Orange Poppyseed Cheesecake

*This is an amazing cheesecake recipe. Poppy seeds might sound unusual, but they're an excellent addition to the traditional cheesecake, and the citrusy glaze and almond based crust make this dessert particularly delightful.

Ingredients

Crust:
0.75 cup Graham cracker crumbs
0.75 cup ground almonds
1 tablespoon sugar
0.25 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 packs light cream cheese (2 x 250g)
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
3 tablespoons flour, all purpose
0.25 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
0.75 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

Glaze:
2 eggs
0.75 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
0.25 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons butter


Preheat the oven to 350F while you prepare the crust.

Mix the Graham cracker crumbs, almonds, sugar and melted butter together in a bowl until thoroughly integrated. Press into the bottom of round cake pan, approx 10 inches across. Bake for about 8 minutes.

Using an electric mixer mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in eggs one at a time until fully blended. Mix in remaining cake ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour over lightly baked crust and return to oven. Bake for ten minutes, then reduce heat to 300F and cook for 20-30 minutes. Use a skewer to poke the cake to test if cooked internally. Cool at room temperature.

While the cake is in the oven, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan, beat the eggs until foamy. Add in the sugar, rind, juice and butter, and mix. Heat on low heat and continue to stir. Allow the glaze to warm until thickened. Stir constantly. When ready, remove from heat and place in fridge to cool.


When the cheesecake is at room temperature and the glaze has chilled in the fridge, pour the glaze on to the cake and spread evenly. If the glaze is still a bit runny, return to fridge to allow the glaze to settle.