December 28, 2016
No-Bake Limoncello Cheesecake!
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Buttery biscuit base, alcoholic lemon cheesecake with a zesty decoration… what could be better than a Limoncello cheesecake for the New Year?!
Goodbye 2016!
So here is the LAST recipe of 2016 – LIMONCELLO CHEESECAKE! How crazy is that?! Like I genuinely can’t comprehend that it is nearly 2017, and how quickly this year has flown by. It’s ridiculous.
The first recipe I posted this year was my mint Oreo brownies and they have been a hit all year, but I wanted to go out with a bang. Seeing as it is New Years in a few days, I thought a cheesecake would be a good celebratory dessert, but an alcoholic one.
Limoncello cheesecake
My no-bake Baileys cheesecake has always been a go-to recipe for many of you, and soooo many of you used it for your Christmas Day dessert, so I thought a different alcoholic one would be ideal.
I was going to try a champagne cheesecake, which I will still do… but I have just moved house, and I am waiting for a new oven and hob, so I haven’t been able to use it. So, something easier and delicious was in need… HELLO LIMONCELLO.
Recipe adaptation
I reckon that most alcohols will work in this, so any fruity alcohol like Midori, or even something like whisky, gin etc! It’s completely up to you of course, but I had to use something I already had as I am saving money, so Limoncello it was.
You can’t add tooooo much of it because it wouldn’t set if you carried on going, so I went with 125ml of the stuff. Along with the Zest of the 2 lemons, and the juice of one of the lemons, it tastes DELICIOUS.
Cream cheese
I used more cream cheese in this one as I wanted to fill the tin, and when you don’t use a melted chocolate in the mix, or something like a sweet to fold through, the filling itself doesn’t really go very far without some more cream cheese.
You can use something like Philadelphia, or mascarpone, just as long as its full fat! The decoration was purely fresh whipped cream, some fresh lemon slices, jelly lemon sweets and some pretty sprinkles! I love it!
Other celebration recipes
The best part of Christmas and New Year for me is all my family and friends in one place … and the food! I love taking a celebration dessert to every party I go too as it brings so much joy. This recipe is for New Years, my Prosecco trifle is for Christmas Day and then my black forest brownies for a Boxing Day treat – perfection!
I hope you all have had an AMAZING 2016, and have enjoyed baking my recipes if you have. I love each and every one of you that make my recipes and supports me and my little blog! Have a wonderful New Year and see you in 2017! xx
Limoncello Cheesecake!
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
- 300 g digestives
- 150 g unsalted butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 650 g full-fat cream cheese
- 100 g icing sugar
- 300 ml double cream
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 125 ml Limoncello
Decoration
- 150 ml double cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Blitz the biscuits in a food processor to a fine crumb, or mash them up in a bag and add the melted butter – pulse a few times until it is combined well.
- Tip into a 8″/20cm deep springform tin and press down firmly – chill in the refrigerator whilst you do the rest!
- With an electric mixer (I used my KitchenAid) mix the Philadelphia and icing sugar together until smooth, it’ll only take a few seconds – add in the lemon zest and juice of the lemon and whisk again until smooth.
- Whilst whisking, add in 1tbsp of the Limoncello at a time and allow the mixture to whisk before adding more. When you add some, it might look odd and like its splitting, but it will come back.
- Once the Limoncello is in, whilst whisking slowly, pour in the liquid double cream and continue to Whip the cream cheese/cream mixture until it is starting to thicken. Don’t whip it too fast, I whisk it on level 6/10 on my kitchenaid maximum!
- Once its thick, spread onto the biscuit base and spread evenly. Leave to set in the fridge, covered, for 5-6 hours, or preferably over night.
- Carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin.
- Whip the double cream up with the icing sugar and pipe around the edge of the cheesecake!
- Arrange some fresh lemon slices and some jelly lemons around the cheesecake. Sprinkle on some lovely little sprinkles and you’re done! Enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend using a 8″/20cm deep springform tin in this recipe!
