Peanut Butter Cheesecake Without Topping

Our answer

Nigella's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake (from KITCHEN) is a peanut butter flavoured cheesecake with a chocolate sour cream topping. The cheesecake base is initially baked without the sour cream layer, which is added once the top of the cheesecake has set. It is possible to make the cheesecake without the topping and it is likely that you will only need 5 minutes of extra baking time rather than the full 10 minutes, as the cheesecake will remain in the oven rather than being taken out and put back in again. The top of the cheesecake should be dry but the centre should still have a bit of wobble. The cheesecake will continue to set as it cools.

If you are not using a topping then you could also use a water bath method for baking the cheesecake instead, as this will give a very smooth texture and make it easier to control the baking of the cheesecake. The straight oven method is used when adding the topping as the cheesecake needs to form a firm crust on the surface to hold the topping. If you want to use the water bath method then follow the tin wrapping and baking instructions for Nigella's Banoffee Cheesecake. Again, when it is done the top of the cheesecake should look set but the centre will still have some wobble.