Vanilla cheesecake
Are you crazy about cheesecakes? Try out this beauty next time you want to indulge in a no-bake treat. This vanilla cheesecake with a slightly tangy lemon flavour is light and airy and its bright flavours makes you think of spring and summer. It has a crispy golden biscuit crust and is beautifully garnished with berries and sour, tasty fresh herbs. Use whatever berries are in season to create a tasty and colourful look complementing the delicate vanilla cheesecake with cream cheese filling. Serve this impressive-looking cake for guests, or pamper your family with a fancy dessert, sure to be loved by all ages.
Ingredients
Biscuit crust:
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150 g
Butter
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300 g
Crushed whole wheat biscuits, for instance digestive biscuits
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Plastic cakes collar (approx. 8 cm wide)
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Filling:
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4 sheets
Gelatine
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1
Vanilla pod (the seeds from it) or an equivalent amount of vanilla bean paste
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125 g
Sugar (approx. 1½ dl)
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1 tbsp
Grated lemon zest (unsprayed)
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2 tbsp
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
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Garnish:
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300 g
Fresh berries, for instance, raspberries, blueberries, redcurrants and/or blackberries
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Red forest sorrel or lemon balm
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Instructions
Biscuit crust:
Filling:
Serving the cheesecake:
Tips
Making a no-bake vanilla cheesecake takes time, but you cannot rush perfection. The best way to ensure it sets properly and it gets the creamy, dense consistency is to let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. But leaving it overnight, if you have the time, is ideal. Setting the vanilla cheesecake in the freezer is a bit tricky as it may result in it freezing rather than actually setting. This may change the texture of the filling, making it slightly gritty.
Tips
However, if you want to set the vanilla cheesecake in the freezer, make sure it is mostly set in the refrigerator before transferring it to the freezer where it should be left no longer than 30 minutes. When your vanilla cheesecake has set properly, it will feel firm to the touch and its surface should be shiny.
Questions about cheesecake
Making a scrumptious no-bake dessert is simple with our recipe for vanilla cheesecake with cream cheese. Below, you can learn more about cheesecakes by reading answers to some frequently asked questions about the delicious dessert cake.
What is vanilla cheesecake?
Our vanilla cheesecake is a cheesecake with a vanilla-flavoured cream cheese filling. If you are using fresh vanilla seeds from a pod rather than vanilla bean paste, it is easier to experiment with the flavour profile of the tropical spice. Try using Bourbon, Mexican, or Tahitian vanilla to find the best vanilla cheesecake flavour for you.
How to make vanilla cheesecake with cream cheese?
Rest assured; it is quite simple to make a beautiful no-bake cream cheese cheesecake. Start by preparing the crust so it has time to cool, set, and harden a bit before you pour in the vanilla and lemon filling made with both cream cheese, double cream, and crème fraiche, adding a creamy, flavourful, and fresh flavour to the sweet vanilla cheesecake. Allow for plenty of time for the vanilla cheesecake to set before garnishing it with fresh berries and herbs and serving it on a cake platter.
How to soften cream cheese for cheesecake?
Mixing creme cheese with crème fraiche for a smooth filling without cream cheese lumps is easiest if it is not ice-cold and hard. Take the creme cheese out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour before you need it and let it sit on your worktop to make it softer, leaning towards room temperature. Taking it out of its packaging and cutting it into small cubes to place on a plate should reduce this time even further.
Can you freeze vanilla cheesecake?
Cheesecake can be frozen either in slices or as a whole, and the fresher it is when you freeze it, the better the thawed cake will be. After the cake has set, wrap it in cling film and aluminium foil (alternatively, cling film and placed in an airtight container) before placing it in your freezer. In a freezer, the vanilla cheesecake will keep for up to 1 month. When you are ready to indulge in the cake, let it defrost for 2-4 hours on the worktop or overnight in the refrigerator before garnishing and serving. If you are in a hurry, you can microwave vanilla cheesecake slices for 30 seconds.
Other recipes
Easy no-bake vanilla cheesecake
This wonderful no-bake vanilla cheesecake with cream cheese tastes nothing short of amazing. Its filling is creamy and dense without being heavy, and the vanilla and lemon-flavoured wonder is deliciously decadent. The richness of the cream cheese filling works wonderfully with the toppings of berries and herbs, and the crispness of the buttery, golden biscuit crust rounds off the experience. Our simple vanilla cheesecake recipe is easy to follow, and since you can prepare it in advance, serving it to friends and family is hassle-free.
In case this vanilla cheesecake recipe has made you eager to try more desserts like it, have a look at our no-bake strawberry cheesecake.
Enjoy a delicious vanilla and lemon filling
There is a reason vanilla is one of the most popular flavours to use in desserts – it is aromatic and has a sweet, subtle flavour profile with floral undertones that is great at enhancing the natural sweetness of desserts and baked goods. In the filling, the tropical vanilla spice is complemented by tangy citrus fruit. The lemon zest and juice bring a freshness to the dense, creamy, naturally sweet filling that rounds off the flavour profile of this soft and smooth cream cheese cheesecake.
If you are in the mood for more vanilla-flavoured desserts, have a look at our recipes for a soft and creamy vanilla pudding or a delicious and elegant vanilla ice cream dessert with bake plums and buckwheat brittle.
Get a smooth cheesecake with cream cheese and sour cream
With a wonderful array of dairy products like cream cheese, crème fraiche, and double cream, the vanilla cheesecake filling makes for a deliciously soft and smooth experience. Cream cheese in cheesecake especially helps ensure an indulgently rich mouthfeel as it gives the cake a dense but creamy consistency that is almost mousse-like in texture. If you enjoy beautifully smooth desserts with a lot of flavour, you cannot go wrong with a vanilla cream cheese cheesecake balanced by fresh, tangy lemon juice and zest.
Decorate with berries and fresh herbs
The golden biscuit crust and cream-coloured filling with flecks of vanilla looks beautiful topped with an assortment of fresh berries and herbs. Garnishing with red forest sorrel, red berries like raspberries and redcurrants with the contrast of dark berries like blueberries or blackberries break the monochrome look, giving the cream cheese cheesecake an elegant appearance that is sure to be the centrepiece of any dessert table.
The herbs as well as berries not only look stunning placed along the edge of the crust, but they also add complexity to the vanilla cheesecake's flavour profile. The berries add a sweetness and freshness that, along with the bright, tangy flavour of the forest sorrel and lemon balm, complements the rich and decadent cream cheese cheesecake beautifully. Using the berries and herbs that are in season will give you the tastiest result.
Add your own touch
A way to experiment with this vanilla cheesecake recipe is to incorporate the berries into the filling itself rather than using them solely as a garnish. The berries can either be folded evenly into the filling before it is poured into the biscuit crust and chilled or you can cook a berry purée to which the warm lemon juice and soft gelatine leaves are added before folding it in the rest of the filling mixture.
The first option will ensure that you get bright berry bits in every bite, while the second will change the vanilla cheesecake flavour more as the entire filling will taste like berries. The look will also change as the cream cheese filling will take on the colour of the berries. Using fresh or frozen blueberries, for instance, will give it a vivid, eye-catching purple colour, while using raspberries will give the vanilla cheesecake a soft romantic-looking pink hue.
You can add a pinch of salt to the biscuit crust or use salted butter. This will enhance the flavor of the rest of the ingredients.
