensure you don’t leave any behind), then whisk together. Add the vanilla and lemon juice, using a spatula to ensure that everything has been fully combined.

5. Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and bake until puffed up, blackened on top and reasonably jiggly in the middle. The reality is that the baking time will vary a lot depending on the fierceness of your oven, so this is one to trust your instincts on. Start checking from the 40 minute mark, and rest assured that a good wobble in the middle is fine, as the white chocolate ganache helps it to firm up considerably in the fridge.

6. Allow to cool to room temperature, then store in the fridge overnight. I love eating a Basque cold, but you can also bring it to room temperature before eating (it will have a much softer set and won’t slice as nicely if you do this).

7. Mix the strawberries with the lemon juice and sugar. Slice the cheesecake and serve the strawberries alongside.