If you are looking for an easy Philadelphia cheesecake you are in the right place. I use Philadelphia for my cheesecakes and it makes the perfect base for a fancier decorated cheesecake but also works incredibly well for a simple yet delicious no bake vanilla cheesecake.
5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 40 minutesmins
Fridge Bake 1 hourhr
Total Time 1 hourhr40 minutesmins
Course Bakes, Cakes, Sweet Treats
Cuisine American, British, English, International
Servings 12large portions
Calories 542kcal
Equipment
8 inch Cake Tin(loose base cake tin or spring form cake tin)
Lightly grease an 8-inch cake tin, use a little of the same butter that you use for the base. (I also added a greaseproof paper circle at the bottom to help it off the base later).
Making the Cheesecake Biscuit Base
Melt the 90g butter gently in the microwave in short bursts (in a microwavable bowl for about 20 seconds at a time) or in a saucepan on a low heat and then take off the heat so it doesn't burn.
Crush the 300g shortbread biscuits in a food processor, or put them in a plastic sandwich bag and use a rolling pin to break them up (my preferred method to leave them as a larger crumb).
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 gently with the back of a spoon to make a hard layer. Place the cake tin in the fridge and leave to harden for 30 minutes while you make the cream layer.
Cream Cheese Layer
In a bowl cream together the 600g cream cheese and 120g caster sugar until the sugar has dissolved and is well distributed.
Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste if you want to go extra fancy.
In a new bowl lightly whip the 300ml double cream until it thickens and has soft peaks.
Sieve in the 50g Icing sugar.
Mix the double cream and cream cheese mixture together.
Remove the cake tin from the fridge. Add a little of the cream cheese mixture to the base.
Put back into the fridge to set for at least an hour. Longer is fine if you want to make it ahead of time for an event.
Remove the cheesecake from the tin and place on a plate.
Cheesecake Decoration
Whisk the remaining 150ml double cream until it starts to thicken. Add a star nozzle to a piping bag and add the cream. Pipe the cream into swirls around the outside of the cheesecake.
Decorate with your favourite toppings (see notes for ideas).
Serve and enjoy or put it back into the fridge until later.
Video
Notes
A vanilla cheesecake (no bake) is a perfect base for adding your favourite toppings too. My top picks for decorating a vanilla cheesecake has to be fresh berries including strawberries, chocolate shavings and of course SPRINKLES!
You can create this cheesecake in advance for a party or event. Bring out from the fridge and serve.
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight box. It will last about 3 days if you don't eat it all quicker than that.