I’m so happy to admit I was all wrong to be sceptical about a baked cheesecake without eggs. A no-bake version is delicious for sure, but there’s something about the creamy texture of a baked cheesecake that’s unbeatable. And it really is so easy to make even without eggs! Perfectly tangy, rich filling on a buttery biscuit base. I’m excited to share this one!

In a cheesecake, eggs are the setting agent that help the filling cook in the oven for that creamy goodness. There are many recipes that use condensed milk in place of eggs and while I have nothing against it, I don’t use it too often and have had to throw away half open tins that I’d forgotten about. So I figured if there was a way to make this without condensed milk, that would be awesome. Enter, a recipe I came across from Tasha Artisan Foods that had just cornflour as a thickening agent for a gloriously perfect looking cheesecake. I also wanted to use my favourite New York Cheesecake as a base because it has a little yoghurt in it for a nice light, tangy flavour. And finally, I made a small-batch version like this chocolate beauty because it took me a couple of tries to get this right and my fridge is a bit overloaded!

The first time I made this cheesecake, I fluctuated the temperatures a little, unsure of how much heat would be needed, and wound up with unevenly browned patches on top. There was also a bit too much sugar and though the texture was great, I also felt the filling to biscuit layer proportion needed to be increased.

I tinkered with it a bit more and finally landed on a winner! A bit of lemon zest flavours the filling like you wouldn’t believe and it’s basically impossible to distinguish from a cheesecake with eggs. It’s richer because it has some cream but still manages to have a light texture. The thing to keep in mind is with just cornstarch or cornflour, this filling takes much longer to cook than one with eggs. This does lead to browning on top even though I like to bake it low and slow at 160 C like a traditional cheesecake. There is also more of a wobble on top than average cooking it till it’s firmer thickens the inside too much and we lose that lovely texture we hoped for. It all sets as it cools, I promise.

Unlike one with eggs which add to the volume and help the filling rise, this one isn’t super tall. You can double the recipe for a 9 inch pan if you prefer which will be a little taller. Either way, I hope you love this!

Please read the recipe notes before beginning.

Eggless Baked Cheesecake

Tangy, creamy, small-batch baked cheesecake made without eggs

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 15

Makes: 6 to 8 slices

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Ingredients

100 gms digestive biscuits
1 to 2 tbsps melted butter, salted or unsalted
300 gms cream cheese, at room temp
1/4 cup thick yoghurt, curd or sour cream at room temp (60 gms)
1/4 cup cream, at room temp (60 ml) whipping cream recommended but regular cream is ok
Zest of 1 small lemon (approx 1/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup caster sugar (65 gms)
1 tbsp cornflour or cornstarch

Instructions

Line a 9x5 inch loaf tin with non-stick baking paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Set aside.
In a blender, blitz the biscuits until finely crumbed and sandy. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the butter. The mixture should clump together when pressed between your fingers and the crumbs should all be moistened. I needed about 1 and a half tablespoons of butter, you may need more depending on the biscuits. Press this mixture into the base of the prepared tin, pressing it down firmly and evenly. Place the tin in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 160 C.
To make the filling, combine the cream cheese, yoghurt and cream in a bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on low speed for about 20 seconds, until smooth and creamy.
Add the lemon zest, vanilla and sugar and beat again to combine. The sugar will loosen up the mixture considerably. Do not over-beat, or your cheesecake might crack.
Finally, sprinkle the cornflour into the bowl and beat for just a few seconds to incorporate it, or stir using a spatula. At this stage, you can add a couple more tablespoons of sugar if the batter tastes under-sweetened. The batter is pourable but not super runny. Pour over the chilled biscuit base and smoothen the top.
Bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour, until the top has browned (not too dark) and the sides look set but the surface still has a wobble to it. Usually, only the center should wobble but in this loaf form with an eggless filling, the wobbly area is much larger. Start checking for doneness at 45 minutes since ovens vary and cheesecakes tend to be a bit finicky.
Once the top looks browned, let the cheesecake cool in the oven itself for about 15 minutes. Then take it out and let it cool at room temperature where it will fall slightly and begin to firm up and set on its own. If you gently shake the tin, you will see that the surface is no longer wobbly. The inside will be perfectly creamy when you cut it. Over-baking till it's completely firm will lead to a dense, solid texture which we don't want.
Chill the cheesecake overnight and the next day, use the paper overhang to lift it out and slice into squares or triangles. (You might find raised edges of the cheesecake sticking to the sides of the paper, you can just trim those off.) Store in the fridge in an airtight tin for 4 to 5 days and in the freezer for a month. Happy baking!

Notes

*Working with room temperature ingredients is important to prevent cracks in the cheesecake. If your ingredients are cold, you will need to beat them for longer, incorporating too much air into the batter, resulting in cracks as the cheesecake bakes.

*If you'd prefer to use graham crackers instead of digestive biscuits, feel free.

*I used La Cremella cream cheese here which I usually find on Big Basket or Amazon and at Nature's Basket. Other brands like Mooz or D'Lecta are fine too.

*Double the recipe for a 9 inch round cake. The bake time will be roughly 90 minutes but go by the appearance as written in the recipe. In the absence of eggs for volume and lift, an eggless filling will not rise very much so it won't be a super tall cheesecake regardless of what size you make.

*Adapted from this New York Cheesecake and Tasha Artisan Foods.

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