Black Forest Cheesecake (UK style)

This no bake Black Forest cheesecake, UK style, was devised when making one to take to a friend’s for dinner. I asked whether they preferred fruit or chocolate. ‘Fruit’ requested the mum; ‘Chocolate!’ yelled her daughter. Hmm… best of both worlds, I pondered.

As myself and Mister share a weakness for any food with chocolate and black cherries, it just had to be a Black Forest Cheesecake. A chocolate cheesecake with a cherry topping – the latter comes from a jar, making life really easy. As there’s no kirsch, it’s child-friendly, too. The chocolate in the cheesecake filling means vanilla extract is not required. Do use icing rather than caster sugar here, or the filling will have a granular texture.

And no need for baking, to boot. This went down an absolute storm – my best yet, apparently. In their words, of course, not mine. It’s also one of those alternative dessert recipes that you could serve during the Christmas period. Black Forest cake is a bit retro too, if you want to go down that route – such as for a 70s or 80s party. In place of Black Forest gateau – cheesecake. It gives things a contemporary twist.

Makes 1 large cheesecake

Ingredients for no bake Black Forest cheesecake recipe, UK style

Biscuit base

• Digestive biscuits, 300g
• Dark chocolate, 100g, melted
• Butter, 50g, melted

Filling

• Cream cheese, 600g
• Extra thick double cream, 300ml
• Icing sugar, 150g
• Vanilla extract, 1 tsp
• Dark chocolate, 100g, melted

Topping 

• St Dalfour ‘Rhapsodie de Fruit’ Black Cherry spread, 1/2 jar

Equipment

• Food processor
• Mixing bowl
• Springform cake tin
• Rolling pin
• Silicone spatula
• Palette knife

How to make no bake Black Forest Cheesecake

• Process the digestive cookies into fine crumbs, then mix with the melted butter and chocolate.
• You can successfully melt chocolate and butter in the microwave – check every few seconds and stir each time. Remove as soon as it is mostly melted and stir – the residual heat ensures that the rest will soon melt as well.
• Press the biscuit base mixture into a springform tin – I use the end of a rolling pin to press them down firmly – then chill while you make the filling.
• In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, cream, sugar, vanilla and melted chocolate. Once they are well combined, spoon this cream cheese mixture over the base and smooth over. 
• (Don’t worry if some of the chocolate has solidified into chip-like pieces, after coming into contact with cold cream cheese and cream. This simply adds to the texture of the finished cheesecake.)
• Then, run a palette knife around the edge – this makes the finished dessert much easier to remove later on.
• Chill for about 3 hours minimum; or ideally, overnight.
• Just before serving, remove from the fridge and spread the ‘Rhapsodie de Fruit’ over the top.

Related recipes:

• Blueberry cheesecake
• Chocolate orange cheesecake
• No bake cherry Ripe Slice
• White chocolate no bake cheesecake
• Salted caramel cheesecake

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