A baked cheesecake that’s creamy and rich (and really easy-no water bath required) with a lotus biscuit infused crust and lotus biscoff spread. This is going to be your new favorite dessert!
What is lotus spread anyway?
Lotus biscoff spread has been very prominent in the spotlight in the Middle East for a while now, and it doesn’t look like it’s changing anytime soon. The popularity of Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread) has been expanded to include Lotus spread (cookie butter spread). Similar to peanut butter in consistency, it instead has the flavor of cinnamon biscuits. Basically the flavor of the famous Lotus biscuits (which I’ll always associate with international flights) but in a spreadable form. Has to be good right? It also comes in crunchy or smooth variations, but just like peanut butter, I prefer the smooth. I use smooth in this recipe, but feel free to switch it up if you like!
Lotus and cheesecake?
It’s actually a natural pairing! Much more natural than Nutella cheesecake in my opinion. The cinnamon graham flavor of the spread mimics the crust so it has a really nice harmony. Cheesecake is a little tangy, so the sweetness of the lotus offsets it. I made this for the birthday of a friend who is both lotus and cheesecake crazy and it was a big hit, so I knew I had to share it here.
Lotus biscoff cheesecake ingredients:
The crust: I like mixing a 50/50 ration of regular digestive biscuits with the lotus biscuits, because I can’t resist a digestive biscuit crust so I wanted to some in here. You can go all digestive biscuit, all graham crackers, or all lotus biscuits, or mix them up as you please. Just keep the overall crumbs to the amount stated in the recipe.
We also use melted butter to bind the crumbs and a pinch of cinnamon for extra flavor. I don’t like adding any sugar to my graham cracker/digestive type crusts (just like this one) because the filling is always sweet enough and I hate the feeling of sugar crunching between my teeth.
The filling: This cheesecake from All Recipes has never steered me wrong and has rave reviews, so I adapted that for this recipe. It has cream cheese, sour cream and milk, a trifecta of dairy for the ultimate creamy factor. You also add eggs, sugar, vanilla, and a touch of flour.
The topping: The real biscoff factor here comes from microwaving some of the spread until runny and spreadable, and pouring it on the finished cheescake, as thick a layer as you like it. Then, garnish with extra whole lotus biscuits and lotus crumbs as desired.
What cream cheese should I use?
I’ve always used the Philadelphia tubs, because 3 of the 300g ones gives exactly the amount needed for this recipe, but you can also use Kiri or Philadelphia blocks.
The method:
How to get cracker crumbs:
To make the crust, you need crushed biscuit or cracker crumbs. I sometimes put them in a large freezer bag and whack them thoroughly with a rolling pin. Alternately, you can process them in a food processor until fine.
Mix with the melted butter and a pinch of cinnamon until moistened all over then you’ll press this into your prepared pan. I like using the bottom of a measuring cup to really pack the crust smoothly into the pan to avoid it crumbling when cut.
Getting a lump free cheesecake:
Make sure all your filling ingredients are at room temperature before mixing ( the cream cheese should be softened, room temperature milk, room temp eggs, and room temp sour cream). This will enable them to mix together much more easily without any lumps.
The process is very simple. You cream together the cream cheese and sugar, add the milk then eggs one at a time, then the sour cream, flour and vanilla. Your filling is ready!
A crack free cheesecake- do I need a water bath?
What causes a cheesecake to crack? Usually it’s one of these culprits:
- Over mixing the eggs. You want to mix the cream cheese with the sugar very well to avoid lumps, but when you add the eggs, mix just until combined.
- Temperature changes, so avoid opening the oven door while cheesecake is baking.
- The cheesecake having trouble pulling away from the sides of the pan as it cools, so make sure you grease your pan a little before putting the crust.
You have a couple options if you want to avoid your cheesecake cracking. This recipe calls for the easier one which is #1 below:
- Keeping the cheesecake in the turned off oven for 5-6 hours so it’ll cool gradually (and avoid those rapid temperature changes as discussed above).
- Alternately, you can do a water bath. This means wrapping your pan sides and bottom with heavy duty aluminium foil to avoid water leaking in, then placing cheesecake in a large roasting pan. Once you place the cheesecake in the pan and into the oven, pour in hot water to fill the roasting pan with 1/2-1 inch water. This steams the cheesecake and allow sit to cook evenly and slowly avoiding cracks.
Still have cracks? No problem! That’s the fun in a recipe that is covered with a topping, it’s really easy to disguise them. Just garnish smartly to cover the crack in the center. The cheesecake pictured in this recipe had a big old crack that I just spooned some lotus spread into and covered with extra lotus biscuits. (I was a little impatient and didn’t let it cool in the oven for the allotted time)
How do I know when my cheesecake is done?
