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A Delicious, Sweet and Easy No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake! Part of my Back-To-Basics Series!
So heyyy there, I’m back with another Back to Basics recipe! That’s right, I thought I would post another delicious recipe, but explain it down to the ground so that anyone and everyone can enjoy it and make it!
This is my fifth recipe in my Back to Basics series, and I am loving them all so far! Everything else has either been Vanilla themed, or Chocolate themed, so I thought I would delve down the lemon route.
My No-Bake Vanilla Cheesecake was a wonderful hit in the Back to Basics series, so I know you will all love this fresh and fruity No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake as well!
The basic premise of this No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake is extremely similar to the Vanilla version. The only real difference is swapping out the Vanilla for the Lemon!
The reason that I thought posting a new recipe for such a similar recipe, is partly because people google for a certain recipe, and this version will come up, as well as the other one. Also, because who doesn’t love a new recipe?!
For this beauty, I thought I would use Shortbread Biscuits in the base of the Cheesecake. This is to show that you can use pretty much any and all biscuits for a cheesecake base! I mainly use Digestives as they’re so classic, but Shortbread is delightful.
Blitzing up shortbread for a biscuit base, add a little melted butter, and pressing into the bottom of an 8″/20cm Deep Springform Tin and squishing it down firmly results in a delicious biscuity base.
If you wanted to use another biscuit that is basic, and not covered in chocolate and has no filling, the butter is always 150g. If you are using a biscuit with a filling (such as an Oreo) or a Chocolate Digestive, lower the butter to 125g.
The reason you have to change the amount of butter is that the butter can make the filling/chocolate melt, and too much butter for those biscuits would be a greasy mess. Shortbread and Digestives are interchangeable, however!
For this recipe, I use Philadelphia Original. It’s the full-fat version, and this is the only version you should use! You cannot use the light, or lightest ones, as it won’t set. You can use Mascarpone instead, or a shop own-brand cream cheese instead.
I prefer Philadelphia original for this particular recipe, as the tartness of the Cream Cheese mixes really well with the Lemon juice, but if you prefer it sweeter, you can use Mascarpone.
One key point about Mascarpone, however, it is more likely to split in comparison to Philadephia as it needs less whipping in general! If you are in other countries, you just need to use your fattiest cream cheese you can find!
So, once you whisk your Cream Cheese and Icing Sugar together so that they are smooth, you can pour in your liquid double cream. I MUCH MUCH MUCH prefer to do it this way, but you can whip the cream separately and fold it in.
Once I have started whisking in the liquid double cream, and it has started to thicken, I will slowly pour in the lemon juice as it whisks. The lemon juice, as long as it’s not added too quickly, will thicken the mixture quite a bit.
If you want your cheesecake to be a bit more ‘yellow’ to represent the flavour of the cheesecake, you add the food colouring in at the same time as the lemon juice. Once all finished and delicious, spread it over the base, and leave the cheesecake to set in the fridge for AT LEAST 5-6, or preferably overnight.
Leave the cheesecake the longer, the better. Some times, I have accidentally forgotten or neglected to decorate a cheesecake for a couple of days, and taken it out of the tin and it’s set PERFECTLY. If you find after setting overnight, your cheesecake is still very soft, it wasn’t whisked up enough.
I then decorate my cheesecake as per usual, with some whipped cream swirls, and the theme of the cheesecake. This time? Lemon slices, and lemon zest. All done, and delicious. The cheesecake is light, moussey, and DELIGHTFUL. Enjoy. x
A Delicious, Sweet and Easy No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake! Part of my Back-To-Basics Series!
- 300 g Shortbread Biscuits
- 150 g Unsalted Butter
- 600 g Full-Fat Cream Cheese
- 100 g Icing Sugar
- 300 ml Double Cream
- 75 ml Lemon Juice (about 3 lemons)
- 150 ml Double Cream
- 2 tbsp Icing Sugar
- Lemon Slices
- Lemon Zest
Blitz your Shortbread Biscuits to a fine crumb. Melt your Unsalted Butter carefully, and then add into your biscuits.
Blitz the biscuits again to combine, and add to the bottom of your 8"/20cm Deep Springform Tin.
Add your Cream Cheese to a stand mixer bowl, or a large bowl. Add in your Icing Sugar, and whisk till smooth using the whisk attachment on the Stand Mixer, or using the whisks on your Electric Hand Whisk.
Pour in your Double Cream, and whisk. As the mixture is starting to thicken, add in your Lemon Juice (and yellow food colouring if using), and whisk again.
