No-bake Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake … Happy International Womens Day!
“The history of all times, and of today especially, teaches that … women will be forgotten if they forget to think about themselves.”
Louise Otto
Another day passed, more guests and I had a delicious layered almond sponge in mind. This time the power failed me about halfway through my baking, the cake sank and with it my heart. I picked up the pieces in a hurry and did a quick recalculation! For times like these, a simple No-bake Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake turned out to be just the thing!
My sis and her family are here from Houston, adding to the merriment of having friends over from Down Under at the same time too. The only problem … the teen has her Grade 10 state exams throughout the month and life is a fine balancing act. In the middle of all this, power cuts don’t help!
As a cake baked in the oven, I had visions of a light as feather almond sponge with a strawberry and cream filling. Sadly, the light as a feather picture didn’t survive. Ten minutes of a nicely rising cake in a beautiful hot oven, we had a power cut! Misery was my middle name. This is a sign that summer is almost here, the weather warming up alarmingly, which simply means load shedding galore!!
By the time electricity was back, I was in no mood to take another chance on the cake, so my plans changed rapidly. A few almonds and digestives later, I had a cheesecake base in the oven … 15 minutes was all I needed! The rest was no bake stuff; just needed time to set! Some hung yogurt in the fridge awaiting its fate in a dip landed up in my cheesecake as did the strawberries … a happily delicious end!
I used milk chocolate this time, from a smooth Cadbury baking block the hub got from HKG. A few days ago, he called me from HKG at some absurd hour asking if I needed baking chocolate he saw on the aisle in some shop. Needed? Did he expect me to say anything but yes? 
My choice for cheesecakes and tarts in chocolate terms is always the dark variety, but this time my nieces were here, and I knew they would enjoy a sweeter bite. They did…
… and we did too! Thankfully the cheesecake was just about set by the night {about 6 hours later}, yet it was perfect the next day. I would recommend a slow overnight setting in the fridge. The strawberry sauce which I used in these Berry & Buttermilk Puddings can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a few days.
On this sweet and rather pink note, happy International Womens Day you wonderful women! Make sure you spoil yourselves today!!
[print_this]Recipe: No-bake Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake
Summary: A nice make ahead dessert with strawberries and chocolate, light and full of flavour.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- Biscuit Base
- 200gm digestive cookies
- 50gm whole almonds
- 80gm unsalted butter, melted
- Chocolate layer
- 200gm milk chocolate, chopped fine
- 50gm dark chocolate, chopped fine
- 200ml low fat cream
- 40gm unsalted butter
- Strawberry Layer
- 200gm hung yogurt {thick}
- 200ml low fat cream, chilled
- 1/2 cup strawberry sauce {1/2 recipe from here}
- 1tbsp gelatin
- 1/4 cup cold milk
- Fresh strawberries to garnish
Method:
- Biscuit Base
- Run the biscuits and whole almonds in a processor until fine crumbs form.
- Mix in the melted butter and push this mixture into the base and up the sides of a 8″ round spring form tin.
- Chill in freezer while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Bake the base for 10-15 minutes until light golden brown.
- Cool completely.
- Chocolate layer
- Place both chocolates in a large mixing bowl.
- Gently heat the cream to a simmer, add the butter and pour over the chocolate, mixing until melted and smooth.
- Pour into the cooled baked shell, and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes, until lightly set. In the meantime, make the strawberry layer.
- Strawberry layer
- Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup cold milk, and place over a bowl of hot water. Stir until dissolved.
- Whip the hung yogurt with strawberry sauce until smooth. Then blend in the gelatin mixture.
- Whip the cream until medium stiff peaks, and fold through the strawberry cream. {Adjust sugar if required}.
- Assemble:
- Top the chocolate layer with this strawberry cream, and leave to set for 6-8 hours, preferably overnight. Loosen the sides with a butter knife, slice and serve with fresh strawberries.
- Note: You might need to increase the gelatin by 1/2 tbsp if the weather is warm.
[/print_this]
Springform pans and other kitchen wares can usually be found at a discount online.
Don’t miss a post 
Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India
Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
37 Comments
Divya
Oh your nieces look so cute!!Love the pics,as always.Not a fan of cheesecake,but I would love to dig into the crunchy base.Happy IWD to you too!!
Priya
luv the pics as always…Happy IWD to you..I luv cheesecakes,but never tried double flavours in one go…
Meena Thennaapan
Yummy and Easy too!!!
indugetscooking
ooh, very very nice. I will skip the strawberry layer and be happy with a THICK chocolate layer. The only sad thing about chocolate desserts is the cost involved. Sigh…..
Suma
Power-cuts are the most hated and dreaded things in summer for Indian home-bakers. My stuffed yeasted rolls made me cry when the power went out after 3 hours of effort 🙁
The spouse buying come cooking/baking goodies is the ONLY bright spot about travel, lol! Such a pretty, feminine- pink post for Woman’s Day, loved it! The cheesecake looks delicious!
Helene Dsouza I Masala Herb
Happy womans day to u too Deeba!
This power cuts always have a bad timing…
I always enjoy a no bake strawberry cheesecake, my sister in law has a hand with strawberry cheesecakes and I always enjoy a piece from her kitchen.
I was excited when I read that you use digestive biscuits , always love those cookies and to use them as base is simlpy brilliant!
Sneha
Wow! Am going to try this version (before the strawberries disappear)- been making a slightly different version for a looong time now! Yum!
