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Smoking Chimney

Recipes from a working kitchen · Cape Town

Baked Cheesecake

By Marna Ross Updated 12 August 2026 4.67 from 39 ratings
What would a coffee shop be without a lovely baked cheesecake to offer? Most women I know really love cheesecake and would often refer to it as a sin if they order it in a coffee shop. Maybe it is to ease they're conscious and not feel too guilty. They often joke and say they will cut sugar for the next week! I just then tell them not to worry too much, everybody deserves a treat now and again. And it is true. These days one work extremely hard, the working pace is in advance gear, not to mention after work your family and kids needs attention. So this is the exact reason why you should bake this treat every now and again to feel rewarded for your hard work. You get all types of cheesecakes, but this recipe is really tasty. Some recipes are complicated but I believe in simple recipes which is not complicated at all. What is also lovely about this one is the almond praline you make for the top. I have also before decorated it with pink roses for a ladylike effect and I was lucky at that time to have pomegranate pips to add on top which made it extra pretty for a ladies birthday tea. This recipe is such a wonderful idea for ladylike events such as a high tea in the garden, a baby shower, or a kitchen tea. Or simply just a ladies birthday party.I hope you enjoy this cheesecake just as much as I do! If you like this baked cheesecake, give my New York Cheesecake recipe a try!
A slice of creamy baked cheesecake with a golden crumb crust on a dessert plate.
Prep 1 h
Cook 1 h
Total 2 h
Serves 12

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Ingredients

Crust

  • 375 ml flour
  • 120 ml icing sugar
  • 185 ml butter

Cheesecake Filling

  • 750 g cream cheese
  • 200 ml caster sugar
  • 60 ml sifted flour
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 5 ml vanilla essence
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 egg yolks

Almond Praline

  • 125 ml sugar
  • 100 g whole almonds, roasted

Method

Crust

  1. Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius

  2. Place the flour, icing sugar and butter in a food processor and pulse until it looks like breadcrumbs

  3. Press it down in a sprayed loose bottom tin and also press it among the sides of the pan

  4. Let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes and bake for 10-20 minutes until golden brown (depending on the spreed of your oven)

Cheesecake Filling

  1. Whisk the cream cheese and caster sugar together

  2. Sift the flour over the cream cheese filling and fold in the citrus zest together with the vanilla essence

  3. Fold in the eggs one by one and the egg yolks one by one and whisk until well incorporated

  4. Pour the cream cheese filling into the baked cheesecake crust and bake for 1 hour

  5. Let the cheesecake cool down IN THE OVEN, with the oven door slightly open

  6. Cut the crust around loose from the cake tin to prevent the cheesecake from cracking

  7. Remove from the oven as soon as it has cooled down en place on a oven rack till completely cooled down

Almond Praline

  1. Place the sugar in a saucepan over low heat and whisk until sugar dissolves and change in colour. It becomes crumbly and form hard crystals, but it will melt again. (do this over low to medium heat otherwise the sugar will burn if you are impatient)

  2. Add the almonds to the caramelized sugar and pour on a baking tray rubbed with oil

  3. Let cool until it becomes cold and hard. Break in peaces and roll finely with a rolling pin. Keep in an airtight container

Serving

  1. Sprinkle praline over the cheesecake, decorate with a variety of fresh berries such as blueberries, raspberries and strawberries

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