An unbaked, whipped cheesecake on a graham crust, set overnight in the fridge.
Originally from Afterthoughts Dessert Restaurant back from Ann’s working days.
Crust
- graham crumbs, enough to cover the bottom of the pan (or half graham and half Oreo crumbs)
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- a sprinkle of cinnamon
Heat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
Pour the crumbs into a 23 cm (9 inch) round pan about 2.5 cm (1 inch) deep. Sprinkle in a little cinnamon (skip it if it won’t complement your flavours) and mix it in with your fingers. Make a well in the middle, pour in the melted butter, and mix it into the crumbs with your fingers. If it’s too wet, add more crumbs; too dry, add more butter. Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the pan, including the edges.
Bake 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.
Filling
- 750 g cream cheese
- 1½ cups icing sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 L whipping cream
Cream the cream cheese in a mixer. Add the icing sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla, and mix until blended.
With the mixer on low, pour in the whipping cream slowly. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl.
Start the mixer on low again, and increase the speed as the cream is incorporated. Whip until thick enough to stick to a spatula rather than slide off. Don’t over- or under-whip.
Throw the filling against the sides of the pan to prevent air bubbles. Smooth it with a spatula, pushing it to the edges.
Chill for 24 hours before removing from the pan.
To serve
Top with a sauce or fresh fruit, or drizzle the sides with ganache.
Equipment
- 23 cm (9 inch) round pan
Variations
Cherry
You’ll need 1 can cherry pie filling. Fill the pan just over half with the filling and form a shallow well to within 2.5 cm (1 inch) of the edges. Add the cherry pie filling, reserving some of the jelly (no cherries) for the top. Fill the pan with the remaining cheesecake mixture and smooth the top. Add a circle of the reserved jelly to the top. Drizzle the sides with chocolate ganache and top with whipped cream rosettes.
Tiramisu
You’ll need a baked white cake, 2 shots of espresso, and cocoa and icing sugar for dusting. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight, then trim all the edges. Replace the lemon juice and vanilla in the filling with 1 shot of espresso. Fill the pan just over half with the filling and form a shallow well to within 2.5 cm (1 inch) of the edges. Lay the trimmed cake in the well and drizzle it with the second shot of espresso. Fill the pan with the remaining filling and smooth the top. Dust with a 50/50 mix of cocoa and icing sugar.
Whistler
You’ll need a baked chocolate cake, chocolate sauce, and ganache. Use a boxed cake mix: it’s drier and more cohesive than scratch-made, so it holds up better in the filling. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight, then cut it into cubes. Fold half the cake gently into the filling without overmixing. Mound the rest of the cake on top of the cheesecake. Drizzle the mound with chocolate sauce, then ganache.
Fresh berry
You’ll need fresh berries, washed and dried. Fold blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries gently into the filling. For strawberries, save a little filling for the top: push the strawberries into the filling once it’s in the pan, then cover them with the remaining filling and smooth the top. Drizzle the sides with chocolate ganache and top with whipped cream rosettes and fresh fruit.