Rose Water & Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

15 minutes, plus cooling time prep, 1 hour, 15 minutes cook

Serves 10

Ingredients

For the cheesecake:

100g butter, plus extra for greasing

300g digestive biscuits

500g cream cheese

350g Ricotta cheese

130g icing sugar

1 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsps rose water

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

4 free-range eggs

For the topping:

300ml double cream

2 tbsps icing sugar

1 tsp rose water

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

4 figs, quartered

1 orange, peeled, segmented and chopped, membrane removed

80g pomegranate seeds

Clear honey, to drizzle

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Fan 160ºC/Gas 4 and grease and line a 23cm springform cake tin with butter and baking paper.

Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Crumble the biscuits into a food processor and blend until fine. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the melted butter. Mix together and tip into the lined cake tin. Press the biscuit crumbs firmly into the base to form a really well-packed layer. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Tip the cream cheese and Ricotta into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the icing sugar and cornflour and blend together for 30 seconds. Add the rose water, lemon juice and zest, then the eggs, one at a time, and blend until smooth - check there are no lumps. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 1-1¼ hours, or until just set with a golden tinge at the edges. Allow to cool in the tin, then refrigerate for a few hours.

When you are ready to serve, tip the cream into a mixing bowl and add the icing sugar, rosewater and lemon zest and juice. Whisk to soft peaks.

Remove the cheesecake from the tin and put on a cake stand. Spoon the cream on top. Arrange the figs and orange segments and scatter over the pomegranate seeds. Finally, drizzle with honey so it oozes down the sides and serve immediately.