Cherry Cheesecake
This easy no bake cherry cheesecake combines a classic Philadelphia cheesecake with juicy fresh cherry cheesecake topping, yum!
Equipment
- Spring form cake tin, 7" x 2.5" (18cm x 6.5cm)
- Electric hand beaters or stand mixer
- food processor
Ingredients
For the cheesecake base
- 2 & ⅓ cups (250gms) Graham cracker crumbs
- 1 stick (½ cup/ 115gms) unsalted butter
For the cheesecake filling
- 2 x 8 ounce tubs (450gms total) full fat cream cheese
- ½ cup (110gms) white sugar
- 1 & ½ teaspoons vanilla essence
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup (250mls) thickened cream
For the cherry topping
- 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
- 1 & ½ tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 cups (1 & 1.3 lbs/600gms) Fresh cherries
Instructions
To make the cheesecake base
- Line the springform cheesecake tin with parchment paper or food safe acetate.
- Break the cookies into smaller pieces and blitz briefly in a food processor into crumbs.
- Melt the butter by adding to a microwave proof bowl and microwave for a minute or two, or in a pot on the stove.
- Pour the butter into the cookie crumbs and mix until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Pour into lined tin and press down to form the base. Do not press to firmly or your base may become to hard.
- Chill in fridge for at least one hour and up to overnight.
To make the cheesecake filling
- NB Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature.
- Beat the room temperature cream cheese briefly to soften it. Add the lemon juice, sugar and vanilla to the room temperature cream cheese and beat on low until combined and the sugar has all dissolved.
- In a separate bowl whip the cream until firm peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix until well combined.
- Put the cheesecake filling onto the prepared base and smooth down. Chill in the fridge for at least four hours, preferably overnight.
To make the cherry topping
- Put a small bowl in the freezer to chill.
- If you are using fresh cherries remove the pits. If you are using frozen cherries defrost them first.
- Leave the cherries whole or cut them in half, as you prefer. Whole cherries are pretties, halved cherries are easier to eat!
- Put the sugar, lemon juice, tapioca starch and water in a small pot on the stove and whisk to combine.
- Add the cherries and mix well. Heat on medium heat for about five minutes, stirring well. The sauce will start and opaque milky colur and become dark and glossy as the sauce thickens.
- To test if the sauce is thick enough take a small spoonful and tip it onto the edge of the chilled bowl. It should cool and thicken enough to drip. If the sauce is still too liquid cook it down for a few minutes to thicken, then retest.
- Remove from the heat, allow to cool and then chill in the fridge until ready to serve the cheesecake.
To assemble the cheesecake
- NB the cherry sauce is best added just before serving the cheesecake.
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and carefully peel the parchment paper. Smooth the sides of the cheesecake with a spatula.
- Use a large sharp knife to carefully seperate the base of the cake from the parchment paper and transfer it to a serving plate or board.
- Just before serving pour the delicious cherry sauce over the top and you're done!
Notes
Cake size:
I used a 7" x 2.5" (18cm x 6.5cm) as I like my cheesecake nice and tall with a deep cookie base. You can use a wider springform tin if that's what you have. Your cheesecake will be flatter but it will still be delicious!
Storage:
Without the cherry sauce this cheesecake will store well in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days. If you are only going to eat a few slices at a time I recommend slicing and then adding cherry sauce to each piece as you go.
Without the cherry sauce on top the individual slices or the whole cake wrapped and frozen for up to two months, but best eaten within a month for better taste and texture. The cherry sauce can be frozen separately. I recommend freezing it in ice cubes so you can remove individual servings for each slice of cheesecake!
Nutrition
Calories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 372mgPotassium: 125mgFiber: 2gSugar: 25gVitamin A: 351IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2mg
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online database. The nutritional content of ingredients may vary by brand. If you require accurate nutritional information, you should calculate this based on the specific brands and products you are using.
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