Cardamom Basque Cheesecake

Step 1

Peel the husks off the cardamom pods and tease apart the seeds.

Step 2

Toast both in a dry pan until fragrant, then tip into a pestle and mortar and bash and grind until it won’t break a molar. If you do have the foresight and patience to infuse overnight, stir the husks and ground seeds into the cream and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.

Step 3

If you don’t infuse the cream overnight, instead very gently heat the cream in a pan and stir though the cardamom. Keep on a very low heat, stirring occasionally, while you do everything else. Allow to cool and strain before using.

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a springform cake pan, at least 8 inches, and line with baking parchment, leaving plenty (and I mean plenty) of raggedy overhang.

Step 5

Using a stand mixer or hand-held electric whisk, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and honey together on a medium speed until smooth, taking care to scrape in any rim flingings with a spatula as you go.

Step 6

Add the eggs one at a time, thoroughly whisking before adding the next. Slowly pour the strained cream into the bowl while still whisking. Dribble in the vanilla and whisk through to finish. Your bowl will be alarmingly full and sloppy. Stop whisking briefly. Sift over the flour and sprinkle on the salt, then scrape down any final rim flingings and whisk in slowly, until smooth.

Step 7

Carefully pour your laden bowl of batter into the parchment-lined tin. It will require slow and tender maneuvering into the oven. Watch it puff up gloriously into a huge soufflé, and remove once the top is a nice chestnut brown but the centre still has a lively wiggle, which may take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to a wire rack and wait for a dramatic deflation, then remove the spring rim and let cool completely. Serve at room temperature, not chilled.