I made a cheesecake with 5 minutes effort and ingredients I already had at home

No matter how often you cook, we all have certain dishes we are scared to attempt. They feel like they require a particular skill, technical know-how or more time than most of us have available.

For me, cheesecake has been in this category for years. Despite cooking varied meals for my family every day, the cheesecake always seemed like something too technical to attempt, in the same category as soufflé.

Then I came across a recipe which looked so simple and quick that it was too tempting to not give it a go. What's more, it required no fancy ingredients and I already had everything I needed bar one ingredient (cream cheese) in my kitchen cupboards.

All this burnt Basque cheesecake recipe required was to put all the ingredients in one bowl, before mixing them together quickly and putting them into the oven for a few minutes. And while it initially sounded to good to be true, it really was that easy.

The recipe came from Pete Redman, chef director at BM Caterers, an independent contract caterer. Pete said he had perfected the recipe after several attempts. He said it would result in a "really good crust on the top" and an "almost moussey" middle. Here's how to make Pete Redman's burnt Basque cheesecake.

You will need

• Blender (or large mixing bowl and whisk)

• 8.5 inch (21-22 cm) springform tin

• Greaseproof paper (baking parchment)

• Fine sieve (optional, for smoothness)

Ingredients

• 750g full-fat cream cheese

• 210g caster sugar

• 440ml double cream

• 5 large eggs (free-range recommended)

• 45g sour cream

• 35g plain flour

• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or a splash, to taste)

Method

Line an 8.5 inch springform tin with greaseproof paper, allowing it to overhang slightly.

In a blender (or in a mixing bowl by hand), combine cream cheese, caster sugar, double cream, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Blend or whisk until smooth.

Add the flour and blend briefly until just incorporated. Don't overmix.

Pour the batter through a sieve (optional) into your prepared tin to remove any lumps.

Preheat oven to 250°C (fan 230°C) or as hot as it goes.

Bake for 22 minutes until the top is deep golden and burnt, and the centre is still very wobbly.

Cool at room temperature - it will deflate slightly, which is normal.

Once completely cool (after about 2 hours), refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Serve cold or at room temperature. Slice with a hot, clean knife for best results.

For the most part, this recipe worked exactly as promised. It took mere minutes to throw all the ingredients into a bowl and mix with a hand-held electric whisk.

After that, it really was as simple as pouring it into the lined springform tin and popping it in the oven. However, Pete said he'd tested the recipe "six or seven" times and that 22 minutes was the perfect cooking time. But I think mine came out just slightly under-cooked.

It still had the lovely colourful crust (though not as burnt as Pete's version) and for the most part it was the perfect, fluffy cheesecake texture. But the very middle of the cheesecake was just slightly too close to "runny" than "moussey".

It still tasted amazing and I still can't believe that such simple ingredients packed such a powerful flavour. I thoroughly recommend trying this recipe and can't wait to make it again. I'll maybe cook it for a couple of minutes longer next time.