Continue to whisk until very thick. Be careful to check the mixture frequently to see how thick it is, and fold through with a spatula to make it all even.
Once whisked, spread over the Biscuit Base, and then leave to set in the fridge fully for at least 5-6 hours, or preferably over night for longer.
Whisk together your Double Cream and Icing Sugar until pipeable. Pipe onto your Cheesecake with your favourite tip.
Add a bit of Lemon per slice, and sprinkle over some Lemon Zest.
- This Cheesecake will last for 3 days, in a fridge.
- I recommend using this 8"/20cm Springform Tin.
- I use a 2d Closed Star Piping Tip to decorate this Cheesecake!
- I use 600g Cream Cheese as I like the tin to be full. You can use 500g instead, or up to 750g and the recipe will still work.
Enjoy!
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J x
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Hi Jane,
Can the cheesecake mix be done with half mascarpone and half double cream? Thanx
Hiya – do you mean to make a smaller one? mascarpone is cream cheese, so can be used for the cream cheese, but not the double cream.
Can this recipe be frozen? Want to batch cook cheesecakes and freeze them i preparation for an event and these sound perfect 😀😀
Hiya! Yes it can – I recommend setting it for while in the fridge first, and then putting in the freezer!
This cheesecake is DELICIOUS and perfectly lemony!
So glad you liked it!
This is way too lemony for me. I used 2 and a half small lemons but found it so sour I had to use nearly 50g extra icing sugar.
It’s currently setting in the fridge, I’m hoping it won’t taste as tarte when it’s chilled but I really don’t think my family are going to like it.
Everyone has their own personal tastes, but a lemon cheesecake is meant to taste like Lemon. If you don’t like lemon, I would suggest not making a lemon flavoured recipe.
I wanted to know how to get the set torte out of the baking ton when it is set ???
As I recommend using a springform tin, you unclip the tin, and pull the tin off!
Hi, I made this cheesecake today and it’s turned out lovely. The only problem I have is getting the bottom of the tin off the biscuit base. I bought the tin you recommend but because of the groove at the bottom I can’t get it off without breaking the biscuit part. Do you have any tips for in the future please? Was I meant to line the tin?
I run a knife around the edge underneath and then lift it off – I don’t line cheesecake tins ever as I find it very faffy to get it off afterwards! x
Hi Jane,
Great recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Do you think this recipe could be made using bottled lemon or lime juice?
Arch
Hi do you need to use so much Philadelphia would around 300g be enough and keep the other ingredients the same?
I would recommend sticking to the recipe. The proportions are correct as they are.
Perfect! I made this and I also made your lemon curd (and piped it over the top to decorate). It was absolutely delicious, set perfectly and recipe easy to follow. I have now tried so many of your recipes and never had a fail, thank you!
Awh yay! So glad!
Hi Jane! Im a hugeeeeee fan of your recipes, they never fail!!!! Can I covert this recipe into cheesecake mini cups? How many cups do you reckon i can make with this recipe?
I have made several of your fabulous no bake cheesecakes. I have frozen them and wondered how long they take to defrost. Either in fridge or just in cool room? We are at wedding all day on the Saturday and want to have them for lunch the following day. We won’t be home till the Sunday so wasn’t sure whether to take out of freezer on the sat am and leave in fridge or cool room. Any advice greatly received. Love these recipes, so simple but sooooooo delicious!
Jane
I would personally leave it in the fridge overnight, unless you have a couple of hours on the Sunday until you want it? Then it should be fine to leave out on the side till you eat it!
I would love to make this, but can you please convert the recipe to American measurements? Thank you!
You can use the switch in the recipe that says “US Measurements” – or buy some digital scales so you can make any recipe!
Please tell me what icing sugar is also double cream.
Icing Sugar is a type of sugar used to make buttercream – it’s very fine and powder like. Double Cream is out fattiest liquid cream.
Sonya, icing sugar is what we in America call powdered sugar. We also do not have double cream, we have whipping cream. Oh how I miss European grocery stores! Good luck.
Hi Jane, would this base work with ginger biscuits? If so would I need to alter the amount of butter? Thanks
Yes! And if they’re a dry biscuit (Without filling), the 150g should be fine, but you can reduce it to 135g if you wanted!
Looks fab as usual. I never thought of using shortbread, must try that! Applying your basic recipe for cheesecake I’d previously made a lemon cheesecake (before this was posted) and a raspberry and white chocolate (also before I found your website) but used ginger biscuits which went down a treat! I must have another go now with your version of this. We’ve just polished off your Rolo Tart I made a few days ago, yum! Keep baking and posting, we love the recipes! x