December 12, 2016
No-Bake Black Forest Cheesecake!
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Biscuit Base, Chocolate & Cherry Kirsch Cheesecake Filling, Vanilla Cheesecake, Fresh Cherries & even more Chocolate. The BEST Black Forest Cheesecake ever!
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 TV, 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! Also, Christmas is a great excuse to bake! 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!
When I was trawling Pinterest for Christmas bakes and inspiration, there was ‘Black Forest’ things eeezverywhere. My Boyfriends Mum made the Paul Hollywood Black Forest Trifle for Christmas a couple of years ago, and that was actually surprisingly delicious and good, and after asking my own Mum how good Black Forest stuff was, I knew something Black Forest had to happen.
I won’t lie, Black Forest stuff isn’t my favourite, because for me Chocolate Orange anything beats it, so I was still a little unsure of using it to create something slightly different. My family and I bought a Black Forest Gateau in Switzerland about 10 years ago (Still doesn’t beat Terry’s.) but it was truly amazing but as that was so long ago, I hadn’t had it for a while so I was a little dubious about experimenting.
However, now in Cheesecake form, the Black Forest flavour combination is genuinely up with one of my favourites now. (YES THAT’S RIGHT, CHEESECAKE. I mean come on, Christmas Cheesecakes like my No-Bake Baileys Cheesecake are just the best.)
The combination of a Digestive Biscuit Base, with a Cheesecake filling made with Chocolate Cheesecake, Kirsch soaked Cherries, and even more Kirsch is BEAUTIFUL. Adding a Vanilla Cheesecake to the top instead of Whipped Cream was just me trying to do something a little different, and I loved it. Topping that with some Fresh Cherries, Chocolate Curls and a Kirsch/Cherry Reduction drizzle was ooooohmygolly Black Forest heaven. If you have any questions about the recipe leave a comment below! Enjoy!
Black Forest Cheesecake!
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
- 300 g Digestives
- 150 g Unsalted Butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 500 g Full-Fat Cream Cheese
- 100 g Icing Sugar
- 300 ml Double Cream
- 100 g Milk Chocolate
- 100 g Dark Chocolate
- 1x Jar Opies Black Cherries in Kirsch
- 1-2 tbsp Kirsch
Decoration
- 180 g Full-Fat Cream Cheese
- 100 ml Double Cream
- 75 g Icing Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Chocolate Curls
- Spare liquid from Cherry Jar
- Fresh Cherries
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 in a food processor to a small crumb, add the melted butter, and 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!
For the Filling
- Drain the Cherries in Kirsch from the liquid and separate the two. I pour the kirsch liquid back into the jar and refrigerate for now.
- In a separate bowl, melt the two chocolates together in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring gently or microwave in short bursts until fully melted – leave to cool slightly whilst doing the rest.
- With an electric mixer (I used my KitchenAid) Whisk the Cream Cheese and Icing sugar until combined. Add in the slightly cooled melted chocolate and whisk till smooth.
- Pour in the liquid double cream and continue to whip the cheesecake until it is starting to thicken a lot like a Mousse does (I use speed 6/10 on my KitchenAid)
- Once done, it will hold it self completely when finished whipping. Add the drained cherries to the mixture, along with one tablespoon of kirsch, and fold together. If you like, add another tablespoon of kirsch and fold through again!
- Pour the mix on to the biscuit base and smooth over. In a separate bowl, whip together the 180g Cream Cheese, 100ml cream, icing sugar and vanilla until thickened.
- Pipe rosettes around the edge of the cheesecake (like pictured) and add a fresh cherry to each. Add any spare cherries into the middle of the hole in the middle! Cover the cheesecake, and chill in the fridge for at least 5-6 hours or preferably overnight.
- Remove the cheesecake from the tin, I use a thin metal spatula to lift mine off the base in one piece. In a pan, add the liquid from the Cherries in Kirsch Jar and boil, continue to boil for a few minutes so the liquid reduces down to a thicker syrup.
- Cool the liquid and drizzle over the cheesecake. Sprinkle over some Chocolate Curls, and huzzaaaaah, you’re done!
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!
- When reducing the Kirsch liquid down to drizzle on the cheesecake, be careful not to over reduce as it’ll almost turn to a caramel and go solid. I reduce my liquid to about 1/4 of the original amount by letting it boil constantly for a few minutes.
- I used the Opies Black Cherries in Kirsch as the cherries are pitted, and they’re soaked in kirsch to suit the ‘Black Forest’ theme. If you want an alcohol free version, use a ‘Cherry Filling‘ jar, or even Black Cherry Jam!
- Also, you can drizzle the cheesecake with melted chocolate, cherry jam, or beaten down Cherry Filling instead of the spare Cherry Kirsch liquid if you wished! And you can easily just use Whipped Cream on top instead of the Vanilla Cheesecake but that’s up to you!
- This Cheesecake will last covered in the fridge for 3 days!
ENJOY!
Find my other Christmas & Cheesecake Recipes on my Recipes Page!
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J x
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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!
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 🙂
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!
Hi Jane, I am going to be making this cheesecake next week and I can’t wait! I have managed to get the cherries in Kirsch but haven’t been able to get a bottle of Kirsch. What can I use as an alternative to the kirsch in the cheesecake mixture? Can I just use the Kirsch the cherries were in? Thanks!
Hey! Oh yes you use the kirsch the cherries have been in!!
Delicious. Will be making again at Christmas time!!
