No-Bake Black Forest Cheesecake!
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With a chocolate biscuit base, chocolate cherry kirsch cheesecake filling, whipped cream and more, this is the BEST black forest cheesecake
Soooo Christmas 2016 is upon us… its less than two weeks away. TWO WEEKS. And I am buzzing. I adore Christmas; the lights, the food, the television, the food, the family get togethers, the food, and the all round general happiness. But yeah, as you can tell, I LOVE the food so much more than normal food…
As you guys have already seen, I have posted a few already for this year, and I have many for last year such as my No-Bake Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake and Christmas Tree Brownies, so you aren’t short of Christmas inspiration on my blog.
Biscuit Base
For a standard biscuit base, I usually work with a ratio of 300g biscuits to around 150g melted butter. I tend to use digestive biscuits because I prefer the flavour they give, but any similar biscuit will work. If you use a chocolate coated or filled biscuit however, you need to use 50g less butter. Also, on this occasion, I decided to add cocoa powder to make the base chocolatey.
I blitz the biscuits into a very fine crumb using a food processor or blender, then stir through the cocoa powder. After that, you stir through the melted butter. A finer crumb helps the base hold together more firmly and prevents it from becoming too crumbly. If you don’t have a food processor, you can crush the biscuits in a bowl or a food bag using a rolling pin. Mix the butter in until the mixture resembles wet sand, then press it into an 8-inch (20cm) springform cake tin, which I find gives the ideal depth and size for a cheesecake.
I did decide, for decoration, to press the biscuit mix into the sides of the cheesecake tin as well as the base because I love this look, but it’s optional. I start by pressing it into the sides first, in a relatively thin but consistent depth, with enough left for the base.
Cherries in Kirsch
As this recipe is Black Forest inspired, we are going to be using cherries, and also kirsch. Your version of what ‘Black Forest’ may be different to mine, but mine involves chocolate, cherry and kirsch – with whipped cream of course.
I used some fresh cherries in this dessert because I love them, but I wanted to give them a kick. Because buying cherries already in kirsch is quite expensive, I made them myself. You can of course buy a jar of ready made cherries in kirsch though if you wish. I destoned and halved my cherries, and then soaked them in 200ml of kirsch. This is best when you do it the night before, or at least a few hours before, to allow the kirsch some time to soak in.
If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can use a tin of cherry pudding mix, as it’s delicious. You can also just use cherries, but I find the pudding mix has more of a kick.
A no-bake cheesecake mix
Once the cherries are prepped, you can make the incredibly easy to make no-bake cheesecake filling. This mixture uses four simple ingredients, of full-fat soft cheese, icing sugar, double cream and dark chocolate. I find simple is best sometimes and it’s utterly perfect.
I always start by melting my dark chocolate until smooth – I do this in the microwave, as I have one and I find it easiest, but you can use a double boiler if you don’t have one. Let your chocolate cool for at least 5 minutes. It’s also best to bring the cream cheese to room temperature at this point so that it’s not fridge cold if you ever struggle with cheesecake mixtures.
I find it easiest, personally, to use a bowl with an electric hand whisk to make a cheesecake filling. Add the soft cheese and icing sugar and whisk to combine. Add the dark chocolate and whisk, and then add the double cream (in liquid form) and whisk. You can whisk the cream separately, but I never personally struggle with this order and process and it ends up lovely and thick. Fold through the cherries that have been soaked and the spare kirsch, and then tip into the tin.
Gradually add the cheesecake mix onto the biscuit base, making sure to press the mix into the sides and smooth over to till the tin fully and evenly, and smooth over the top. Set the cheesecake for a minimum of 5-6 hours, but preferably overnight.
Decorating a cheesecake
Once the cheesecake is set, you can remove it from the tin. The handy part about using the sides and base of the tin for the biscuits, it’s much easier to remove from the tin. I created a sweetened vanilla whipped cream for the decoration, because it’s simple, but looks great, and tastes great.
I used a 2d closed star piping tip with a large piping bag for the swirls of decoration, which I tend to do often as I love how it looks. Grating over some more chocolate looks pretty and it’s super easy, as well as adding on some cherries.
Tips & Tricks
- I use this tin for my cheesecakes
- I used a 2d closed star piping tip with a large piping bag for the swirls of decoration
- This cheesecake will last for 3-4+ days in the fridge
- You can freeze the cheesecake for 3+ months
- Recipe updated November 2025
- I changed the base to a chocolate mix by adding 25g cocoa powder, and adapted the design to include the sides of the tin.
- I used to use a mix of 100g milk chocolate and 100g dark chocolate but I prefer the depth of the 200g dark chocolate.
- I replaced a vanilla cheesecake mix (180g cream cheese, 100ml double cream, 75g icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract) with the whipped double cream.
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
- 300 g digestives
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 25 g cocoa powder
Cheesecake Filling
- 200 g fresh cherries (soaked in 100-200ml kirsch)
- 500 g full-fat soft cream cheese
- 100 g icing sugar
- 300 ml double cream
- 200 g dark chocolate
Decoration
- 200 ml double cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- fresh cherries
- grated chocolate
Instructions
For the Base
- Melt the butter in the microwave on short bursts on in a small pan over a medium heat until smooth.
- Blitz the biscuits to a fine crumb, and then mix through the cocoa powder
- Add the melted butter, and pulse a few times until it is combined well.
