Easy Lemon Cheesecake is a hit for dessert at any time of year. On a buffet table, at a party or for a family lunch. Make-ahead for an easy, special pudding.
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Not a GBBO Showstopper, but a hit for lunch or dinner and much quicker and easier to make!
This easy Lemon Cheesecake recipe was given to me by my first boyfriend’s mother – Milly – and in our house, it’s always called Milly’s Cheesecake.
I’m afraid the original had cherry pie filling as a topping, which was quite the thing at the time, but 30-odd years on I think fresh fruit is a better option.
What’s in the Cheesecake Biscuit Base?
The base for this cheesecake is, basically, digestive biscuits and butter. The biscuits need bashing with a rolling pin or meat hammer – a very satisfying excuse for working out any pent-up aggression.
Melt the butter, stir in the biscuit crumbs, cool in the fridge. Job done.
What sort of cheese is in cheesecake?
My original recipe gave a choice of cottage cheese, curd cheese or cream cheese. I have tried all three over the years and they’re all good, but very different.
Using cottage cheese will give a different texture to the cheesecake. I was going to say lumpier, which sounds unpleasant, but isn’t. It’s the texture of creamy cottage cheese really.
Curd cheese is hard to get hold of these days. It’s lighter in texture than cream cheese, and less creamy, but it’s actually my favourite version of this cheesecake.
Cream cheese is what I mostly use though because it’s easy to find and the texture is wonderful.
What makes this cheesecake easy?
The recipe is simple and quick. It uses a lemon jelly to help it set – nothing sophisticated there.
If you want to faff about with gelatine (and I don’t much any more), this isn’t what you’re looking for. If you want a quick and easy lemon cheesecake to please friends and family, look no further.
What’s the best topping for Easy Lemon Cheesecake?
Raspberries are a beautiful contrast to the pale, lemony cheesecake and in summer they’re my favourite.
Blueberries always look good, especially if you can find large ones.
In winter, you could use slices of kiwi fruit or cape gooseberries (or physalis) – those orange berries in a papery case – for decoration.
How big do you make the cheesecake?
Well, the original recipe says Makes 2. I either use a 20cm tin and make one big one, which serves about 10, or I use 15cm tins to make two.
If you make 2, use slightly more digestive biscuits and butter for the base – 250g and 125g. I’ve tried using that much for the larger single cheesecake, but I think it’s a bit too much, so I reduced it.
In the pictures and the recipe I made a single 20cm lemon cheesecake, so you can get an idea of the size.
How much can you make ahead?
You can make just the base, or the whole cheesecake, the day before you want it. Just add the fresh fruit on the day.
This is a very robust dessert, which is one of the reasons that it was one of the staple puddings on my mother’s buffet table at parties.
The other reasons are that it’s quick to make and it really is an Easy Lemon Cheesecake.
How do you make Easy Lemon Cheesecake Gluten-Free?
You can also make the base with gluten-free digestives which work well if you have someone with coeliac to feed.
What else do you need to make Easy Lemon Cheesecake?
- 20cm shallow round cake tin – Useful for cakes or puddings, I prefer one with a loose bottom – so much easier to get this cheesecake out!
- Baking parchment circles – Line the tin with this and the base doesn’t stick plus there’s less mess. I bought a pack in mixed sizes some years ago and it’s still going strong.
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Easy Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the base:
- 200 g digestive biscuits
- 100 g butter
For the cheesecake:
- 1 lemon jelly
- 500 g cream cheese
- 150 ml double cream
For the topping:
- 150 g fresh berries e.g. raspberries
Equipment
Instructions
Preparation:
- Make the jelly up to 300ml only.Use as little hot water as necessary to dissolve the jelly and top up with cold water
- Put in the fridge to cool but not begin to set - 10-20 minutes depending on the initial temperature
- Line the cake tin with a baking parchment circle or thoroughly grease the tin with butter
For the base:
- Crush the biscuits.I put them in a bag and bash them with a rolling pin
- Melt the butter and mix in the biscuit crumbs
- Press the crumb mixture into the prepared tin
- Put in the fridge to cool while you prepare the cheesecake
For the cheesecake:
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth
- Add the cream and beat in
- When the jelly is just beginning to thicken, beat it into the mixture
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the base
- Put in the fridge to set for at least an hour, but it's fine overnight
- Remove from the tin and remember to take off the parchment circle
- Decorate with fresh fruit to serve.
Notes
Everyday Cooks tips:
- To make 2 smaller cheesecakes use 15cm tins and increase the ingredients for the base to 250g digestives and 125g butter
- Make ahead - up to 24 hours. Decorate just before serving
Made this recipe or got a question? Let me know!