The cold lemon cheesecake is a fresh and delicious no-bake cake, made with fresh cream, cream cheese, and covered with homemade lemon jelly that is gluten and lactose-free. This delightful and fragrant dessert can also be made with gluten-free and lactose-free ingredients. It is characterized by its three textures that make it special: the compact and crumbly cookie base, the creamy central filling, and finally, the gelatinous topping. It is suitable for parties, buffets, and all our special occasions like Mother’s Day. It is very easy to make, excellent, does not require gelatin, is not heavy or cloying, and can be prepared in advance; in fact, I recommend preparing it at least a day in advance, as the more it rests, the more its flavors and aromas will be enhanced. The original jelly recipe can be found here.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: No-bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups digestive biscuits
- 7 tbsps melted butter
- 1/2 grated lemon zest
- 3/4 cups fresh liquid cream
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 3 tbsps powdered sugar
- grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- 3/4 cups water
- 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cups lemon juice
- 3 tbsps gluten-free potato starch
- to taste grated lemon zest
Tools
- 1 Pan – springform pan 8-9 inches
Steps
Line the bottom of the pan with a sheet of parchment paper; then cut a strip and also line the sides of the springform pan. To make the parchment paper adhere well, you can butter or slightly wet the sides of the pan.
Prepare the base for the cold lemon cheesecake. Crush the cookies into a powder with a mixer, put them in a large bowl with finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon and add the hot melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon until the butter is completely absorbed.
At this point, transfer the cookie mixture to the pan and press firmly to ensure the base is even and flat. Place the pan in the fridge for about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, prepare the jelly. In a saucepan, put the water, sugar, lemon juice and zest, and starch. Mix well with a steel whisk and bring to a boil. It will take only a few minutes for the preparation to thicken, turn off the heat, let cool, and thicken well. When cool, the jelly will change color from opaque pearl white to soft yellow. Remember to remove the lemon zest from the jelly.
Prepare the cream of fresh cream and cream cheese. In a bowl, start beating the fresh cream, and when it starts to thicken, add the creamy cheese with the sugar and finely grated lemon peel. Continue beating the mixture until you get a very dense and smooth cream.
It will not be necessary to add sugar if you use sweetened cream; however, it is always a good idea to taste to ensure it is sweet enough, according to your taste.
After the cookie base has rested in the fridge, take it out and cover it with the cream of fresh cream and cheese, smooth it out with a spatula, and put it back in the fridge for an hour.
After an hour, take the cake out of the fridge again and pour the cold and well-set lemon jelly over the cream of fresh cream and cheese, spreading it with the back of a spoon or using a piping bag.
Before pouring the jelly, it is advisable to stir it well with a whisk or fork to make it soft again and spread it easily.
Decorate the lemon cheesecake to your liking and put it back in the fridge until it’s time to serve. I recommend storing this dessert in a cake container to prevent the cheesecake from absorbing fridge odors.
Extra idea. You can completely or partially replace the lemon peel with freshly grated ginger, which will give this cake a truly delicious aroma and fragrance.
