Baking can be a delightful pastime, but not everyone has the time or desire to spend hours over a stove with a long list of ingredients. Thankfully, Mary Berry’s fruity passionfruit and orange cheesecake offers a delicious solution, requiring only 15 minutes of preparation before chilling for a few hours. This delightful dessert blends the tropical tang of passionfruit with the sweetness of orange, creating a rich and creamy cheesecake that’s perfect for summer gatherings.
This recipe is incredibly easy to make, requiring no oven and just seven simple ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. Even better, it’s budget-friendly. In her cookbook ‘Quick Cooking,’ Mary Berry emphasizes the recipe’s simplicity, stating: “Quick, light and simple – with no gelatine! Use oat biscuits as a variation if you like a textured cheesecake base.”
This zesty cheesecake is ideal for summer parties, afternoon tea, or picnics, adding a touch of elegance to any occasion.
How to Make a Fruity Cheesecake
Ingredients:
* 150g digestive biscuits
* 75g butter (plus extra for greasing)
* Four passion fruits (halved)
* 250g full-fat mascarpone cheese
* 325g (one jar) orange curd
* 200ml double cream
* Zest from one orange (grated)
Important:
Use full-fat mascarpone cheese for optimal results, as lower-fat versions can be too soft and prevent the cheesecake from setting properly.Kitchen Equipment:
* Round cake tin
* Baking paper
Method:
1.
Prepare the Tin:
Grease the cake tin with butter and line it with baking paper.2.
Create the Biscuit Base:
Crush the digestive biscuits into fine crumbs using a rolling pin or a blender. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the crushed biscuit crumbs until well combined, forming a base mixture. Press this mixture into the bottom of the cake tin, ensuring it’s even but not pressed up the sides.3.
Make the Cheesecake Topping:
Extract passion fruit juice by scooping out the flesh of two passion fruits and sieving it over a bowl. Use a wooden spoon to push the pulp through the sieve, collecting the juice in the bowl. Discard the remaining seeds. Add the mascarpone cheese, orange curd, and grated orange zest to the bowl and mix until everything is thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, lightly whip the cream. Add the whipped cream to the bowl containing the other ingredients and stir gently.4.
Assemble and Chill:
Spoon the mixture into the cake tin on top of the biscuit base. Smooth the top of the mixture with a spoon. Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator and chill for at least four hours, but preferably overnight, allowing it to firm up.5.
