No-bake cheesecake with curd and jelly Recipe
No-bake cheesecake with curd and jelly is a chilled dessert on a cookie base, popular in Poland in summer when you don’t feel like turning on the oven. The gently lemony, creamy filling made from curd cheese and cream, set with gelatin, holds its shape well, while the top layer of jelly with fruit adds lightness.
This kind of no-bake cheesecake was a frequent dessert at garden plots and family name-day parties in the 1990s, when jelly and canned fruit were easy to get., To this day it’s seen as a “summer” cheesecake because it doesn’t require baking and cools you down nicely in hot weather.
This no-bake cheesecake with curd and jelly is a summer classic of Polish balconies and gardens – chilled, gently tangy from lemon and pleasantly creamy., The combination of a cookie base, delicate cheese filling and colourful jelly with fruit makes a dessert that looks impressive yet isn’t as heavy as baked cheesecake., It’s an ideal way to use fresh seasonal fruit without heating up the kitchen with the oven.
Why this version works
- Using curd cheese instead of tub-style cream cheese gives a more pronounced cheesecake flavour while still keeping a creamy texture.
- Tempering the gelatin with a small amount of the cheese mixture greatly reduces the risk of lumps forming.
- Using less water for the jelly makes the top layer stable and easy to cut cleanly.
Chef's tips
If your curd cheese isn’t triple-ground, always blend it – even small lumps become surprisingly noticeable once chilled., If you’re not sure whether the jelly is ready to pour, do a spoon test: it should coat the spoon in a thin layer rather than running off like water., When cutting, dip the knife in hot water and wipe it each time so the layers stay even, without ragged edges.
How to serve
Serve well chilled, ideally straight from the fridge, with a cup of coffee or tea with lemon., For parties, cut the cheesecake into small cubes and spear them with cocktail sticks – guests happily reach for these “cheesecake pralines.”, For a more elegant version, add fresh fruit, mint leaves and a little grated lemon zest to the plate.
Watch out for
- Do not pour hot gelatin directly into cold cheese – it will seize instantly into lumps.
- Only pour the jelly over a clearly set cheese layer; otherwise it will soak in and create streaks inside.
- With very juicy fruit, be sure to dry it thoroughly, as the released juice will thin the jelly around the edges.
Substitutions
- You can replace part of the tea biscuits with wholegrain biscuits so the base has a more nutty flavour.
- Instead of fresh fruit, use well-drained canned fruit such as peaches or pineapple.
Ingredients
- tea biscuits - 200 g
- butter - 80 g
- curd cheese - 800 g
- cream - 250 ml
- powdered sugar - 120 g
- gelatin - 20 g
- water - 80 ml
- lemon - 1 piece
- jelly - 2 package
- water - 900 ml
- fresh fruit - 300 g
Preparation
- Line the bottom of a springform pan of about 24 cm with baking paper. Crush the tea biscuits very finely in a food processor or in a bag using a rolling pin until they have the texture of fine sand with no larger pieces.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan or microwave, pour over the crushed biscuits and mix until everything is evenly moistened, like wet sand. When squeezed in your hand, the mixture should hold its shape and not crumble apart.
- Pour the cookie mixture into the springform pan, spread it in an even layer and press down firmly with the bottom of a glass, especially around the edges. Place the pan in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, until the base has clearly firmed up and doesn’t crumble to the touch.
- Put the gelatin into a small bowl and pour over 80 ml of hot but not boiling water. Stir until the crystals are completely dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool slightly – it should be warm but not burn your finger.
- Transfer the curd cheese to a large bowl, add the powdered sugar, lemon juice and finely grated zest (only the yellow part). Mix briefly until the mixture is smooth and uniform; if you see lumps, blend it to a cream so they won’t be noticeable after chilling.
- Whip the cream in a separate bowl to a fluffy but soft peak stage – when you lift the beaters, soft peaks form that gently bend over. If the cream is too stiff, it will be hard to fold in and may leave lumps.
- Add 2–3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture to the slightly warm gelatin and mix thoroughly to temper it. Then pour this mixture in a thin stream into the remaining cheese while mixing on low speed, until the filling is smooth and evenly thickened.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream with a spatula, using upward folding motions from bottom to top, until the mixture is uniform and fluffy with no visible streaks. Do not mix too vigorously so you don’t lose the airiness.
- Remove the springform pan from the fridge, pour the cheese filling over the chilled base and smooth the top. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until the filling has clearly thickened and no longer wobbles when you gently shake the pan.
- Dissolve the jelly powder in 900 ml of hot water (less than stated on the package). Stir thoroughly and set aside to cool completely; the jelly should be cool and just starting to thicken, resembling a thin, pourable pudding.
- Arrange the fruit on the set cheese layer, first drying it thoroughly with paper towels, and press it in lightly. Gently pour the thickening jelly over, preferably using a spoon to pour it over the surface so you don’t dislodge the fruit or make holes in the cheese.
- Place the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 3–4 hours, preferably overnight, until the jelly is fully set and springs back when touched with a finger. Before serving, run a knife around the edge to loosen it from the pan, remove the ring, and when slicing, dip the knife in hot water so the slices are neat.
Storage
Store the cheesecake in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to 3 days – over time the cookie base will soften slightly from the moisture and a little water may collect on top of the jelly., Do not freeze, as after thawing the jelly and fruit lose their springiness and become watery.
In summer I usually make two pans at once: one with strawberries and one with canned peaches, because everyone has their favourite., I always prepare the cheesecake a day ahead – after a night in the fridge the flavours meld perfectly and it’s much easier to slice.
