An easy baked cheesecake that tastes as good as it looks.

Recipe: Extract from Summer with Simon Gault

Roasted cheesecakes are always a hit and I can promise you this one tastes as good as it looks. When using kūmara, I prefer the orange variety (Beauregard) as they look great, are naturally sweet and are super delicious.

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

500g golden kūmara
1 x 230g packet gingernut biscuits
125g butter, melted
1 cup cream
300g full fat cream cheese
¾ cup coconut sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
whipped cream, to serve
edible flowers, to garnish

METHOD

Preheat oven to 160°C fan-bake. Line the bottom of a 22cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Peel and cube the kūmara, place in a roasting dish and roast for 30 minutes, or until soft.

Place the biscuits in a food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place the biscuits in a strong plastic bag and bash with a wooden spoon or rolling pin until you have fine crumbs.

Mix the melted butter and biscuit crumbs together, then pour into the prepared cake tin. Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the tin and smooth over. Set aside.
In the food processor, place the cream, cream cheese, coconut sugar, cooked kūmara, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice. Blend until smooth.
Pour the cheesecake filling over the biscuit base.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Cool in the tin, then refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with whipped cream and edible flowers before serving.

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Extracted from Summer with Simon Gault, Penguin Random House NZ, RRP $50. Text © Simon Gault, 2019. Photography © Vanessa Lewis, 2019