White Chocolate and Raspberry No-Bake Cheesecake
Andi Healey
Web Manager
A tall, set cheesecake with a buttery biscuit base, a white chocolate cream cheese filling, and a sharp raspberry ripple running through it. Made the day before, sliced at the table.
This is the kind of cheesecake that gets requested again. The filling is richer than a standard no-bake version because the white chocolate sets it more firmly than gelatine alone - you get clean slices that hold their shape on the plate and a texture that is somewhere between a mousse and a classic New York cheesecake.
The raspberry ripple is not an afterthought: it is sharp enough to cut through the sweetness and vivid enough to look spectacular in the slice.
The key to a tall, impressive no-bake cheesecake is a deep springform tin and cream cheese that is at room temperature before you start. Cold cream cheese will not beat smooth and you will end up with lumps in the filling. Take it out of the fridge an hour before you need it.
Make this the day before Easter Sunday. It needs at least six hours in the fridge to set properly, and overnight is better. On the day, you simply unclip the tin, run a palette knife around the edge if needed, and transfer it to a board or plate. It looks like considerably more effort than it was.
Ingredients
- 300g digestive biscuits
- 120g unsalted butter, melted
- Pinch of fine salt
For the filling
- 200g good white chocolate, finely chopped
- 600g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 100g icing sugar, sifted
- 300ml double cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
For the raspberry ripple
- 200g fresh or frozen raspberries
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- To finish
- 150g fresh raspberries
- White chocolate shavings or curls
- Icing sugar, to dust
Method
- Crush the digestive biscuits to fine crumbs — in a food processor, or in a sealed bag with a rolling pin. Mix thoroughly with the melted butter and salt. The mixture should hold together when pressed. Tip into a 23cm deep springform tin and press firmly and evenly over the base, pushing slightly up the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes while you make the filling.
- Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Do not let the bowl touch the water. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes — it should be fluid but not hot.
- Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar together in a large bowl until completely smooth. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and beat again. Pour in the cooled white chocolate and mix until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whip the double cream to soft peaks. Fold it into the cream cheese mixture in three additions, using a large spatula. Work gently to keep as much air as possible.
- Spoon half the filling over the biscuit base and smooth it level. Drizzle half the raspberry ripple over the surface. Add the remaining filling and smooth again. Drizzle the remaining raspberry ripple over the top and use a skewer or cocktail stick to swirl it through the surface in long strokes.
- Cover the tin loosely and refrigerate for at least six hours, or overnight. To serve, unclip the springform and carefully transfer to a serving plate or board. Top with fresh raspberries and white chocolate shavings. Dust lightly with icing sugar. Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water between cuts
Chef's Tips
- Room temperature cream cheese is non-negotiable: cold cream cheese will not beat smooth. If you forget, cut it into small cubes and leave for 45 minutes. Do not microwave it.
- White chocolate quality: use a bar chocolate rather than baking chips. Lindt, Green and Black's, or Waitrose own-label all work well. Cheap white chocolate chips contain too many stabilisers and do not melt cleanly.
- Setting insurance: if you are nervous about the set, add one soaked gelatine leaf (dissolved in 2 tbsp of warm cream) to the filling before folding in the whipped cream. This guarantees clean slices.
- Frozen raspberries: work perfectly for the ripple. Use them straight from frozen in the saucepan. For the topping, use fresh.
- Storing: the cheesecake keeps refrigerated for three days. Cover the top loosely with cling film once sliced.
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