Lower in fat than some classic cheesecakes, this recipe combines cream cheese with fat-free fromage frais to make a cheesecake with a light, creamy, almost mousse-like filling with a fresh, lemony zing.

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

• 140 g/5 oz gingernuts
• 55 g/2 oz butter, melted
• 400 g/14 oz low-fat cream cheese
• 200 g/7 oz fat-free fromage frais
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 140 g/5 oz caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• 3 extra-large eggs
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• Juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Grease a 20-cm/8-inch round springform cake tin. Put the gingernuts in a food processor and process to make fine crumbs. Stir the crumbs into the butter. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and spread over the base pressing down firmly. Chill for 30 minutes, then wrap the tin in two layers of foil to make a watertight seal.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4. Beat the cream cheese until soft, then beat in the fromage frais, sour cream, sugar and cornflour until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lemon juice and zest. Pour the mixture over the crumb base and tap the tin to level the surface.

Place the cake tin in a roasting tin and pour boiling water around it to about 2.5-3.5 cm/1-1½ inch deep. Bake for 50 minutes until set (but with a wobble in the center). Remove from the oven, leave to cool in the tin, then chill for at least 4 hours. Turn out before serving.