Lemon and poppy seed cheesecake is a perfect dessert for any time of the year, it is a refreshing summer dessert and is equally great served during the Christmas holiday season. This easy no bake cheesecake recipe is easy to follow and can be prepared ahead of time making it ideal for when you are expecting guests. The quantities in the recipe below are sufficient to make either one 20cm cheesecake or eight 8cm diameter individual cheesecakes.

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Ingredients

For the base

200g plain biscuits such as digestives, rich tea or Marie biscuits
120g butter
1 dessertspoon (10ml) runny honey

For the cheesecake cream and decoration

250g mascarpone (at room temperature)
200ml whipping cream
20g caster sugar
Zest (finely chopped) and juice of 2 lemons
Poppy seeds to decorate

Equipment needed to make lemon and poppy seed cheesecake

Kitchen scales
Large saucepan to melt the butter (and prepare the biscuit base)
Dessertspoon
Knife to cut the butter
20cm diameter loose bottomed non-stick flan dish or eight 8cm diameter individual dessert rings
Medium sized bowl to mix the mascarpone and sugar
Wooden spoon to cream the mascarpone and sugar
A second medium sized bowl to whip the cream
Hand whisk or electric whisk for the cream
Tablespoon (15ml metal spoon) to fold in the cream
Zester or grater for the lemon zest
Sharp knife to chop the lemon zest
Board for chopping the lemon zest
Juicer for the lemon juice

How to make lemon and poppy seed cheesecake

How to prepare the cheesecake base

Start by crushing the biscuits (200g biscuits). I find a good way to do this is to place the biscuits in a strong, clear plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Crushing biscuits for a cheesecake base — Crush the biscuits using a rolling pin

Weigh the butter (120g butter) and place in the saucepan. Measure 1 dessertspoon (10ml) runny honey and add to the butter in the pan. Heat gently over a low heat until the butter has melted, stirring to ensure the butter and honey are thoroughly mixed.

Add the crushed biscuits to the melted butter/honey mixture and mix together well.

Preparing a cheesecake base — Preparing the biscuit base for the cheesecake

Pack the biscuit mixture into the base of the loose bottomed flan dish, or individual dessert rings, pressing into place with the back of a spoon.

Preparing biscuit bases for individual cheesecakes — Preparing the bases for individual cheesecakes

Place the cheesecake base (or bases) in the fridge to set.

How to prepare the lemon cheesecake cream

Before starting, the mascarpone should be at room temperature. Place 250g mascarpone and 20g caster sugar into a bowl and cream together using a wooden spoon.

Zest two lemons. This can be done either with a zester or grater, and then finely chop the lemon zest into fine pieces.

Juice the two lemons and add the chopped lemon zest and lemon juice to the cheesecake cream mixture and mix together.

Finely chopped lemon zest — Finely chop the lemon zest and add the zest and lemon juice to the cheesecake cream

Preparing lemon cheesecake cream — Finely chop the lemon zest and add the zest and lemon juice to the cheesecake cream

Lightly whip the cream (200ml). Add the lightly whipped cream to the bowl with the mascarpone/sugar mixture and fold in using a metal spoon.

Preparing cheesecake cream — Lightly whip the cream and fold into the cheesecake cream mixture

Place the bowl of cheesecake cream in the fridge for a minimum of one hour to set.

How to assemble the lemon and poppy seed cheesecake

If you are making a single 20cm diameter cheesecake then spoon the chilled cheesecake cream mixture onto the chilled biscuit base and spread evenly over the base. If you are preparing individual mini cheesecakes, divide the cheesecake cream between each of the biscuit bases and finish to a level surface.

Return the cheesecake/s to the fridge and chill again for around an hour.

When the cheesecake/s have chilled, carefully remove from the tin/moulds and place on a tray or plates. Liberally sprinkle poppy seeds over the top of the cheesecake/s.

Tips

Remove the mascarpone from the fridge ahead of starting to prepare the cheesecake to enable it to reach room temperature.
If you don't have caster sugar, place granulated sugar in a food processor and blitz for a short time to create a finer sugar.
Store the cheesecake in the fridge until ready to serve. Any remaining cheesecake can be stored in the fridge until the next day.

You may also like to try cherry cheesecake with a chocolate crumb crust., another easy to make no bake cheesecake. It is made with a chocolatey base and is topped with a delicious homemade cherry sauce.