Gills Baked Gooseberry and Ginger Nut Cheesecake
Gills Baked Gooseberry and Ginger Nut Cheesecake

Gills Baked Gooseberry and Ginger Nut Cheesecake

  • Prep time:

  • Cook time:

  • Total time:

  • Portion/Yield:

    Serves 12

  • Difficulty:

    Easy

This cheesecake recipe came from Ross’s aunt Gill. I have added the gooseberries for the seasonal touch. Other summer fruits such as raspberries, currants, loganberries, strawberries and cherries would work just as well.

For the base I used ginger nut biscuits and a pinch of ground ginger was mixed with the gooseberries before baking. Gooseberries and ginger makes a terrific flavour combination.

The bit I like the most about this baked cheesecake recipe is the sour cream glaze, this makes this cheesecake something truly special.

photo of Gills Baked Gooseberry and Ginger Nut Cheesecake

Ingredients & Method

For the oven roasted gooseberries

  • 300g fresh gooseberries
  • 50g caster sugar
  • Pinch of ground ginger

For the ginger nut biscuit base

  • 125g ginger nut biscuits
  • 30g oats
  • 50g unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake filling

  • 2 medium eggs
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 225g curd cheese
  • 225g cream cheese or mascarpone

Sour Cream Glaze

  • 150ml sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons syrup from the roasted gooseberries

First prepare the oven roasted gooseberries. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Clean and wash the gooseberries, drain well. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spread the gooseberries, ground ginger and sugar on the lined tray. Roast for 20 minutes.

In the meantime prepare the biscuit base. Crush the biscuits and oats in a food processor, slowly add the melted butter and blend until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Line the baking tin with parchment paper. I used a 17cm x 6cm spring-form. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the lined tin using the back of a spoon. Set aside.

Once the gooseberries are roasted use a slotted spoon to transfer the gooseberries to cover the ginger nut base, try and avoid transferring too much of the juice but do not crush them too much either. Leave a 1cm gap around the outside of the biscuit base. Keep the remaining juices from the roasted gooseberries for the glaze. Turn the oven down to 180°C, return the cake tin to the oven for 10 minutes. Once the base is cooked remove for the oven and turn the oven down to 170°C.photo of ills Baked Gooseberry and Ginger Nut Cheesecake

Make the cheesecake filling, cream the eggs and sugar until fluffy in a mixer using a balloon whisk, add both cheeses and mix until all incorporated. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the baked gooseberries. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, it will still look wobbly but do not be tempted to bake it longer. Let the cheesecake cool for 10 minutes.

Turn the heat to 200°C while preparing the sour cream glaze. Stir the syrup and sour cream together until smooth. Spread the sour cream over the top of the baked cheesecake and return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Let the cheesecake set completely in the tin before serving.

Cooks Notes

Gills mentioned that it might be difficult to find curd  and/or cream cheese. I found both in a good supermarket at their deli counter. If you cannot find cream cheese use mascarpone.

Do not be tempted to over bake the cheesecake, a gentle wobble is good! These cooking times are spot on for the size cake tin that I have used.