No-bake strawberry cheesecake with a buttery shortbread crust, a creamy cheesecake filling, fresh strawberries and a refreshing lemon jelly.
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Not only does this cheesecake require no-oven, it's also fresh, fruity and delicious. The lemon jelly on top also gives the cheesecake a special touch that will wow your friends and family!
One of the first recipes I posted on this blog was a no-bake cheesecake. Since then my blog has come a long way... I think you can probably tell just from a glance! Although the two of the cheesecakes might be similar, the texture is slightly different. This strawberry no-bake cheesecake is a lot lighter in texture, while the original berry no-bake cheesecake has a creamier New York style texture despite it being a no-bake recipe. Either way both cheesecakes are equally as delicious!
Tips to creating the perfect cheesecake texture
Here are a couple of tips to give your no-bake cheesecake the perfect texture:
- Use room temperature ingredients
Using room temperature ingredients helps the batter come together easier. Cream cheese can be difficult to work with when chilled as it clumps up easily. Although we do use a blender in this recipe, it will make the assembly process easier.
- Use a blender!
This is my trick to creating a smooth and creamy no-bake cheesecake batter. This way you don't have to worry about chunks of strawberries, cream cheese or gelatine appearing in your batter. A quick blitz and the batter is silky smooth. Most recipes will whip the cream and fold it into the batter, but processing all the ingredients also brings air into the batter to create a light cheesecake.
Tips on arranging the strawberries
The defining feature of this cake is the clear lemon jelly with a swirl of strawberries. Follow these tips to ensure your cake is as stunning as it can be...
- Arrange the strawberries starting from the outer edges and work your way inwards
Arranging the strawberries from the outer edges of the cake helps create an even arrangement of strawberry slices
- Work in rings
Arrange the strawberries in rings, this prevents confusion when arranging the strawberries over the cake. It also looks more neat and organised!
- Ensure the lemon jelly has cooled completely
It's important to make sure the lemon jelly has completely cooled before pouring it over the strawberries. If the jelly mixture hasn't cooled completely it can melt the cheesecake base and cause the jelly layer to turn murky.
- Pour the lemon jelly carefully
It's important to be as careful as possible when pouring the lemon jelly over the strawberries. As you pour the lemon jelly the strawberries will start to float, if you pour the lemon jelly too quickly your beautifully arranged strawberry pattern will be ruined so be careful!
- Transfer carefully
As the strawberries are floating in the lemon jelly, during the transportation of the cake from your countertop to the fridge, the strawberries can easily fall out of their arrangement. Make sure you move the cake slowly and carefully to your fridge to preserve the strawberry formation.
Frequently asked questions
Which tin should I use?
A spring form pan or cake ring works best when making this cake!
Do I have to use acetate?
If you are unsure what acetate is, acetate is the clear plastic that you often find wrapped around cakes. This helps to create a smooth edge to mousse cakes that need to be set. Understandably acetate is not in everybody's pantry so baking paper is a great alternative.
Simply trim the baking paper to the height of the pan and line the edges.
I don't have the right sized pan, will this affect the texture?
Nope! As this is a no-bake cheesecake there is no difference in bake times between cake tins. It will set perfectly no matter what vessel you use, just make sure that it isn't too big otherwise you'll end up with a very thin cake.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Definitely! Frozen strawberries are a great option because they are always available, cheaper and equally as delicious. Thaw your strawberries before using as normal.
Can I use different fruits?
Yes, this cake is super versatile and can take on other fruits like blueberries, raspberries, mango, etc. Make sure you don't use kiwi fruits, pineapples or papaya though. These fruits have enzymes that break down the gelatine, preventing the cake from setting.
Why is my cheesecake still runny?
Usually the cake is runny because it hasn't been chilled for long enough. Place it in the fridge for another hour or 2 to firm up. If you find the cheesecake still hasn't set, there's a probability that not enough gelatine was used. It might be a little runny, but it'll still be delicious!
Let's Get Baking
This cake is so refreshing and delicious and perfect when you need a sweet treat. If you are a cheesecake fan give this one a go!
If you make these make sure leave a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how it went. Also tag me on instagram @catherine.justdessertsau and hashtag #cattycakes so I can see and share your creations.
Follow me on facebook, pinterest, youtube and tiktok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy baking!
Print📖 Recipe
No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
A buttery shortbread crust, a creamy and tangy strawberry cheesecake filling, fresh strawberries and a refreshing lemon jelly.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 x 7-inch cake 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Intermediate
Ingredients
Cheesecake Base
- 150g Digestive/shortbread cookies (5.3 oz)
- 60g Unsalted butter, melted (¼ cup)
Cheesecake
- 250g Cream cheese, softened (8.8 oz)
- 95g Greek yoghurt (⅓ cup)
- 120g Fresh strawberries (4.2 oz)
- 100g White sugar (½ cup)
- 2 ½ tsp Gelatine powder
- 30ml Water (2 tbsp)
Strawberry and Lemon Jelly
- 2 tsp Gelatine powder
- 30ml Water (I) (2 tbsp)
- 400ml Water (II) (1 ⅔ cup)
- 25g (2 tbsp) White sugar
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 Punnet strawberries
Instructions
Cheesecake base
- If using a 7 inch cake ring wrap the bottom with cling wrap, if using a 7 inch springform pan line the bottom with baking paper
- Line the sides of the tin with acetate / baking paper
- Crush the biscuits in a food processor or with a rolling pin
- Combine the biscuits and melted butter in a bowl until well combined
- Transfer the crushed biscuits to the lined tin and press the crumbs into the base
Cheesecake
- Whisk the water and gelatine powder together in a small bowl and set aside to bloom
- Combine the cream cheese, greek yoghurt, strawberries and sugar in the bowl of a blender, blitz until smooth
- Melt the bloomed gelatine at 5 second intervals in the microwave
- With the blender running slowly stream in the melted gelatine
- Pour the cheesecake batter over the biscuit base and cover with cling wrap
- Place the cheesecake in the fridge for 3-4 hours until set
Strawberry and Lemon Jelly
- Whisk the water (I) and gelatine powder together in a small bowl and set aside to bloom
- Combine the water (II), sugar and lemon juice in a microwave safe bowl
- Heat the lemon water for 1 minute and whisk until the sugar has dissolved
- Melt the bloomed gelatine at 5 second intervals in the microwave
- Whisk the melted gelatine into the lemon water and set aside
- Slice each strawberry into 4 slices and arrange over the top of the cheesecake
- Slowly and gently pour the lemon jelly through a fine meshed sieve, over the strawberries
- Gently relocate the cake into the fridge and allow it to set for 3 hours
- Once set, remove the cake from the tin
- Peel off the acetate/baking paper lining and enjoy!
Keywords: strawberry, cheesecake, lemon, jelly, no-bake, berry, fruit, mousse
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Amazing cheesecake and very light. I used frozen strawberries and the result was excellent. I would recommend to leave in the fridge overnight once you pour the gelatine mixture as I found the taste to be a bit better.
★★★★★
Thanks for stopping by again and leaving a comment! So glad you liked the cheesecake and a great tip about the gelatine 🙂
Yum! Can’t wait to try! If I wanted to make a lemon version how much lemon juice should I add ?
I would add the zest of a lemon and a tbsp of lemon juice 🙂
Hi. The cake looks delicious. If I wanted to make a plain version of the no bake cheese cake, can I just omit the 120g of fresh strawberries? Or should I replace it with something else?
Yes you can just omit the strawberries!