Christmas Cake Cheesecake (No Bake)
Want an alternative to Christmas pudding this year? Or maybe you are wondering what to do with some leftover Christmas cake? Or maybe you had a Christmas cake that went a bit wrong and you’re wondering what to do with it? Either way, you are going to love this easy no bake Christmas Cake Cheesecake - all the flavours of a Christmas cake in cheesecake form!
Servings 12 slices
Calories 524kcal
Equipment
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 table knife
- 1 Electric hand whisk (use the 2 beaters attachment)
Ingredients
Base
- 100 g slightly salted butter
- 200 g digestive biscuits (or Ginger Nut Biscuits, if you prefer)
Topping
- 560 g full fat cream cheese (I use Philadelphia)
- 300 g double cream (US - heavy cream)
- 100 g caster sugar
- 4 tablespoons brandy (optional – but strongly advised!)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional - use this if you don't want to use brandy)
- 300 g Christmas cake (either homemade or shop bought)
Decoration (optional)
- 4 clementines
- Brown sugar – ideally demerara
Instructions
Base
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Turn off the heat as soon as all the butter has melted.
- Meanwhile place the biscuits in a large bowl and bash with the end of a rolling pin until you have fine crumbs.
- Pour the butter into the bowl and stir so everything is well mixed.
- Tip the buttery biscuit crumbs into a 20cm / 8inch springform tin, smooth out with the back of a spoon making sure it is pressed into all the corners, then press down all over, until you have a nice flat base.
- Chill the base in the fridge while you make the topping.
Topping
- Place the cream cheese, double cream, caster sugar, vanilla extract and brandy (if using) in a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until thick. (Take care not to over beat – you should stop immediately when you get to the point where the mixture is stiff and holds its shape / doesn’t fall off the beaters.)
- Crumble in the Christmas cake, then stir the Christmas cake through the topping mixture until it is very well mixed in.
- Remove the base from the fridge and spoon the topping mixture on top of the base. Use a table knife to spread the topping out evenly and smooth over the top.
- Cover with cling film and place in the fridge until set (about 3 hours) or ideally overnight.
Decoration
- Just before serving, peel and cut the clementines into thick slices.
- Sprinkle with brown sugar and place on a baking tray. (One suitable for going under a very hot grill – not all are.)
- Place the baking tray under a very hot grill for 5 minutes to caramelize the clementine slices – watch it like a hawk to make sure they don’t burn!
- As soon as the clementine slices are nicely browned, remove from the grill and immediately use a fish slice, or similar, to transfer onto a plate and allow to cool for 5 minutes. You will need to be very gentle at this moment or they are likely to tear. (NOTE: Do not leave the clementine slices on the baking tray, as they are likely to stick!)
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform tin and place on a serving plate or stand.
- Decorate with the caramelized clementines, and serve!
- (NOTE: You can just use fresh clementine slices if you prefer / don’t want the additional step of caramelization.)
Notes
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Nutrition
Calories: 524kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 375mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1216IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 1mg