- Tip into a 8″/20cm deep springform tin and press into the sides and base of the tin
For the Filling
- Make sure the cherries have been soaked in kirsch for at least a few hours, but preferably overnight
- Melt the dark chocolate, until smooth. Leave to cool for 5 minutes
- Add the soft cheese and icing sugar to a new bowl, and then whisk until combined
- Add the cooled and melted dark chocolate, and stir to combine
- Pour in the liquid double cream and continue to whip the cheesecake until it is starting to thicken. Alternatively, whip the cream separately and fold through
- Add the soaked cherries to the mixture, along with the kirsch, and fold together.
- Pour the mix on to the biscuit base and smooth over, making sure to pack it into the sides and smooth over properly
- Set in the fridge for at least 5-6 hours or preferably overnight.
For the Decoration
- Remove the cheesecake from the tin, and prep the decoration.
- Whip the double cream, icing sugar, and vanilla in a bowl to soft-medium peaks. Pipe rosettes around the edge of the cheesecake
- Add some fresh cherries to the top of the cream swirls, and grate over some chocolate
Notes
- I use this tin for my cheesecakes
- I used a 2d closed star piping tip with a large piping bag for the swirls of decoration
- This cheesecake will last for 3-4+ days in the fridge
- You can freeze the cheesecake for 3+ months
- Recipe updated November 2025
- I changed the base to a chocolate mix by adding 25g cocoa powder, and adapted the design to include the sides of the tin.
- I used to use a mix of 100g milk chocolate and 100g dark chocolate but I prefer the depth of the 200g dark chocolate.
- I replaced a vanilla cheesecake mix (180g cream cheese, 100ml double cream, 75g icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract) with the whipped double cream.
ENJOY!
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J x
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Hi
I’d love to make this but would need a gluten free biscuit base.What would you suggest?
Thanks
I made Jane’s Black Forest cheesecake for Christmas day dessert & it didn’t disappoint.
I followed the recipe to the tee & it did turned out amazing – everyone said it was not only the best cheesecake they’d tasted but the best dessert a lot of them had eaten – high praise indeed for the dessert lovers that my family are.
I have bought a bottle of Limoncello for my NY day cheesecake so here’s hoping it turns out as well.
Jane’s website is my first stop when wanting to bake – I have tried lots of her recipes & they never fail.
Thinking of making this for Christmas Day dessert.
Can you freeze the undeclared cake. I’m going to use Black Forest Shortbread (Morrisons), instead of digestives for the bas e.
Never had one of your recipes disappoint.
Yes, you can!! x
Hi Jane,
I’ve made this before and it was delicious. I’m thinking of making it again for Boxing Day but going vegan, I have the vegan cream cheese and double cream, will it still work out the same do you think? I love your recipes they are so easy and never fail.
Sounds delicious! Will be truing this over Xmas!
Hi Jane, would this work with mascarpone instead of philadelphia?
Hiya! Yes absolutely! Enjoy! x
We had this for Sunday lunch today with friends, and it was delicious! I made it with an oreo biscuit base and mascarpone instead of philadelphia. Can’t stop eating it! 🤤 I’ll definitely be making it again and again! x
Hi I was wondering if I could substitute the digestives for shortbread? Thank you! I normally always follow your recipes exactly but most recently I have been just trying out different things x
Yes for sure – you just need to reduce the butter content by about 1/3! x
How long in minutes should the soft cheese/chocolate/icing sugar and cream cheese mixture be whisked for as I matched your kitchenaid setting detail and mine turned out really wet. It got worse when adding the kirsch. I’m sure it will taste nice as many of your recipes do! Just don’t think my version of this will look that nice or cut well.
Thank you for the recipe
The setting is no guarantee as it can depend on many factors such as the cream cheese, or even temp of the chocolate! Sounds like something has been over whisked if it was really runny xx
Thank you for the reply, ah well will have to make it again! What a shame! Haha tasted really yummy though!
Could this recipe work with individual portions rather than one big cheesecake? I’m looking to make this for my husband’s birthday but we are both on diets and just planning to splurge on his birthday. I don’t want any temptation left in the fridge afterwards!!!
Yes so if you have a look at my mini chocolate orange cheesecake recipe as a guide, that makes 12 small ones – or you can half this recipe for a 6″ tin!
Hi I really admire your cooking especially your cheese
Cake they are amazing I made some of your cheesecake they came out really good taste amazing I made your
Your black forest cheese cake it looks and taste
Amazing can u make red velvet cheese cake now would be nice if u did
Awwww thank you so much! So glad to hear that! Yes – there’s a recipe for this in my book! Its available in all large retailers and places like amazon! Enjoy! x
I made a square one because it was the only tin I could find and why not be unconventional 😉 I didn’t do any of the toppings just left it plain because I didn’t have a piping bag, super good, thank you! Will tag you on insta 🙂
Hi Jane
I love the flavour of cherry but I dont like eating them. What can I use in the cheesecake mixture instead of
real cherries pls. Should I add a black forest flavouring to the cream cheese or can you suggest something else please?
Thank you for the escape during lockdown and enjoy making your wonderful desserts.
Love it – though mine doesn’t look quite as good as yours does in the photos. I’ve also made a cheat’s version with St Dalfour fruit spread as a topping. Your website is fab!
I made this recently with the cherry filling rather than the cherries in Kirsch and unfortunately the flavours didn’t work for me.
I did put the whole tin in and maybe should have washed the syrup off first as it didn’t go with the tang of the cream cheese.
Just advice for other people who may be thinking of doing it this way.
Hello, What size jar of cherries did you use?
The jars change size depending on where you buy them from, but you want about 200-300g worth!