Lemon and Orange Cheesecake

It's one of those lazy Sundays where there's not much to do.  Since it's also the start of the Easter break, my son has no homework due tomorrow morning and ten days off school plus A is off on a business trip until tomorrow evening which means a free day for me to do as I please.

One of the usual cravings I get is for cheesecake and since I still haven't found one that I really like here in Marbella (most don't have enough cheese and too much cream or the cookie crumb base is all soggy or it's way too sweet), I always end up making one at home.  I've tried many different versions - Nigella Lawson's London cheesecake,  Marie Claire's baked raspberry cheesecake but I think today I've found my favorite.  This one is the perfect blend of not too sweet fudgy filling with a crunchy cookie crumb base and just in time for my afternoon snack.

Lemon and Orange Cheesecake

adapted from The Kitchen Diaries

• 80 grams butter, melted
  
• 250 grams digestive biscuits or graham crackers
  
• 200 grams cream cheese
  
• 500 grams Mascarpone cheese
  
• 3 whole eggs
  
• 1 egg yolk
  
• 150 grams golden caster sugar
  
• 1 orange, zest only
  
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
  
• 150 ml. double cream
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Preheat the oven to 140C.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave.  Crush the biscuits in a food processor or if you're feeling energetic, then place them in a Ziploc bag and smash them with a rolling pin.  Make sure the biscuits are finely crushed.  Place the butter in a bowl then add the crushed biscuits and mix well.  Smash 2/3 of the crumbs into the base of a 22 cm. loose-bottomed cake tin then place in the freezer.  Set aside the rest of the crumbs.
• Bring the kettle to a boil (about 2 liters of water).
• Mix the 2 cheeses, the eggs, sugar and the zest of the orange and lemon with a beater or just whisk really well by hand.  Fold in the double cream and the lemon juice.
• Take the frozen base and wrap the tin in aluminum foil on the bottom and sides.  Do this twice so water doesn't seep in.
• Pour in the thick cheese mixture and shake the tin gently to settle the cheese in.
• Fill a large roasting pan with hot water (it should reach halfway up the cake tin).
• Slowly lower the cake tin into the roasting pan. then very slowly, place the roasting pan into the oven.
• Bake for 50 minutes then switch the oven off and leave the cake in the oven to cool.
• When cool, slowly remove the cake from the tin and press the leftover crumbs onto the sides.  Leave in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.  When ready to serve, heat a knife or spatula in hot water before slicing the cake.