- I always set my cheesecakes in the fridge overnight otherwise they risk being a little runny still and slipping off the biscuit base but if you want to risk it then go for it!
- Any Limoncello would work. I did try whipping some into the double cream on top, but I wasn’t a fan of it, and it was a bit hit and miss… so I went with normal whipped cream.
- This cheesecake will last covered in the fridge for 3 days!
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J x
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I have a lemoncello cream liquor would that still work?
I’d love to add some mint to this. How much would you suggest?
Hi, can I add raspberries to this recipe to make it a lemon and raspberry cheesecake? I saw your lemon and raspberry recipe but also wanted to booziness of the lemoncello. Wasn’t sure on what quantity of raspberries to used without the juice of raspberries making it too runny that it won’t set? Or chop them up so not so juicy? Thanks
Hiya! Yes absolutely, but perhaps add gelatine to ensure it sets! Hope this helps! x
Ive made this cheesecake today for an alternative pud tomorrow, being Christmas Day. Needless to say Ive only tasted it by cleaning the bowl with my spatula. Wow, I hope I can resist the urge to have a slice it tastes scrummy. Thank you Jane for another wonderful cheesecake.
Hi Jane
If I wanted to use a 5 inch square tin, how would I adjust the recipe?
Thank you
Hey! Volume wise I think a 5″ square will be about half an 8″ round!
Hi. Can the cheesecake be frozen?
Yes it can!
This is such a great cheesecake! I’ve made it quite a few time in the last few years. I’ve also used the recipe to do 60 individual tequila and lime cheesecakes which was great for a taco party! Thanks for posting it x
ooooh that sounds so so yummy! X
Hi Jane
A couple of questions. I’d like to make the limoncello cheesecake for a family get together but need to make a large one using a 12” tin. Is this possible & can I use lemon curd instead of the limoncello?
Many thanks x
If you use a 12″ tin it’ll be extremely thin, so I recommend using this website to help increase quantities – it scales it up once you input the ingredients. http://www.cakebaker.co.uk/baking-tin-size-conversion-calculator.html – also, you can use Lemon curd, but it might affect how it sets. x
That’s great, thank you. I’ll check the website out & experiment with the lemon curd.
Many thanks x
I made this for the first time as an alternative to Christmas pudding on Christmas Day and it went down really well. Everyone loved it and also took home a slice each to eat the next day. My husband and I had the last two slices the next day and I have been told I must make it again when we have a large gathering. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Hi Jane,folowed the recipe,measuring each item. Left in fridge over night it looked and even felt set.Took from fridge to serve, bang a big sloppy mess,Mousse on biscut crumb base. What went wrong?
It’s hard to say as I wasn’t in the kitchen with you, but if the mixture was still smooth it wasn’t whipped up enough, or you used a lower fat quantity item (cream cheese or the cream) which caused it.
Hi Jane, do you think I could replace limincello with pimms or would be too runny?
Thanks, Hannah x
The flavour probably won’t be as strong as the limoncello if I’m honest, but you can’t afford to add any more liquid so its up to you. I am working on a Pimms cheesecake recipe though! x
Could you translate this into cups?
I’m afraid I only work in grams as I find Cups really unreliable, sorry! You can find tips on my Helpful Tips page, or googling each one could help!
Hi Jane,
This sounds a fantastic recipe and I’m dying to try it out.
My question is: do you think that if I made up all the processes you have described and rather than put it all into one big tin, could I divide up the mixtures and put them into a mini treat loose bottomed tin which holds about 12 mini cakes. I think, in theory, it should work. What do you think?
Barbara xx
Yes that would work absolutely fine! I often make these into little ramekins and they’re delicious! Xx
What’s the white chocolate and yellow food colouring for? They’re mentioned in the ingredients but not the method?
Hiya! I use it for the decoration. Hope this helps! x