Hi Jane! Your recipes are amazing I have made quite a few of them and they have turned out great! My husband loves them! Not great for the waist line but so delicious! 😅
I want to try your Black Forest cheesecake but wanted to make it non alcoholic. So I was wondering how much of the cherry filling I should use in the cheesecake mix? Would it be better to use the jam or the filling any idea which might set better?
Thanks xx
Both would set about the same – it shouldn’t be much difference to the recipe with the kirsch in, but maybe add either slowly so you don’t add too much! x
I’ve made a couple of your cheesecakes and have a 20cm tin as stated but when I put the biscuit base in, it takes up 3/4 of the tin. Both times, I’ve had to split it into 2 separate tins as there would be no way that the filling would fit in the tin. Are you using a deep tin to make these? Also, if I were to use a deep tin, I think the base would be really thick. How many cm/ inches is the base meant to be? Not sure if I’m the only one with this problem. Ps this cheesecake and the biscoff one are delish!!
The tins I use are 2.5″ deep, and I use that all for all of my cheesecake recipes with no problems. How are you making the biscuit base? It has to be a fine crumb before mixing the butter in or it will naturally take up more room. The base is only about 1.5cm when I have pushed it down and I do mention in the recipe to use a deep tin! x
It could be because I have been breaking the biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin. Maybe I’ll try to do it in a blender next time! I have the same size tin, so maybe that’s the reason. Thanks!
Ahh yes definitely – it really does need to be a fine crumb!! X
Last week I made the milky bar so thought we’d try something a little different. Not at all disappointed with the taste but it hasn’t set the same as before. However we don’t care. It’s delicious!
I made it with cherries in syrup and followed the same steps. Seems to have worked well and tastes fab. Thank you!
Hi Jane,
I really want to make any of these Cheesecakes,
but am concerned that my tin is a 9in loose bottom.
Will this affect my recipe.
Thank you
It will just make the cheesecake thinner, as a 9″ is roughly 1/3 bigger in volume (Depending on depth) x
Pretty pleased with how it looks. About to take it to a family dinner. Can’t add a pic??
I made this and it went down really well however despite being left overnight in the fridge it was very soft making it a bit messy to cut. I’m wondering if I needed more chocolate to help it set.
The mixture appeared to become looser when I folded in the cherries even though they had been drained well.
It can naturally get a little looser, but it probably just needed to be firmer before mixing in the cherries and it would have been fine! (Or add in more chocolate, yes)
Hi Jane
Im planing on making this for christmas but how much cherries do I need (in grams) can’t find opies black cherries?? Thanks Cat
If you can’t source the cherries in kirsch, use 500-600g of fresh cherries, halve them and de stone them, and soak them in Kirsch over night instead. x
Hi Jane! What do you think may be the reason of the mixture splitting? It did so at the stage of adding the chocolate (properly cooled) to Philadelphia (straight from the fridge). I proceded with the double cream and it nicely thickened as in all other recepies I’ve tried. I must say it doesn’t bother me that much here because it all still tastes amazing, doesn’t even look bad – one could be forgiven thinking I was going for a Stracciatella look. However I’d like to avoid it in your other recepies I intent to try.
Are you sure it split or did it seize? If the chocolate went slightly lumpy but the cheesecake set well then it’s seized, try using slightly more room temperature cream cheese as your chocolate might have been too cooled. If it’s split, it’s over mixing. Try whipping the cream separately and fold it in if you have problems on where to stop whisking.
Thank you so much. It didn’t split, you’re right, it seized. Next time I’ll cool the chocolate slightly (as it states in the recipe) not completely and perhaps take Philadelphia from the fridge a little earlier, but will it whip then? I’ve made many of your cheesecakes always using very chilled dB cream and fridge cold Philadelphia. The mix always whips up and sets well so I don’t want to start messing up with it.
To be fair it should be fine if the chocolate is just slightly less cool, and warmer as I use fridge cold stuff as well. ?
Some of these ingredients are foreign to me….what is digestives and double cream? Would that be similar to Graham crackers and heavy whipping cream? Also can I soak fresh cherries in kirsch and user that in the cheesecake? I have never heard of opies black cherries in kirsch.
I made this for my boyfriend’s birthday and it was a massive success!!! And soooo easy to make!!
I added cocoa powder to the biscuit base to make it darker, like the sponge in the gateau. I also couldn’t find kirsch in my local shops, so I used cherry brandy instead and it was delicious!!! I also couldn’t find cherries in kirsch so I used cherries in syrup and soaked them in the cherry brandy for 30mins or so until I prepared everything else.
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! I will definitely be making this again and again!!!!!
How long do your cheesecakes last on average?
As they all say, 3 days once set! (As long as the fresh cream has a long enough date for that!) x
If you cant get cherries in kirsh can you use cherries in syrup? Thanks
Yes for sure!
Hi Jane, I have been looking for a Black Forest cheesecake everywhere and now I’ve found this, I am going to have to try and make it!
Quick question, do you think that instead of Kirch, I could use cherry brandy? I have a bottle of that, which I only use when making Black Forest Gateau and just thought it’d be a shame to waste it. Thank you.
Umm I guess you could? Obviously I’ve never tried it, and put very small amounts in at a time maybe just in case?! Sounds delicious though! xx
I’m making this for Christmas! Looks amazing as do all your creations! Merry Christmas! X
Oooh yay!! Merry Christmas to you too! x
Hi,
I’ve looked but can’t see anything about if you use low fat philadelphia. Does it make a difference to the consistency at all?
Thanks
You need to use full-fat cream cheese as listed in the recipe and as you need the fat percentage to make it set!