In The Kitchen with Kanta – no-bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of those desserts that is perfect for any occasion; parties, dinners, BBQ’s – you name it. Traditionally it is made with fruits but nowadays there are so many different flavours.

Today I want to share my favourite no-bake Strawberry Cheesecake recipe with you; which I subtly evolved from ‘Steve’s kitchen’.

Preparation time – 30 minutes

Setting time – 1 ½ hours

Serves -8 people

Ingredients

Note: You can use an 8 Inch round – spring form tin, a loose bottom tin or a regular baking tin. I personally prefer to use a loose bottom tin or a spring form tin as it is easier to remove the cheesecake. However a regular baking tin works as well, but you will have to serve the cheesecake straight from the tin.

You will need….

1 cup / 225 g of sugar
4 or 5 fresh strawberries
300g of digestive biscuits
125g of melted salted butter
5 teaspoons of flavourless gelatine
Boiling water
2 x cans /400g of condensed milk
4 Teaspoons vanilla extract
800g of cream cheese
Fresh strawberries to top the Cheesecake

Method

Cut 4 or 5 fresh strawberries into small pieces.

Turn the stove onto a medium heat and pour the cup of sugar into a heavy bottom saucepan/pot. Let the sugar start to melt around the edges – until it gradually melts completely.

Stir the sugar mixture together – making sure it is completely melted (forming a caramel)

Turn off the stove and carefully add chopped strawberries into the caramel; stirring quickly. Keep stirring until the sauce becomes quite runny. Leave it to cool whilst you make your cheesecake.

Place digestive biscuits into a bowl; using the end of a rolling pin crush into crumbs.

Melt the butter either in the microwave or on the stove – this should take no more than a minute.

Mix melted butter and crushed digestive biscuits, until all the butter is absorbed.

Pour the crumbs into the cake tin; using the back of a spoon press the mixture down into the cake tin – making sure it’s compact and flat. Place it in the fridge to cool down and firm up.

Add boiling water to your gelatine granules, or prepare your gelatine by following the instructions on the packet; mixing it to make sure the gelatine is fully dissolved – put it aside whilst you prepare the cream cheese.

In a bowl mix condensed milk, vanilla extract and cream cheese; whisk thoroughly until fully mixed, fluffy and thick. Now add gelatine and mix together well.

Remove the cheesecake base from the fridge and pour the cream cheese mixture over it – spreading it out evenly.

Place it in the fridge for 1 hour.

Gently warm up the strawberry sauce, so that it is slightly runny again. Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and pour the sauce over it – making sure it is evenly spread.

Cut the tops off of fresh strawberries, and place them around the edge of the cheesecake, place 3 or 4 strawberries in the centre for decoration.

Place it in the fridge for an extra 30 minutes.

Serving

Gently remove the cheesecake from the tin – “ta da”!!! There you have it, your delicious cheesecake is ready to serve and eat.

Kanta Temba is a cake maker and decorator. She is also the owner and founder of Kanta Kakes – cake shop.

You can find her work on www.kantakakes.com.  Follow her on twitter @KantaKakes and Instagram @KantaTemba.