Is this Joburg’s best cheesecake?

After finding the best chocolate cake, the best ribs, the best biltong, the best samosas and the best burger in Joburg, the hunt for the best cheesecake came to a sweet conclusion last Friday when Anele Mdoda and the 947 Breakfast Club chose their favourite after five days of tastings from 15 bakeries around Johannesburg and the East Rand.

After fierce competition that saw the finalists sell out of cheesecake daily, it was down to five favourites: Upcycled Café, DC Coffee Co, Zaras Cafe JHB, Croydon Bakery and Salvation Café.

But it was the popular Salvation Café at 44 Stanley that clinched the honours, with second place going to Croydon Bakery and third place to Upcycled Café.

Part of the judging panel, Precious the Planner, said of the cheesecake: “That cheesecake was everything. All the ingredients were just right: texture, the crust and the amount of cream cheese. The berry coulis was the cherry on top. It was heavenly ... and the portion was well balanced.”

Too tempted to pass up a taste of what the 947 team voted as the best cheesecake in Joburg, I headed to Salvation Café with Sunday Times food editor Hilary Biller to see what all the fuss was about, phoning ahead to make sure they still had some left.

Judging by the number of tables on which I spotted empty plates of cheesecake, it was clear the news had been doing the rounds. Apparently, they clear between 13 and 14 cakes each day, which they sell only by the slice, as load-shedding has made it difficult to take orders for whole cakes.

A slice will set you back an eye-watering R84 but, being rich and utterly decadent, you can easily share a slice between two people.

Perish the thought of a fridge cheesecake: this version is baked. I appreciated that the berry coulis was served on the side, as I preferred the cheesecake without frills. A single taste offered a delicate balance between being rich, smooth and light, with a golden bake on top which gave it a professional look.

But don’t take my word for it. As someone who knows her way around a cheesecake, Biller had this to say: “The Salvation Café cheesecake lands on our table and looks alone scored it a 10/10. It was a beautiful, almost perfect wedge. Generous, it has an even golden brown glow indicating a good bake on top. It looks super smooth and the filling is like silk.

“It's rich, not too sweet, as a cheesecake should be, and the restaurant cleverly serves a berry coulis on the side so one has the option. I believe the coulis detracts from the flavour of a real cheesecake.

“The only surprise was the biscuit base. I expected a pastry one but the compromise didn't detract from the delectable experience — crushed digestive biscuits mixed with real butter added another element of flavour without overpowering it.”

As we left, each with a beautiful takeaway box to enjoy as seconds later, we agreed that the price is steep but indicative of the superb quality.

Whether it’s the best, we can’t say for sure but, like Biller says, it’s a winner all the way.