Tom Kerridge's Peach and Strawberry Cheesecake
A no-bake cheesecake topped with fresh peaches and strawberries – the perfect way to end a summer Sunday lunch. And you can make it ahead for extra ease on the day!
Ingredients
Cheesecake
Topping
Method
Line the base of a 23cm round springform cake tin. To do this, open up the springform ring, place a piece of greaseproof paper over the base of the cake tin and tuck this into the springform ring. Close the ring around the base and trim off any excess paper underneath.
Crush the digestive biscuits in a food processor if you have one, or alternatively, you can pop them in a bag and bash them gently with a rolling pin. Mix them with the melted butter, tip this mixture into the base of your tin and flatten it down evenly with the base of a glass. Now put the tin in the fridge for around 30 minutes to 1 hour so the base can firm up while you get on with your filling.
Place the gelatine sheets in a small bowl of cold water and leave them to soften. Heat the lemon juice over a medium heat in a small pan. When hot, remove from the heat. Lift the gelatine out of the bowl, squeeze out any excess water and add it to the lemon juice. Stir until it dissolves.
Pour the double cream into a bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form, then set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric whisk to soften. Then add the sugar, lemon zest and vanilla paste and beat again to mix. Pour in the cooled gelatine mixture and beat gently until incorporated. Fold the double cream into the cream cheese mixture with a wooden spoon. Take your cake tin out of the fridge, spoon the cheesecake filling over the base and smooth the top with a step palette knife.
Pop the tin back into the fridge for 2-3 hours to firm up.
About 10-20 minutes before you are ready to serve, mix all the topping ingredients together in a bowl.
When the cheesecake has set, take it out of the fridge and run a palette knife carefully around the inside edge of the tin. Remove the tin and transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate. Cut it into wedges then add the fruit topping.
Tom’s tips:
Tucking greaseproof paper into the tin before filling makes it much easier to remove the cheesecake once it’s set, stopping it sticking to the tin.
Cream cheese should be room temperature when making a cheesecake as it’s easier to combine flavours. Full fat cream cheese tastes best.
Don’t over compress the base or it can firm up very hard. Use the bottom of a glass to gently flatten it.
