Spiced apple cheesecake

I’m not gonna lie, classic baked cheesecakes can be finicky, and making a perfect one without any cracks is not the easiest thing in the world. Sure, there are things you can do like adding a bit of cornstarch to the batter, not overbeating the eggs, and using a water bath to protect the delicate custard from the direct heat of the oven, but sometimes, even after following every precaution, your cheesecake splits. But have no fear! All is well! That’s what the spiced apple topping is for. Just pile it on, and no one will be any the wiser.

Spiced apple cheesecake. Credit: Lauren Vendenbrook / Penguin Random House Canada

• serves

  12

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1:15 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Cheesecake

• 200 g (7 oz) crispy spice cookies, such as Biscoff or gingersnaps
• 3 tsp plain (all-purpose) flour
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• 85 g butter, melted
• 1¼ cups sugar, divided
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 540 g (3 cups) brick-style cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup 35% whipping cream

Spiced apple topping

• 4 green apples, peeled and cored
• ½ lemon
• 14 g butter
• 3 tsp (15 ml) apple brandy, optional
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

Cooling time: 4½ hours or up to 4 days.

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F), grease a 23 cm ( 9 inch) spring-form pan with nonstick cooking spray, and wrap the outside of the pan with aluminium foil. Set inside a larger baking pan and put a kettle on to boil.
2. For the cheesecake, in a food processor, blitz the cookies into fine crumbs. Add the flour, salt and melted butter and pulse to combine. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together ½ cup of sugar with the cornstarch and cinnamon in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add 1 cup of cream cheese and beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the remaining cream cheese and sugar and beat on medium speed until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the eggs, one at a time, on medium speed followed by the vanilla. Add the cream and continue to beat just until completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
4. Pour the filling onto the cooled crust. Pour the hot boiled water into the larger pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the spring-form pan to create a water bath. Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until the edge of the cheesecake is set but the centre still has a wobble.
5. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and allow it to cool completely to room temperature. Cover and transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or up to 4 days.
6. For the topping, slice the apples into thin wedges and squeeze the lemon juice over them, tossing to coat. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat then add the apples. Cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the brandy, if using, and allow it to simmer for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Add the sugar, cinnamon and salt and continue to cook until sticky and the apples are quite soft but still holding their shape, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool slightly.
7. The topping can be served warm on top of slices of chilled cheese- cake or cooled to room temperature and spooned over the whole cheesecake and chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.

 

Note

Whenever cutting a dense dessert like a cream pie, fudgy brownies or cheesecake, warm your knife under hot water and dry it before slicing, and wipe the knife between each cut. This ensures clean and even edges on each slice.

Edited extract from In Mary’s Kitchen by Mary Berg. Copyright © 2023 Mary Berg. Photographs by Lauren Vandenbrook. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Distributed in Australia by Penguin Books. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.