No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake – Back to Basics
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A delicious, sweet and easy no-bake lemon cheesecake! Part of my back-to-basics series!
Back to basics
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!
Lemon cheesecake
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?!
Either way, lemon cheesecake is a cult classic that so many people adore, so many pubs and restaurants serve it as a dessert, it’s a classic flavour and it is just generally brilliant. I adore it so much, and this recipe is so unbelievably easy.
The biscuit base
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, and for me are more synonymous with lemon cheesecake.
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, it really is that easy.
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 100g. 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.
Cheesecake filling
For this recipe, and any cheesecake for that matter, you MUST use a full-fat soft cream cheese, never a light or low fat version, as they just do not set in the same way and you may get a sloppy mess which nobody wants. I prefer classic cream cheese 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 cream cheese 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, along with the double cream. Often, double cream is called heavy cream in other countries, but you want the fattiest liquid cream.
I add icing sugar for a hint of sweetness as I find it better than caster sugar which can be a little grainy. 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.
Method
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 prefer to do it this way, but you can whip the cream separately and fold it in. If you have a lower fat content cream, you may want to whip the cream separately to stiff peaks and fold through the rest of the recipe, but generally I find whipping the mixture all in one super easy.
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. 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.
Decorate
Once the cheesecake has set you can remove it from the tin and decorate however you fancy. Of course, you can just leave the cheesecake plain if you aren’t fussed, but I adore to decorate a cheesecake in simple ways; they make such a good dessert showstopper.
I 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. You can add in anything you want such as chocolate drizzle, but I really was just sticking to the lemon theme personally for this one.
Tips and Tricks
- I use this cake tin
- This cheesecake will last 3+ days in the fridge
- This cheesecake can freeze for 3+ months
- I use these piping bags
- I use this piping tip for the decoration
- Make sure to use full-fat ingredients
No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake!
Ingredients
Biscuit Base!
- 300 g shortbread biscuits
- 100 g unsalted butter
Cheesecake Mix!
- 600 g full-fat cream cheese
- 100 g icing sugar
- 300 ml double cream
- 75 ml lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Decoration!
- 150 ml double cream
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
- Lemon slices
- Lemon zest
Instructions
For the Biscuit Base!
- 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.
For the Cheesecake Mix!
- Add your cream cheese to a stand mixer bowl, or a large bowl. Add in your icing sugar, and whisk until 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.
For the Decoration!
- 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.
Notes
- I use this cake tin
- This cheesecake will last 3+ days in the fridge
- This cheesecake can freeze for 3+ months
- I use these piping bags
- I use this piping tip for the decoration
- Make sure to use full-fat ingredients
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J x
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Experimenting this weekend with dairy-free versions of ingredients
Hi Sarah,
I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how did the dairy free experimenting go and what di you use please? Thanks.
Hi Jane – it’s Thursday and I want to make this cheesecake for a party Sunday – however, you probably know it is near impossible to find double cream in the US. Can I use heavy cream – which has less butterfat? I’m an experienced baker – so maybe whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form and then whip in the lemon juice – then fold all of that into the cream cheese/sugar base? Also – when converting to ounces – there is only 2.54 oz of lemon juice – doesn’t seem like much to me (that is not even a 1/4 cup) and I like my lemon deserts almost “tart” with the lemon taste (although I’m not making this for myself). Would you ever put in more? Doesn’t lemon juice “assist” in making cream “firmer”?
Thanks,
Cindy
So so easy and so so delish
Hey, this recipe is amazing btw! I just have a question with the cream. When I made this the cheesecake itself came out a bit watery, the more I whisked the more watery it became. Would you recommend using whipping cream instead of double cream? That way the cream itself will thicken the more you whisk. I would prefer not to use gelatine.
Hi Jane! Just wanted to ask, if I left the finished product covered on a café counter during the day, do you suppose it would ‘melt’?
It cannot be stored out of the fridge – its a fresh product x
Hi Jane,
If I use 400/500g of cream cheese do I need to change the cream quantity?
Thanks
Yes, I would reduce it down in proportion x
Hi Jane, I am slowly going through all you no bake cheesecake recipes, I just have one question when I have make the cheesecake and it’s in the fridge to set, I get a small amount of liquid on the fridge self, can you tell me if I am doing something wrong. Thanks Carol
Hey, sometimes some soft cheeses do have liquid in the cheese which may be causing it to leak? I am unsure though as this has only happened to me once when I froze a cheesecake rather than setting it in the fridge x
I’ve just made Jane’s lemon cheesecake and overnight, mines done just the same thing! Hasn’t affected the cheesecake though. As Jane says, not sure why it happens though 🥰
Can you freeze this cheesecake?
2nd post. Meant to say with my last post, I made individual ones and half the recipe amount. Set lovely and made 12 pots.
Absolutely delicious! I crumbled mini lemon meringues into the cheesecake, used lemon extract, 2 teaspoons as suggested, lemon colouring and a ginger biscuit base. I topped it with a small meringue and a white chocolate giant button.
Hi I meant to ask this second question, and sent the first again 🤦♀️ If I add 200 gms of white chocolate, and use lemon extract instead of lemons as you advise, how much lemon extract do I use?
1-2 teaspoons as some are stronger than others xx
Hi Jane,
I am loving baking with my 12 yr old daughter. She is becoming quite a pro following your recipe’s!
One question, can we use ricotta cheese for the cheese cake? We have a spare tub and thinking of ways to use it up.
Thank you
Hi could I add mini lemon meringues?
Hey, yeah!xx
Can I add small lemon meringues?
Tastes amazing however it tastes very cheesy still.
Some soft cheeses taste stronger than others but it is also just a personal taste thing x
Hi,
I’m wondering if this would work with a layer of lemon curd on top of the biscuit base before adding the cream cheese filling?
Any help would be appreciated! Thanks! 🙂
Hey, the risk in doing that is that the cheesecake mix is just going to slide off when you take it out of the tin! its better to swirl some into the top instead xx
Hi Jane, would you wait for the cake to set before putting the curd on? And best way of swirling please! Thanks!
Hiya, I would put the curd in once the cheesecake mix is in the tin and swirl with a skewer x
I am known in my household as the cheesecake queen as I’ve made many. Unfortunately this was our least fav when I made it for my family last week. I usually use Philadelphia cream cheese with mascarpone, but this recipe uses normal cream (I used Bulla) instead of mascarpone. Which made it taste too cheesey/creamy if that makes sense. Lemon flavour was really good though, I used 3 lemons and a tablespoon of lemon from the bottle.