I used to own a coffee shop many moons ago and one of the recipes on the menu was fridge cheesecake. I never ate it because I didn’t like fridge cheesecake, I preferred baked cheesecakes. I never really paid attention to the recipe, but over the years I have had many requests for a fridge cheesecake. This past weekend a follower asked me if I could please give her a fridge cheesecake recipe. She had used a recipe from a reputable magazine and made a double batch and it sagged in the middle. Fridge cheesecakes usually have too much gelatine in them for my liking and or they are too sweet. I think this recipes is a perfect balance of jiggly with just enough sweetness to satisfy my tooth preference. It was inspired by my coffee shop recipe with a few adjustments for my taste. I did get a great rave review from a family member who is not Brian. This is high praise indeed and it was also unexpected because I too thought she only liked baked cheesecake.
Cake pans are very important when baking, I’ve discovered this the hard way with many flops along the way. Pay attention to what size you need to use when baking. I went ahead and created this Fridge Cheesescake recipe. I hope you like it as much as I surprisingly do. It’s so easy to make, with no oven required. Here is the basic recipe. I will get around to making it fancy in the future, but for now make this perfectly deliciously light and creamy Fridge Cheesecake.
I ate a piece after 4 hours and it was great. It was a little wobbly, but I was in a hurry to give feedback to my follower. I recommend making this the day ahead and leaving the gelatine to set properly and the flavours to intensify. It will last for at least 4 days in the fridge, maybe even longer. I’ve eaten a slice every day since I made it and it taste better and better every time. This is all in the name of research and recipe testing. I’m putting my body on the line here, I hope you know. I didn’t take the best instagram worthy photo’s because I was testing, but I have to share this recipe now, because Christmas is coming and no one wants to be up to their elbows in another complicated recipe.
Fridge Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 4 tsp gelatine agar agar is a vegetarian alternative
- 125 ml boiled water
- 150 g crushed biscuits, half Tennis half Marie (- use 200g if you prefer a thicker base, I don't)
- 100 g melted butter
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 50 ml lemon juice + zest
- 250 ml fresh cream
- 1 tin condensed milk
- 500 g smooth cottage cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the gelatine and leave to cool, while getting on with the rest of the recipe. Add the gelatine to the boiled water and stir to ensure there are no lumps and it’s properly dissolved. Set aside to cool. Do not let it cool completely as you will have a thick jelly. You can bring it back to liquid form by placing over a warm water bath to “melt” again, but that won’t be necessary if you go at a steady pace. 4 tsp gelatine, 125 ml boiled water
- Add the melted butter to the crushed biscuits and mix to combine add the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, continue to mix.150 g crushed biscuits, half Tennis half Marie (use 200g if you prefer a thicker base, I don't) , 100 g melted butter, ½ tsp cinnamon
- Pour the biscuit crumb into the 23cm buttered springform pan and press down with the back of a spoon.
- Refrigerate until ready to fill.
- Whisk the cream to soft peak stage add the lemon zest to the cream set aside until ready to fold into other ingredients. 50 ml lemon juice + zest, 250 ml fresh cream
- In a blender add cottage cheese and the condensed milk and blend until smooth and evenly combined. Scrape down the sides with a spatula to ensure an even mix, 500 g smooth cottage cheese, 1 tin condensed milk
- Add the lemon juice to the gelatine mix to bring the temperature down to room temperature
- With the blender still running add the gelatine to the cottage cheese, condensed milk mix.
- Fold in the whipped cream and lemon zest.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
- Refrigerate for 6 -8 hours or overnight. Use a offset spatula dipped in hot water around the circumference of the springform pan before unclipping it.
- Serve with blueberry jam or other stewed fruit or your choice of fruit topping. Extra cream or ice cream is also a treat. I had fresh cherries
- This cheesecake has a thin biscuit base. Add 50g more biscuits if you want a thicker base. Adjust the butter too by adding about 30g.
- Lemon juice can be replaced with 2 tsp vanilla extract and you can also add 30ml of Roses Lime cordial to the lemon juice for a more punchy taste. This was a tip from Ina Paarman.