Delia Smith Cheesecake Philadelphia Recipe

Delia Smith’s cheesecake Philadelphia recipe is a proper baked cheesecake: cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, and a sweetened soured cream topping that goes on ten minutes before the end. It bakes at 150°C (300°F) rising to 170°C (325°F), chills overnight, and serves 8 dense, rich slices.

This is the Delia Smith baked cheesecake recipe I make for dinner parties because it looks like it took all day when it actually took 20 minutes of work and the oven did the rest. Delia’s version is close to a New York cheesecake, soured cream topping and all, but she keeps the sugar lower and the vanilla stronger than the American versions I have tried.

More Cheesecake Recipes:

• No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
• Baileys Cheesecake
• Banoffee Cheesecake

Why the Soured Cream Topping Changes Everything

Most baked cheesecakes stop at the cream cheese filling, but Delia adds a layer of sweetened soured cream in the last 10 minutes of baking. It sets into a thin, tangy lid that cuts through the richness underneath, and it also hides any cracks that formed during baking, which happens more often than anyone admits.

I skipped the topping once to save time and the cheesecake tasted flat, just sweet and dense all the way through with nothing to break it up. The soured cream layer is what makes this Delia Smith cheesecake recipe worth making over a simpler no-bake version.

Philadelphia Cheesecake Ingredients

For the base:

• 110g (4 oz) digestive biscuits, crushed
• 50g (2 oz) butter, melted

For the filling:

• 700g (1 lb 9 oz) full-fat cream cheese (Philadelphia), at room temperature
• 150g (5 oz) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the soured cream topping:

• 425ml (15 fl oz) soured cream
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

How To Make Delia Smith Cheesecake Philadelphia

1. Prep the tin: Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F/Gas 2). Grease a 20cm (8 inch) loose-bottomed tin and line the base with baking parchment.
2. Make the base: Crush the digestives in a food bag, stir in the melted butter, and press firmly into the base of the tin. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and let it cool.
3. Raise the heat: Turn the oven up to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3).
4. Mix the filling: Beat the room-temperature Philadelphia with the caster sugar and vanilla until smooth, then gradually whisk in the beaten eggs. Do not overbeat or the cheesecake will puff up and crack as it cools.
5. Bake: Pour the filling over the base and bake on the middle shelf for 40 minutes. The edges should be set but the centre should still have a slight wobble.
6. Add the topping: While the cheesecake bakes, whisk the soured cream with the sugar and vanilla. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, pour the topping gently over the surface, and return to the oven for 10 more minutes.
7. Cool and chill: Let it cool completely in the tin, then cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Is This a New York Cheesecake?

It is very close. A Delia Smith New York cheesecake would use the same method: baked cream cheese filling on a biscuit base with a soured cream topping added near the end. The only real difference is that traditional New York recipes use more sugar and sometimes add a tablespoon of flour to the filling for stability.

I have made both side by side and Delia’s version is slightly lighter and less sweet, which I prefer. If you want a heavier, denser slice closer to what you would get in a New York deli, add an extra 50g of sugar and an extra egg to the filling. Everything else stays the same.

Why Did My Cheesecake Crack?

Two reasons, and I have done both. The first is overbeating the filling, which whips air into the cream cheese that expands in the oven and then collapses as it cools, taking the surface with it. The second is baking too hot or too long, which dries the edges before the centre has set.

Delia’s soured cream topping hides cracks perfectly, which is one reason this cheesecake Delia Smith created has become her most popular baked dessert. If you want to avoid cracks entirely, mix the filling with a wooden spoon instead of an electric mixer, and accept the wobble when you take it out of the oven because it firms up completely during the overnight chill. The baked vanilla cheesecake uses the same slow-cool technique.

Can You Make an Orange Cheesecake Instead?

Delia’s original orange cheesecake used frozen orange juice concentrate, which you cannot buy any more. Her team suggests swapping the vanilla in this recipe for the zest of 2 large oranges and 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh orange juice instead.

I have tried it and the orange cheesecake is softer and more fragrant, and the soured cream topping pairs with citrus even better than it does with vanilla.

It Needs the Full Overnight Chill

Do not try to slice this after 3 or 4 hours. The filling will be soft in the middle and the slices will slump. Delia says 8 hours minimum and she means it. I make this the day before every time, and by the next evening the texture is cold, dense, and slices cleanly with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.

It keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days covered, and the flavour gets better on day two as the vanilla deepens. You can freeze it whole for up to 2 months, though the soured cream topping can lose its shine after thawing.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 480 kcal
• Fat: 36g
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fibre: 0g
• Protein: 10g

Nutrition is estimated per serving based on 8 servings.

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