Lemon and poppyseed cheesecake recipe with meringue

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 22cm springform cake pan

Step 2

For the pastry, combine flour, caster sugar, butter and 2 tsp cold water in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat until a dough. Press into base of prepared pan, using the back of a spoon to smooth surface. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and cool.

Step 3

Reduce oven to 150°C. Clean bowl and add the sugar and cream cheese to the bowl. Beat until smooth, then add ricotta and lemon curd, and beat until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs and poppyseeds until combined, then pour over the cooled base. Bake for 1 hour or until just set with a gentle wobble in the centre. Whisk melted chocolate, sour cream and remaining egg together in a bowl until smooth. If mixture seizes, you can melt in a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring, until smooth. Pour over the top of the cake. Bake for a further 10 minutes, then turn off oven and cool completely in oven. Chill for 4 hours or until cold and set

Step 4

For the meringue, place eggwhites and sugar in heatproof bowl of a stand mixer set over a saucepan of gently simmering water and whisk until sugar has dissolved and mixture is hot. Transfer bowl to stand mixer and whisk for 6 minutes or until meringue is thick, glossy and completely cooled. Whisk in poppyseeds, then transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 7mm nozzle and pipe in a spiral over the top of the cheesecake, starting from the centre and working out to edges. Using a kitchen blowtorch, caramelise meringue. Serve immediately or chill until needed.