I’ve always followed the 60 minutes stated in the recipe with no problem at all, so I advise doing that. Signs that your cheesecake is baked is to have set edges, a little golden and puffy, but still a softer center that might be a little jiggly. Don’t worry, it’ll set as it cools and that’s what keeps the cheesecake so creamy and soft.
Storing the cheesecake:
You need to keep it in the fridge, tightly wrapped, where it’ll keep for 5-6 days. You can also store it whole or sliced in the freezer for 6-8 months! Thaw in the fridge overnight.
So without further ado, go make this luscious lotus biscoff cheesecake and let me know what you think in the comments below!!
Lotus Biscoff Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 120 g crushed digestive biscuits or graham crackers about 1 cup
- 120 g crushed biscoff (lotus) biscuits about 1 cup
- 135 g melted butter 1 stick and 1 tablespoon
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the cheesecake:
- 900 g cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cup white sugar 300 g
- 3/4 cup milk, room temperature
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream 240 g
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour 32g
For topping:
- 1/2 cup lotus (biscoff) spread
- whole lotus(biscoff) biscuits for topping
Instructions
For the crust:
- In a mixing bowl, combine both crushed biscuits, the melted butter, and the cinnamon with a fork until crumbs are moistened evenly throughout. Press along the bottom and sides of a lightly greased 9 inch springform pan. Use the base of a measuring cup and press it on to the crumb mixture into the pan to really pack the crumbs tightly down. Let the crust chill a little in the fridge while you prepare cheesecake.
For the cheesecake:
- Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
- Preferably using a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese with the sugar in a large bowl and mix on medium speed until well combined and fluffy. Blend in the milk, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing briefly after each addition.
- Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth. It may be easier to sift in the flour.
- Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake at 180 C for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and leave cheesecake inside for another 5 hours or so until oven has completely cooled. This is to prevent cracking. (Alternately, if baking in a water bath, turn oven off after 1 hour, and leave cheesecake for a further 1 hour in the oven before removing and chilling.)
- Store cheesecake in fridge after this time period is over until chilled, then you can go on to topping and decorating it.
Topping the cheesecake:
- Microwave the lotus spread for the topping for 30 seconds, stirring halfway through. You want it to be runny and melted.
- Pour the lotus spread over the surface of the chilled cheesecake, using a spatula to spread it evenly.
- Garnish the top with extra whole lotus biscuits if desired, then place back in the fridge just until lotus spread has set. Serve cold straight out of the fridge.
Notes
If you liked this recipe, you might like:
Unbelievably Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake
Did you make this? Tag @everylittlecrumb or hashtag #everylittlecrumb and I’ll share your images!
Lotus Biscoff is so delicious, I hadn’t thought to use it in a cheesecake – what a delicious idea!
It’s really delightful! The perfect combination 😍❤️
I love Speculoos! Such a nice biscuit <3 Great cheesecake recipe. I hear that's how they started doing it in Belgium and Nothern France. How nice to have a recipe for it now! thanks.
Anytime! So glad you enjoyed the recipe ❤️
In a few days, I have my birthday! I will try this out! 🙂
Happy birthday! I hope you love it and it’s a fitting dessert for the birthday lady ❤️
Oh wow. My husband would LOVE this. He is obsessed with biscoff.
Great way to treat him 😍
What a fabulous recipe! Biscoff is so delicious and thee combination of that with the cheesecake was seriously so perfect!
So glad to hear that Kim! Thank you!
Best cheesecake I’ve ever had. I
Stephanie your comment made my day! So happy this worked out for you 🥰
Have not made this yet, so not ready to rate it. I was wondering though – What do you think of adding the melted spread on top prior to baking and using a knife to cut it into the cheese cake batter then baking? Do you think the spread would get weird in the oven?
No that would be just fine! You’d get a great biscoff swirled cheesecake😍
May I know why you’re using milk instead of heavy cream/ etc.
Since the cheesecake batter has sour cream and cream cheese, full fat milk is plenty richness! I’m sure you could sub heavy cream without a problem – let know if that helps 🙂
So how many packages of Philadelphia cream cheese is 900 g?
You can usually find 300g packages, so three of those, or if it’s by ounces you would need four 8 oz packages 🙂
This makes a fantastic cheesecake – we have made it a few times now and each time it is great.
Instead of biscoff spread we made a caramel sauce to pour on the top then decorated with
lotus biscuit crumbs and the ends of the biscuits sticking up all around the edge. Indulgent and
yummy – during lockdown we all need morale boosters and this one ticks all the boxes.
That sounds so so great! A caramel cheesecake is heaven! Thanks for the feedback I’ll definitely try it your way!
Hi, I’d like to know if there’s any substitute for sour cream!? Hard to find it here! :/
Hello!! I’d add more cream cheese instead – or labneh if that’s available where you are?