Greek Yoghurt and Honey Baked Cheesecake with Berries

This is a lovely alternative baked cheesecake recipe that works as a beautiful centre-piece and is thick, creamy and delicious without feeling too heavy. 

Greek Yoghurt and Honey Baked Cheesecake with Berries

Here's how:

• 1 large pack Digestive biscuits - I used McVitie’s but any brand is fine
• 100g butter
• 500g Philadelphia (or other cream cheese)
• 200g Greek Natural Yoghurt (I use Total Greek)
• Seeds from an entire vanilla pod
• 1/2 tsp good quality vanilla extract
• 175g runny honey
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 75g caster sugar

To decorate:

• 1 tbsp runny honey
• Handful raspberries, blueberries and strawberries

Firstly grease a 20-23cm spring form cake tin and set aside. I lined with baking paper, which made for some unsightly creases in the final baked dish, so avoid doing this; instead be liberal with the butter here.

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees and fill and boil the kettle.

Either place the digestives in a food processor or, if like me, you prefer a slightly bigger, less fine texture, place into a bowl then bash with the end of a rolling pin, or even a potato masher.

Place the butter into a ramekin and blast in the microwave for 30 seconds until melted. Stir then if not thoroughly melted, place back in for another ten seconds and repeat until done. Now pour into the biscuit mixture and use a spoon to combine and ensure all of the biscuit has taken in some of the butter.

Place into the base of the spring form tin and use the back of the spoon to spread evenly and press down firmly so it's tight to the base. Pop this into the fridge to firm up for twenty minutes.

For the cheesecake mixture, firstly crack the three eggs into a small bowl and gently beat with a fork. Set aside for the minute.

In a large mixing bowl, place the cream cheese, cornflour and sugar and mix well.

Add the eggs and yoghurt and then scrape in all of the seeds from the vanilla pod plus the vanilla extract. Stir well then add the honey and do the same again.

Once the filling is well combined, remove the base from the fridge and pour over the mixture. Try to evenly distribute as best you can.

Place the cake tin inside a larger ovenproof dish and then gently pour the warm water from the kettle into the gaps between the cake tin and the other dish till it reaches half way up the cake tin. You may prefer to pour some water in, then place the cake tin on top if you don't have a particularly steady hand.

Place into the oven for 35-40 minutes until the top has just begun to brown; the middle should still have a bit of a wobble too.

Remove from the oven and set to cool, inside the tin for at least an hour. Then release the spring form and place onto a plate or cake stand, as you wish. Allow to cool for another hour, or overnight in the fridge if you have the time before decorating.

Once ready to decorate the cake, firstly wash the berries and remove the ends of the strawberries. Now dry with a clean tea towel or some kitchen paper; remove all excess water as you don't want this sitting on top of your cheesecake.

Get a tablespoon of runny honey and drizzle it all over the top of the cheesecake, to act as a kind of glue to the fruit.

You can arrange the fruit in any order you wish on top. I did a uniform circle of raspberries in the centre, followed by a single row of blueberries and finished with an outer row of strawberries.

Leave to stand for twenty minutes to allow the honey to work its’ magic and keep the fruit in place and serve with a drizzle of double cream, vanilla ice cream or a dollop more of Greek yoghurt.