Sweet & creamy No Bake Cheesecake
The prettiest dessert to come out of my Kitchen so far, possibly the most delicious with all shop bought ingredients! (cringing over here)
A simple yet testing assembly job is the No Bake Cheesecake. The only skill you learn or learn you have none of is patience. The cheesecake (assembled) has a minimum setting time of 4 hours (better overnight) in the refrigerator but at the 3 1/2 hour mark I couldn’t wait any longer and I don’t regret it one bit, well apart from the not taking off the base of the cake tin bit but we shall quickly skip over it…
Digestive biscuits get pulverized, I used a food processor but the old-fashioned place biscuits in a bag and bash with a rolling-pin is just as effective. Crushed biscuits get thoroughly mixed with melted butter, pressed into a parchment lined 20 cm / 8 inch cake tin and refrigerated for 1 hour.
When the 1 hour is nearly up it’s time to whip up the cheesecake filling, say hello my BFF lemon zest along with cream cheese (full fat), sour cream they get whipped for 2 minutes before double / heavy cream gets added and whipped for a further minute until the mixture is the consistency of cake batter.
I almost forgot, icing sugar (that would have been one unpleasant savoury cheesecake).
Take the chilling cheesecake base out of the fridge and pile on the calories cheesecake filling, smooth out with the back of a spoon. See why it’s so hard to resist?
Allow the cheesecake to chill in the fridge 4 hours, better overnight but if you’re like me 3 1/2 hours.
When and only when you’re ready to serve the no bake cheesecake, remove it from the fridge and let it come to some sort of room temperature whilst you hull and quarter strawberries, toss them in a tablespoon or so icing sugar (depends on the tartness of strawberries and how sweet you want them) and leave them to sit a few minutes to turn all glossy and even prettier.
Take out half of the strawberries and set aside on a plate, blend the other half. Take off the collar of your springform pan and if you feel like risking it, the base too whilst sliding the cheesecake on to a serving plate. Strain the strawberry purée over the cheesecake and top with remaining strawberry quarters.
I adapted my cheesecake from sips and spoonfuls strawberry cheesecake recipe in order for it to fit a 20cm / 8 inch springform cake tin I used cakeometer app and rounded up or down the obscure figures it pumped out. I topped mine with strawberries but you could easily adapt by using raspberries to make a raspberry cheesecake or even swirl over some lemon curd when it’s half set for a lemon cheesecake.
I love the fact with this cheesecake you get a good ratio of base to filling. As a child I always wanted more of the crumbly biscuit base, am I alone?
Cut yourself a wedge and enjoy this big, fat, delicious crumbly mess that is the No Bake Cheesecake.
What you don’t see is me piling my slice with the leftover strawberry pulp – waste not, want not.
Ingredients
- 200 grams digestive biscuits
- 80 grams slightly salted butter, melted
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 240 grams full fat cream cheese
- 95 grams sour cream
- 240 ml double cream
- 100 grams icing sugar
- 330 grams strawberries
- 1 tablespoon or to taste icing sugar
Instructions
- Butter and line a 8 inch /20cm springform or loose bottom baking tin with parchment. Put the biscuits into a food processor and pulse until crumbs . Pour into a bowl and mix with the melted butter until thoroughly incorporated. Tip into prepared tin, pressing down gently, and refrigerate until firm. About 1 hour.
- In bowl of stand mixer fitted with beater attachment put the cream cheese, sour cream, and lemon zest and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the double cream and beat for a further minute or so until well combined. Stir in the sieved icing sugar. The mixture will thicken slightly but you don’t want to over beat the cream (the consistency will be like cake batter). Spoon the mixture on top of the biscuit base, making sure there are no gaps or air bubbles. Smooth the top using the back of a spoon. Set in the fridge for at least 4 hours or better overnight.
- When your ready to serve bring out the cheesecake from the fridge and bring it to some sort of room temperature whilst you prepare the topping. Wash, hull and cut the strawberries into quarters.In a medium size bowl combine the strawberries with icing sugar and let it sit whilst the cheesecake is coming to room temperature. When ready to serve, unmold the cheesecake and slide onto a serving plate (remove the base if you like too). Puree half the strawberries, strain over the cheesecake and top with the remaining strawberry quarters.
