This Black Forest Cheesecake is inspired by the gorgeous chocolate cherry and cream flavours of a traditional Black Forest Cake. Juicy kirsch spiked cherries are piled onto a super creamy no-bake cheesecake layer and bourbon biscuit base then topped with lashings of dark chocolate shards. Small but perfectly formed, this is an ideal dessert at any time of year!
This no bake Black Forest Cheesecake is just incredible. I absolutely loved making this cheesecake and loved it even more when I ate it. The rich fruit mixed with the chocolate on top of a cool creamy cheesecake is a dream come true. These iconic flavours are super together and I take any opportunity to use them. Plus as you can see it is absolutely gorgeous.
This is my go to cheesecake for dinner parties or events where I want a showstopper that will look incredible. You can store it in the fridge if you have any leftovers for a few days in an airtight container. However having made this so much I still haven’t had any leftovers once it’s been served.
This no bake cheesecake recipe is so gorgeous to eat, is definitely a show stopper and is so easy to make. The holy trinity of cheesecake. I have had some incredible response to this cheesecake and it makes me so happy to see and hear that others have enjoyed it as much as me. The main compliments I get are for the soft cherries, cool cream and shards of rich chocolate on top. The combination works and needs to be tried by more and more people.
What is Black Forest cake?
As the name suggests, Black Forest gateaux or cake hails from the Black Forest region of Germany. It has layers of chocolate sponge filled with cherries and whipped cream. The whole thing is covered in more cream, chocolate shavings and decorated with more cherries.
Chocolate and cherry go so well together. There is a reason why the Black Forest flavours are so well known as they are so incredible together. Out of all of my cheesecakes this is my absolute favourite. The gooey cherries on top are so amazing. Adding the chocolate on top in shards means it melts on your tongue, as it’s not too big to make it bite worthy.
The flavours are iconic and I clearly love them. As time has gone on, Black Forest has come to be used for various bakes and desserts using cherries and dark chocolate. It’s a trend that I love so as well as this cheesecake, I’ve created a Black Forest Bundt Cake, Black Forest Eton Mess, Chocolate Cherry Pancakes – Easy Black Forest Pancakes.
And of course you can also try my Simple & Easy Black Forest Cake with Frosting. It’s a slight twist on the original and super delicious!
How many people does a 6″ cheesecake serve?
This recipe uses a 6″/15cm tin to make a fairly small cheesecake. I often find that cheesecake recipes can involve large and often expensive quantities of ingredients to make really large cheesecakes.
Making a smaller cheesecake with 8 portions means that it can be a more regular treat for a smaller family and doesn’t need to be saved for a special occasion.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t easily scale up the recipe to make a bigger version. If you want to make this to feed a lot more people then double or triple the recipe.
To make an 8″/20cm cheesecake, you should double the recipe. This will serve 12 to 16.
To make a 12″/30cm cheesecake you should triple the recipe. This will serve 16 to 20.
If you want to make little portions but a lot of them, try using a square tin and cutting the cheesecake into nice little squares. A little square of cheesecake is rather lovely.
Why make a no-bake cheesecake?
Simple – they’re really easy as well as being creamy and delicious.
A traditional baked cheesecake is a thing of beauty but simply buy their nature, they do take longer to make. They can also be trickier to master and they can crack or curdle. So I am a huge fan of the no-bake version – in fact I have developed lots of delicious varieties.
Many no-bake cheesecakes use gelatin to help set the cheesecake but I do not find this necessary. This means that this cheesecake recipe is suitable for vegetarians.
You can find my whole range in this handy roundup post – The Best No Bake Cheesecake Recipes. There is everything from fruity and boozy favourites to halloween and christmas themed cheesecakes.
What do I need to make a Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake?
To make this easy no-bake Black Forest Cheesecake you will need these ingredients.
For the Black Forest topping you will need:
- 410 g Black cherry fruit filling tin
- 150 g Blackberries
- 125 g Blueberries
- 1 Lime
- 2 tablespoons Kirsch (optional)
Cherries are a great addition to cheesecakes and are an easy addition to make it look gorgeous and taste great too. You can add fresh cherries to the cheesecake mix and decorate it with them too. A cherry cheesecake can also be made with cherry filling like in this recipe. I love making a cherry cheesecake gooey and sweet which compliments the creamy layer so so well.
Take this recipe to the next level by making it a Black Forest cheesecake with kirsch. Kirsch is a cherry liqueur made with brandy traditionally made from double distillation of morello cherries, a cousin of the sour cherry. It’s rich and has a great cherry flavour. You can use it for this recipe by adding a tablespoon or two to the cherries as you are cooking them. It will give a good extra taste and make it a bit more boozy too.
When I made this I had blueberries and blackberries which I added into the cherry and blackberry mix. You don’t need to do this but it does taste good. Extra berries can only be better!
For the Cheesecake you will need:
- 45 g Unsalted butter
- 150 g Bourbon biscuits
- 300 g Soft cream cheese
- 60 g Caster sugar
- 150 ml Double cream
What cream cheese is best for no-bake cheesecake?
Most cream cheeses are best for cheesecake. The full fat versions are great and do give a great taste. Unlike in baked cheesecakes, the reduced fat varieties can still work.
In both cases if there is any water on top remove it before adding the cheese to the mix. Water can make the final cheesecake not set as well.
Branded cream cheese vs own brands
There are so many different types of cream cheese available and having tried a few different ones I think they all work pretty well.
Philadelphia is probably the most well known brand in the UK and US and this is obviously great to use. But I mostly use supermarket own brand varieties and they are just as good.
