Does the world need another cheesecake recipe? Probably not, but I’m sharing this because it’s easy, it works, and it tastes good. Lemon desserts are always my preferred choice, they’re a refreshing end to a meal even when (*cough*) they are quite rich.
You can make this up to a day ahead, cover it, and put the tin in the fridge until just before you need it. It’s such a handy recipe to have up your sleeve.
No-bake Lemon Cheesecake (serves 6-8)
Ingredients:
250g ginger biscuits (use digestives if you prefer)
115g butter
400-450g cream cheese (Philadelphia-style)
300ml double cream
100g caster sugar
Zest and juice of two lemons
Optionally: 2 tbsp of lemon curd (I used Scarlett and Mustard’s lemon and passionfruit curd)
Method:
Lightly oil a 23cm springform tin. Whizz the gingernuts to fine crumbs in a food processor, or place in a food-safe plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.
Melt the butter and mix into the biscuit crumbs. Press firmly into the base of the tin and chill until set. You can speed this up, if necessary, by putting it in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Scrape the cream cheese into a large bowl and beat briefly with a handheld beater. Pour in the cream and continue to beat until you have stiff peaks.
Add the sugar and lemon zest and beat to mix thoroughly. Now add the lemon juice, in batches, beating each time, until you have a thick, smooth mixture. Spoon this on top of the biscuit base and spread evenly.
If you’d like to decorate the top, warm the curd gently in a saucepan and drizzle it back and forth over the top, using a skewer to feather the pattern.
Cover and chill until just before you want to eat, then release the cheesecake from the tin and slide carefully onto a serving plate