Cranberry and white chocolate cheese cake
A delicous seasonal no bake cheesecake, with a tangy fruit topping and rich cream filling.
Servings: 8 – 10
Equipment
- 18 cm (7in)springform or loose bottomed cake tin.
Ingredients
For the base
- 250 g (9oz) ginger biscuits use digestives if you prefer
- 100 g (3½oz) butter
For the filling
- 400 g (14oz) cream cheese (soft cheese)
- 300 ml (½ pt) double cream (heavy cream)
- 100 g (3½oz) golden caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 75 g (3oz) white chocolate, melted
For the topping
- 250 g (9oz) cranberries
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons golden caster sugar
- 1 bulb stem ginger optional chopped
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 18 cm (7in)springform or loose bottomed cake tin.
Make the base
- Crush 250g (9oz) ginger biscuits in a food processor, or place in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Melt 100g (3½oz) butter and mix into the biscuit crumbs. Tip into the cake tin and press down firmly in an even layer over the tin. Chill until set.
Make the cheesecake filling
- Place 400g (14oz) cream cheese (soft cheese) into a mixing bowl Add 100g (3½oz) sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract beat briefly to mix.
- Whip 300ml (½ pt) cream in another bowl until standing in soft peaks then fold into the cream cheese mixture.
- Then quickly old in 75g (3oz) melted white chocolate until combined..
- Spoon on top of the biscuit base and spread level. Cover and chill for at least two hours.
Meanwhile, make the cranberry topping.
- Place 250g (9oz) cranberries and 1 chopped stem ginger in a saucepan with 1tbsp water, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Heat gently stirring until the juices run and the sugar dissolves. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the cranberries are softened.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.
To serve
- Carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. Spoon the cranberry topping over the surface of the cheesecake before cutting into wedges to serve.
Notes
Cook's Tips:
- You can use fresh or frozen cranberries to make the topping. (no need to defrost).
- Use a glass with a flat base to press the biscuit crumb down into the tin.
- Use full fat cream cheese, low fat cream cheese will be too soft.
- In most cases, you can stir the melted chocolate into the cheesecake mixture straight away, however, If your cream cheese mixture is very cold, stir a few spoonfuls into the white chocolate before adding this will prevent it from setting in lumps before it can be combined with the mixture.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
- To help release the cheesecake from the base of the tin. Rub the base of the tin with a hot damp cloth a few times. Then use a palette knife to gently slide between the tin and the biscuit base, before gently sliding off the tin onto the serving plate.