I tried the 'hot cross bun cheesecake' you can only get in Hull

Source: Hull Daily Mail
Author: Sofie Jackson

Hull is the proud birthplace of many firsts: first female pilot to fly to from England to Australia, first Venn diagram, first "submarium", and, of course, the first sprinkling of American Chip Spice.

Now the first-ever baked cheesecake in hot cross bun flavour has arrived courtesy of Phil at Tart Me Up in Hull's Trinity Market. A quick Google of "baked cheesecake hot cross bun" indicates nobody else has ever attempted to create this intriguing hybrid before, although there are examples of classic no-bake recipes out there.

As a dedicated eater of tarts, I was excited to be one of the first people to try one of these experimental sweet treats. Phil - who normally opens Tuesday to Saturday - is officially launching the new baked cheesecakes next week, in time for Easter.

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My first impression was that it certainly looked the part with the perfect cross right in the centre of the baked cheese part of the tart. The pastry, baked to a light golden colour, was definitely tempting me.

Taking a big bite, I was hit with the satisfying sweetness of cinnamon and raisins. It wasn't too sugary and I could also taste the buttery pastry.

The baked cheesecake itself had a texture that reminded me of a particularly comforting bread and butter pudding. It was custardy but in a way that was enjoyably fluffy rather than wet.

A subtle hint of citrusy aftertaste was a pleasant surprise. I could imagine the hot cross bun style baked cheesecake going very well with a coffee.

I'm not known for my sweet tooth so I'm not sure I'd get it again - Tart Me Up does wonderful savoury tarts in bold flavours like beetroot and dill, Red Leicester and Branston, and Gorgonzola and walnut which are more my cup of tea.

But if you like hot cross buns you can't go wrong - it's the same spiced fruit flavour in baked cheesecake form. Next week, Tart Me Up will be opening Wednesday 27th, Thursday 28th, Good Friday and Saturday 30th, according to its Instagram page.