Un-baked Chocolate Cheesecake

This, I think, even surpasses my tiramisu recipe. It makes a stunning centrepiece for a dinner party, it feeds at least 12, and it’s so low-tech that I’ve even made it while camping. If you tend to be on holiday when a family celebration occurs and most people would go out and buy a cake, this is your solution!!

You will need a 9″/23cm non-stick springform tin, an electric handheld mixer (or a spiral whisk), 2 mixing bowls, 1 large glass bowl and a heatproof measuring jug.

Recipe: Un-baked Chocolate cheesecake

Ingredients

  • 7oz / 200g digestive biscuits, crushed
  • 4½oz / 125g Tomor, melted
  • 1 box Morinu Silken Tofu (soft is easier, but firm will give in eventually!)
  • 1 box Alpro Custard
  • 6½ tbsps icing sugar, sifted
  • 1tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 packet powdered gelatine or agar
  • 5floz /  150ml very hot, but not quite boiling water
  • 1 box Organic Cremovita
  • 7oz / 200g Kinnerton’s Chocolate

Instructions

  1. Put the crushed biscuits and the melted Tomor into a mixing bowl and blend the two together thoroughly until you have something which looks like a bowl of damp sand.
  2. Press it into the 9″ / 23cm springform tin to form an even layer across the base. Use the backs of your fingers to press it down and make sure that there are no gaps under the surface.
  3. Put it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours (or I tend to leave it overnight).
  4. Beat the tofu very thoroughly with a hand-held electric mixer. Get a teaspoon and test the texture in your mouth. It needs to be as close to completely smooth as you can get it: texture is a huge part of the effect of cheesecake. If you’re making this without electrical gadgets, beat the living daylights out of it with a spiral hand whisk! You’ll need to be persistent, but it will go beyond the grainy stage and when it’s finally smooth, you’re ready to move on.
  5. Add the custard, the icing sugar and the vanilla. Beat it all together thoroughly.
  6. Put the chocolate, broken into bits, into a large glass bowl and set up a bain marie under it to melt the chocolate while you do the next things.
  7. Beat the Cremovita until it is thick and its volume has increased to almost double its size.
  8. Prepare the gelatine/agar according to the instructions on your pack. I use the sort that needs a little very hot water. Do not boil it as that can affect the texture of your final dessert, making it gritty. I boil the kettle and pour the boiling water into a pyrex jug to measure it out, then mix up the gelatine/agar in it. This cools the water just enough, but not too much.
  9. This next bit can get messy as you do have to stir quite hard and move quickly. Pour the prepared gelatine into the chocolate, stirring vigorously as you do it. Keep stirring to smooth it out.
  10. Before everything cools down and sets, fold in the tofu mixture, keeping everything moving.
  11. Finally, add the Cremovita and fold that in too.
  12. Scoop it all into the tin on top of the chilled base and level it out.
  13. Chill overnight (or for at least 5 – 6 hours).
  14. To serve, run a palette knife round the side of the tin to release the cheesecake from the surface.
  15. Release the clip on the tin and remove the ring.
  16. Now for the really challenging bit: very carefully, slide the cheesecake off the base onto a flat serving plate. I slide a palette knife under the base to release it, then wiggle it a bit and hope!

Quick Notes

This looks spectacular covered in chocolate curls or decorated with artistically arranged raspberries. (Or with chocolate curls AND raspberries!) If you’re feeling ambitious, you can line the tin with chocolate cigarillos (or sponge fingers if you’re feeling retro!), then fill in with the mixture. It’s fiddly, but for a special do it makes the end result look extra special.

Cooking time (duration): Base 15mins + 2hrs chilling time, then 20 minutes + at least 2-4hrs chilling time

Diet type: Dairy-free

Number of servings (yield): 12+

Meal type: dessert

Microformatting by hRecipe.

2 comments to Un-baked Chocolate Cheesecake

  • Laura Haughey

    hi what is tomor – i am a dairy free veggie and my son is also dairy free so i will be living on your website – i am going to make the tiriamsiu and i will give you feedback as i am a tiriamsiu addict cant wait :))

  • Hi Laura, Tomor is a hard margarine made by Rakussens. It’s kosher – which is the market it’s really aimed at – but it has the benefit of being totally dairy-free. You can get it from Jewish delis and some large supermarkets if you live in an area with a significant Jewish population. I now can’t get hold of it near me, as our local(ish) Sainsbury’s stopped stocking it a while ago. I have to get by with Trex for pastry which isn’t very nice to work with as it’s sticky to handle, but which does make light pastry. It’s still better than using spread, as that’s just too soft to crumb properly.
    I hope you enjoy the tiramisu. Thanks for dropping by. I look forward to hearing your feedback.
    Sian

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