Rosa
Delicious! Your cheesecake is really mouthwatering…
Power cuts are always annoying, especially since they always happen when when needs them the least!
Cheers,
Rosa
Jordan
Chocolate and strawberries –two of my favorite things. I love avocados as well, but would never have thought to blend it with chocolate. Will give it a try though.
Snippets of Thyme (Sarah)
That is a beautiful looking cheesecake and some adorable little kiddos all dressed up too!
Jamie
I’m finally back, baby! And to such a fabulous dessert (although there really isn’t anything else). I am not a huge fan of either strawberry desserts or cheesecake but brilliant you puts in a chocolate layer and makes this perfect for me! Amazing and it looks so scrumptious, those two creamy layers together. You need to write a cookbook for those who love to bake but can’t count on using their electricity….poor you. But quick on your feet, right? Now may I have a slice? Beautiful pink shots and gorgeous nieces!
Ben
Beautiful cheesecake to celebrate such a meaningful day. Have an amazing day my friend!
Deanne35
Lovely kids! As lovely as the taste of this strawberry chocolate cheesecake. Thanks for the recipe. My nephew’s birthday is fast approaching, I should do this recipe fro his birthday!
kristy
What an awesome cake for this special day. Happy International womens day to you too!
Enjoy your day, dear.
Kristy
shooting star
amazing pics of the cake….but the recipe looks a bit too complex for me to try out..maybe when i have mastered baking a bit more!!
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes
How fun to have your sister and her family visiting. What a luscious dessert to whip up last minute. Gorgeous!
Sarvani @ baker in disguise
And the best part of this dessert is that the strawberry layer is youghurt-based.. making it just right for the oncoming summer!! Happen Womens days!! This is a must-do recipe for the days ahead!!
Cally
Hi Deeba, I read your comment on my blog. Your very welcome. I find your food and photo’s wonderful and inspiring!
Helene
Happy Int’l Women’s Day to you! What a delicious cheesecake.
Maureen
I believe the power goes out only when it’s REALLY important that it stay on.
This is a lovely cake and no-bake is so cool.
Jessica
Happy International Women’s Day to you, Deeba!
Thanks for sharing the No-bake Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe! It looks so delicious. I don’t making cake with oven so often. I usually use my Zojirushi BB-HAC10 bread maker. It’s simple and easy.
But when I read your recipe, it seems so simple and quite easy to follow. I will print your recipe and try it at home. My little daughter is gonna love it! She loves chocolate and strawberry so much!
Once again, thanks for the recipe! I’m looking forward to your next recipe! 🙂
Chitra Shastry
Deeba,
I love your site. Wonderful recipes & superb pictures.
May i ask you a question… I am having trouble with my old oven & would like to get a new one. Which one do you recommend. Which one do you use?
Deeba @ PAB
Hi Chitra, thanks you for your generous words. I use a 40L Morphy Richards oven that I bought from DLF, Gurgaon. I did see the same one at a better price on Flipkart the other day, and they home deliver too.
Aban
Delicious!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen
Not only a lovely cheesecake but beautiful photos of those pretty flowers as well!
Donna
Wow…a must-make harbinger of Spring!..Could I possibly use fromage blanc (20%) or greek-style yogurt or “petit suisse” for the hung yogurt you used? This looks phenomenal and I so wish to try it!
Deeba @ PAB
Thank you Donna. I think you possibly could. I hung the yogurt for 2 days in the fridge to get it really thick. Maybe you could increase the gelatin a wee bit or google for a little more information with using fromage blanc/Greek yogurt or petit suisse as none of them are available here.
Jyoti
Gorgeous pictures.. Happy Women’s Day to you too.. I loved the quotes you have used in this post.. Cheese cakes are something I haven’t tried yet.. Will try someday soon.. Your post is inspiring..
hestiHH
Gorgeous desserts with lovely flowers, perfect pairs!! always love your pictures…
Happy International Women’s Day to you Deeba.
Sanjeeta kk
Happy women’ day to you too, Deeba. What a lovely moment that was when I pressed on your name thinking of talking with a cousin of mine…Deepa. Had stored your number just above hers .
Love those flowers and the knife …perfectly in sync with the strawberry cheesecake!
kankana
Happy women’s day to you too! You are so passionate. I would have given up the first time itself 🙂
This looks delicious and love the quotes you shared.
simran kamath
this is simply awesome!….love this totally…..lovely,lovely pics…..happy womens day to you too.
Nisha
Hmm. So what did you do with the cake that sunk?
Nisha
Do you have to throw away stuff each time there’s a power failure, considering the numerous times it happens? 🙁
(Sorry hit the button before writing my whole message, hence divided into two.)
Deeba @ PAB
I put the sunk cake back in to bake after we got the power back, which was 20 minutes later. Wasn’t good enough to give me a light sponge, but was good enough for a fast track trifle. It’s in the freezer for a rainy day dessert. I am generally lucky with baking around power cuts since they often follow a rough schedule … a few bad days but otherwise its fine!
BTW, I use Google calendar now after having missed several important deadlines etc. It’s quite neat and also has an sms option {which is quite handy for days that I don’t get to my email}
shalu
I made ur strawberry cake and it came awesome!!
Could u see my video and if u like it plz comment on it also..Its a
contest and love to hear ur comments on my cupcakes.Plz send it to ur subscribers too.Thank you,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aON4BYdQXc
Love,
Shalu.,
Kelsey87
Wow! what a lovely desert and your photos are so stunning. Thanks for sharing your recipe and i’m looking forward on your next post.