Strawberry Cheesecake

Heat the oven to 200°C and line the base of a 26cm springform pan with parchment.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and let it cool slightly. Blitz the biscuits to fine crumbs, or bash them in a sealed freezer bag with a rolling pin.

Mix the biscuit crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and salt together, then stir in the butter and egg yolk until it resembles wet sand.

Press into the base of the tin to form a compact crust. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges, then let cool.

Heat the oven to 240°C. For the filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar and salt together on medium speed until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go so no lumps of cream cheese remain.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well on low speed after each and scraping down the bowl between additions.

Add the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla, and mix on low until smooth.

Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top. Tap the tin firmly against the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until puffed at the edges, then reduce the oven to 120°C (100°C fan) and bake for another 35 to 40 minutes, until set at the edges but still slightly wobbly in the centre — give the tin a gentle shake to check; a little jiggle in the middle means it's done.

Let cool for 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edge to loosen it from the tin. Cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating for at least 8 hours.

For the compote, cook the strawberries, sugar, 1 tbsp water, vanilla, lemon juice and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 minutes, then let it cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced.

Mix the cornstarch with the 2 tsp water until smooth, stir it into the strawberries, and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly, until thickened. Let cool completely.

For the macerated strawberries, dice the strawberries, mix with the sugar, and let sit until juicy.

To assemble, place the cheesecake on a cake board or plate. Top with a layer of the cooled compote and the drained macerated strawberries, then decorate with extra halved strawberries.