Ingredients:

• 1 kg cream cheese, at room temperature
• 300 g caster sugar
• 6 free range eggs, at room temperature
• 500 ml thickened cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 80 g plain flour

Method:

1. Line a 20 cm springform cake tin with baking paper. There is no art or precision to this, I simply tear two sheets of paper and crisscross them so the paper extends above the height of your chosen tin.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition to combine. With a large spatula, scrape down the side of the bowl before adding the cream and vanilla and mixing to combine. Scrape down the side of the bowl once more, add the flour and mix to create a silky smooth batter. Pour into your tin and bake for 65–70 minutes, until you see the cheesecake’s deliciously darkened top.
3. Remove from the oven. The cake will still wobble as though it is undercooked, but as it cools it will harden. Leave it in the tin for 10 minutes before removing it to cool completely. Serve at room temperature, on its own. This cake does not need a single thing added to it.

This recipe is from Charlotte Ree’s book Heartbake. Heartbake is available in all good bookstores and online. To find your nearest retailer visit charlotteree.com

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Meet Charlotte Ree

How did you become interested in cooking?

I became interested in cooking as a way to deal with a stressful period in my life – when I was going through a divorce. Cooking became meditative, healing in a lot of ways. It grounded me and brought me back to myself.

What are your favourite ingredients to incorporate into the food you cook?

I cook seasonally and often locally. I go to my local markets every Saturday for fresh produce, followed by my cheesemonger. My favourite ingredients though would have to be butter, salt and cheese!

How often do you experiment with creating new meals?

At least once a week, more often than not on weekends where I have the time to indulge and play. I recently made tortellini in brodo. It was a two-day process but my goodness was it worth it.

What’s a go-to dish you’d prepare for yourself?

At the moment I am making chicken soup for myself each and every week, I have started roasting the garlic and ginger in the oven before adding them to the stock and the flavour is sensational.

What are some of your favourite cafes or restaurants?

I live in the middle of the city in Sydney. My go-tos are my little locals. Gypsy cafe for porridge, Pina for espresso and Japanese eggs, and my ultimate is Bar Vincent. It is like my second home!