Sunday Spoil – Light lemon cheesecake

Serves 8-10 

You’ll need: For the sponge – 4 eggs; 150g castor sugar; 100g plain flour.

For the filling – 130g butter; 166g castor sugar; 4 eggs separated; 2 lemons – rind finely grated and juice, strained; 230g cream cheese, at room temperature; 400ml cream.

How to: 

For the sponge:

Start by making the sponge: Preheat the oven to 180°C, and grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin with greaseproof baking paper.

Whisk the eggs and castor sugar to a ribbon-like consistency. Sift in the flour and fold in very lightly. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and the sponge springs back when lightly pressed. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Using a sharp bread knife cut the sponge through the middle so that you have two disks of sponge.

For the filling:

Cream the butter and castor sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon rind, strained lemon juice and cream cheese.

Whip the cream until just holding shape and fold into cheese mixture. Whisk egg whites until stiff and fold into cream cheese mixture.

Assembly:

Wash and line the 23cm springform tin again with greaseproof baking paper.

Place one half of the sponge in the base of the tin, cut side up.

Fill with cream cheese mixture and place the other sponge on top, cut side down.

Refrigerate. 

To serve remove from tin and serve on a cake plate decorated with fresh fruit and dusted with icing sugar.

* Recipe & image by The South African Poultry Association.