English Derby Cheesecake

English Derby cheesecake belongs to the older British school of cheesecakes, where folded whipped whites give the filling a souffle-like lift instead of relying on the dense, New York heaviness most home bakers know. The base is straightforward: cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and yolks, beaten smooth before stiff-but-not-dry whites get folded through.

The slow oven cool is the technique to respect. After baking, the cake rests inside the closed oven for an hour, then another half hour with the door cracked. That gradual temperature drop is what stops the surface from splitting. Skip it and the filling pulls away from the pan as it shrinks too fast.

Pro Tips

• Bring the cream cheese, sour cream, and yolks to room temperature before mixing. Cold dairy makes lumps that won’t smooth out.
• Whip whites only until they hold a soft peak that bends at the tip. Over-whipped whites deflate when folded and leave streaks in the batter.
• Fold in thirds, gently. The goal is to keep the air in the whites, which is the whole point of this style.
• Chill overnight without fail. The texture and flavor are dramatically better the next day.

Variations

• Add the zest of one lemon along with the juice for a brighter, more aromatic finish.
• Top the chilled cake with a layer of lightly sweetened sour cream and a smear of fruit preserve for the traditional British finish.
• Use ginger snap crumbs instead of graham cracker for the base for a spiced, warmer counterpoint to the lemony filling.