Matt Xiaxiang
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Main dishesOrange blossom water cheesecake with a cherry compote
Posted: 05/07/2025Updated: 05/07/2025
No-bake orange blossom water cheesecake with an almond biscuit base, topped with cherry compote and white chocolate shavings.
Ingredients
Servings
Biscuit base
- 400 grams Digestive biscuits
- 200 grams Unsalted butter
- 100 grams Blanched almonds
- 0.5 teaspoon Sea salt
Cheesecake filling
- 400 grams Cream cheese (full-fat)
- 250 grams Mascarpone
- 300 millilitres Double cream
- 100 grams Caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons Orange blossom water
- 1.5 teaspoons Vanilla extract
Cherry compote
- 500 grams Frozen cherries
- 0.5 Lemon
- 75 grams Granulated sugar
Assembly
- 50 grams White chocolate shavings
Instructions
Biscuit base
- Toast the almonds in a dry pan until golden, then let cool.
- Blitz almonds and digestive biscuits together in a food processor until roughly ground.
- Pour in melted butter and sea salt, and mix in completely. Press firmly into the base and sides of a lined 9-inch springform tin. Smooth and level it with the back of a spoon.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Cheesecake filling
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone, caster sugar, orange blossom water, and vanilla until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whip the double cream to soft peaks.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture until fully combined and smooth.
- Pour the filling into the chilled base, smooth the top, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight to set.
Cherry compote
- Place cherries and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Gently mash the cherries depending on preferred texture.
- Simmer for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly but still saucy. Add the juice of half the lemon juice.
- Let cool completely before evenly spreading over the cheesecake.
Assembly
- Once the cheesecake is set, carefully release it from the tin. Scatter with white chocolate shavings just before serving.
My notes
Cooking tips
- Pulse: Don't blend until a powder. Leave a bit of texture in the almonds and biscuits.
- Pack it tightly: Use the bottom of a glass or spoon to press the base down firmly. A loose base can crumble when slicing.
- Room temperature dairy: Let cream cheese and mascarpone soften slightly before mixing to avoid lumps.
- Don’t over-whip: Whip the double cream to soft peaks only. Over-whipping can cause a grainy or split texture.
- Gently fold cheesecake filling: When combining the whipped cream with the cheese mixture, fold carefully to keep it light and airy.
- Adding the cheese filling into the base: Push into the sides and corners first to ensure even coverage. This prevents a thick, sunken middle or thin, weak edge.
- Add lemon juice at the end: This preserves its brightness and acidity, which balances the sweetness of the cheesecake.
- Cool the cherry compote completely: This is a necessity as it will melt the filling.
- Chill overnight: This ensures a clean set and better flavour development.
- Use a hot knife to slice: Dip the blade in hot water, wipe, then cut. Repeat for clean edges.
Alternative ingredients
- Add a dash of kirsch, amaretto, or orange liqueur to the compote for deeper flavour.
- Use graham crackers, oat cookies, or ginger snaps instead of digestive biscuits.
- Mascarpone and double cream can be substituted for cream cheese but will result in a denser cheesecake.
- Rose water can be used instead of orange blossom water.
- Honey or maple syrup can be used instead of sugar in the cheese filling.
Storage instructions
- Refrigeration: Store the cheesecake covered in the fridge immediately after assembling to keep it fresh and prevent it from absorbing other fridge odours. Consume with 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Not recommended for the fully assembled cheesecake due to mascarpone and cream texture changes but will be still be edible. If freezing, freeze the base and filling (without compote and toppings), well wrapped, for up to 1 month.
Re-heating instructions
If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge and add fresh compote and chocolate before serving.
Remove the cheesecake from the fridge about 10-15 minutes before serving to allow it to soften slightly for the best texture and flavour.
Nutrition and dietary facts
Vegetarian
(Per serving) Calories: 738kcal (33%), Protein: 8.2g (14%), Fat: 58.3g (73%), Saturated fat: 32.5g (217%), Carbohydrates: 50g (18%), Sugars: 27.7g (111%), Fibre: 2.7g (9%)
Note: The nutritional information provided for this recipe is an estimate based on ingredients and cooking instructions as described - it is intended for informational purposes only.