I would however recommend that you avoid using super savers versions as sometimes they can be a bit bitty and not have the nicest flavour. I would also recommend that you avoid any flavoured varieties.
For the Topping you will need:
- 60 g Dark chocolate
An Alternative: Black Cherry Cheesecake
Black cherry cheesecake is a wonderfully simple way of creating a beautiful and delicious cheesecake. You can simply make this recipe without the chocolate and use black cherries instead.
You will need to mush down the cherries slightly over a low heat with some sugar (to taste) and water. Add some cherry liqueur if you want to make it boozy. It will work very very well. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before you add the topping on the cheesecake base. If it’s still warm you will melt the cream and we don’t need that!
How to decorate a Black Forest cheesecake
Making the Black Forest inspired topping is easy. Pop the ingredients in a pan and allow the fruits to soften on a low heat. Remove and allow to cool. Easy.
The addition of lime to the fruit adds a little sharpness to counteract the sweetness of cherries.
How to make chocolate shards
To get the beautiful chocolate shards on top I used a knife and cut at a chocolate bar on the diagonal. You get beautiful looking chocolate crumbs.
I don’t know why cutting on the diagonal works so well but it does for decoration like this. It produces a wonderful mix of the large and little shards of chocolate which stand out so beautifully against the soft fruit.
How to store no-bake Black Forest cheesecake
You will need to store your cheesecake in the fridge. It is a good idea to cover it if you can to prevent it from absorbing other flavours from the fridge.
A well stored cheesecake will keep for up to 3 days. This means that you can make it up to several days in advance. I do recommend that you do not add the chocolate decoration until you are nearly ready to serve.
FREEZING NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE
No bake cheesecakes are ideal to freeze. You should remove the cheesecake from the tin and wrap it in clingfilm (saran wrap) then freeze. Storing it in an airtight container will add an extra layer of protection if you have room in the freezer.
To thaw the cheesecake, take it out of the freezer the day before and leave it in the fridge overnight to defrost.
I would not recommend adding the chocolate shards to the cheesecake before freezing so this should be done once the cheesecake has thawed.
When to Serve Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
I love to serve this cheesecake at Christmas. It is a delicious lighter alternative to Christmas pudding and a more exciting alternative to trifle!
I have lots of lovely recipes which are perfect for Christmas – you can find them all in my Christmas category, hit the button below to go straight there.
Pin this Black Forest Cheesecake recipe for later
Black Forest Cheesecake – Easy No Bake Recipe
Ingredients
Black Forest topping
- 410 g Black cherry fruit filling tin
- 150 g Blackberries
- 125 g Blueberries (optional)
- 1 Lime
- 2 tablespoons Kirsch (optional)
Cheesecake
- 45 g Unsalted butter
- 150 g Bourbon biscuits
- 300 g Soft cream cheese
- 60 g Caster sugar
- 150 ml Double cream / heavy cream
- 60 g Dark chocolate
Instructions
Making the black forest topping
- Place the tinned cherries, blueberries and blackberries in a saucepan. Along with the fresh lime juice.
- On a low heat allow the mix to reduce down. Keep an eye on the mix and stir regularly.
- Once the fruit has started mushing down slightly remove from the heat and allow to cool.
The Cheesecake
- Lightly grease an 6 inch loose base cake tin. (I also added a greaseproof paper circle at the bottom to help it off the base later).
- Melt the butter gently in the microwave or in a pan and then take off the heat.
- Crush the bourbon biscuits in a food processor, or put it in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to break them up (my preferred method).
- Put the biscuit crumbs in a bowl and add the melted butter. Stir until all the biscuits are coated in the butter.
- Scoop the crumbs into the tin and push down to make a hard layer. Place the cake tin in the fridge and leave to harden while you make the cream layer.
- In a bowl cream together the cream cheese and caster sugar until the sugar has dissolved and is well distributed.
- In a new bowl lightly whip the double cream until it starts to thicken.
- Stir in the double cream and cream cheese mixture together.
- Remove the cake tin from the fridge and add the cream cheese to the base and put back into the fridge to set. It takes roughly about 45-60 minutes.
- Remove the cheesecake from the tin and place on a plate. Spoon the cool cherry mix over the top.
- Chop the chocolate on the diagonal creating the beautiful flakes. Sprinkle on the cheesecake and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Want more cheesecake? Check these out
Toblerone Cheesecake – No Bake
No Bake Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
Baileys and White Chocolate Cheesecake
Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake – No Bake Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake – No Bake Recipe
Black Forest Eton Mess
Easy Black Forest Bundt Cake
This looks so beautiful and I love how easy it is to make too! The perfect Christmas dessert.
Thank you, that’s so kind x
This is such an incredible cheesecake! I would love a slice!
You are always welcome to come and enjoy a slice if you’re near by
Ooh Sisley, you are such a temptress. Love a good Black Forest cake, but I reckon this is even better – it looks divine. Wishing you a Merry Merry Christmas.
You are too kind. So sweet to say. Merry Christmas x
I don’t think I could share this cheesecake with anyone! The flavours are beautiful and so fitting during the festive/winter season. Creamy cheesecake against cherry/berries filling and all that dark chocolate… Heaven! 🙂
Aww that is so nice of you to say 🙂
This looks so pretty! It would make a lovely alternative to Christmas pudding – yum!
Thank you Mandy. I love how easy it was to decorate and how beautiful it looked.
This is an amazing cheesecake
That looks totally luscious. I have been to the Black Forest area of Germany and the cakes were just so good. Your Black Forest Cheesecake would be right at home there.
That is the best compliment ever! Thank you.
This looks delicious. Can it be frozen.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing it but you can make it a few days in advance and store in the fridge.