Cheesecake reigns supreme as the quintessential summer dessert, perfect for rounding off barbecues and picnics. Charlotte Oates, the culinary whizz at Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen, has whipped up a simple yet sublime recipe for a zesty lemon cheesecake that only requires 15 minutes of prep before it sets into lusciousness in the fridge, reports the Express.
Charlotte enthused: “A delicious lemon cheesecake with a crunchy biscuit base that’s absolutely packed full of flavour from the fresh lemon zest and juice. It’s unbelievably moreish.” Charlotte’s followers have been quick to heap praise on her blog, lauding the straightforward nature of the recipe and its fail-safe appeal as an effortless pudding choice. One commented: “Best lemon cheesecake recipe I’ve ever tried.”
Ingredients
For the cheesecake
- 280ml of double cream
- 250g of cream cheese
- 100g of digestive biscuits
- 100g of caster sugar
- 40g of butter
- 2 lemons (zest and juice)
For decoration
- 75ml of double cream
- 4 slices of lemon
Kitchen equipment needed:
- Round lose-bottomed cake tin
- Greaseproof baking paper
- Piping bag with star nozzle
Method
Begin by lining your cake tin with baking parchment. Melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove, stirring constantly; this should only take a couple of minutes.
Once melted, remove from the heat.
Crush digestive biscuits into fine crumbs by placing them in a bag and bashing them with a rolling pin or similar implement. Mix these crumbs thoroughly with the melted butter.
Tip the biscuity blend into your prepared tin, pressing down firmly with the back of a spoon to create an even layer, then chill it in the fridge to set while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
Finely zest the lemons and squeeze out their juice until you have five teaspoons, then set aside for later use.
Pour the double cream into a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form, then blend in the cream cheese, caster sugar, lemon zest and juice, stirring until it’s smooth and well combined.
Lift the tin from the fridge and gradually layer in the lemon mixture until the tin is fully filled with no gaps. Use the back of a spoon or palette knife to even out the top.
Pop the tin back into the fridge and let it set for at least two hours, only taking it out when you’re ready to serve.
For a show-stopping finish, whip up some double cream until it forms stiff peaks. Transfer it into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe eight petite swirls of cream around the edge of the cheesecake, crowning each swirl with a slice of lemon.
Your no-bake lemon cheesecake is now ready to be served and enjoyed.