Donal Skehan: Home Cook airs Wednesdays at 8.30pm on RTÉ One.
Ingredients
Serves: 10
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus cooling
Cook time: 45 minutes
- Butter, for greasing
- 850g (1lb 14oz) full-fat cream cheese
- 250g (9oz) caster (superfine) sugar
- 6 large free-range eggs
- 200ml (generous 3⁄4 cup) double
- (heavy) cream
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
For the cherries:
- 500g (1lb 2oz) fresh or frozen
- cherries
- 3 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 orange
- A squeeze of juice
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/Gas 7. Butter a 20cm (8in) springform cake tin and line with two sheets of baking parchment crossing the pan so that it is covered completely and comes up the sides of the tin.
- Beat the cream cheese and caster sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until silky and no longer grainy when you rub a bit between your fingers.
- Beat the eggs in one at a time, beating really well in between each addition. Scrape down the bowl then beat in the cream, vanilla and pinch of salt.
- Sift the flour over the top then mix in, beating for 5 more minutes. Pour into the prepared tin and give the tin a sharp bang on the work surface to release any bubbles. Bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes until it is deep brown on top but still with a slight wobble. It will puff up above the level of the tin but will fall back after cooking.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin; it will fall and crack as it cools.
- Meanwhile, put the cherries, sugar and orange zest and juice into a small pan and cook over a low heat until you have a thick compote.
- Cut the cheesecake into slices and serve with the cherry compote.
