No-Bake Elderflower Cheesecake with Lime
Gossamer curtains sway in the warm breeze, the sky is awash with blue, and the scent of floral sweetness is in the air. It’s elderflower season, which means I’m whipping up a whole host of tempting elderflower-themed sweets and treats — remember my elderflower-infused strawberry galette? Today’s recipe is delicately flavored, sophisticated, oh-so-pretty, and screams of summer. Say hello to my no-bake elderflower cheesecake with lime!
This elderflower cheesecake has all the hallmarks of dreamy bakery-standard cheesecake: crumbly, buttery biscuit base with a thick, creamy, and tangy mixture of cream cheese that’s somehow equal amounts dense, light, and fluffy.
The stand-out ingredients, of course, are the lime — just a few drops of fresh lime juice and a grating of zest elevate the dessert with acidic undernotes, pleasantly cutting through the creaminess. And the elderflower cordial? It lends a gentle, sweet, and subtly fragrant touch. It’s not enough to be overtly floral, instead marrying with the other components.
Ideal for a summer garden party or special occasion, the elderflower and lime cheesecake is surprisingly low fuss, with a shockingly easy recipe sans gelatine. You know what that means? You’ll have to make an excuse to make it!
What is Elderflower?
As the name suggests, elderflowers are the product of the elder tree! Regarded as magical in many areas of Europe, the messy shrub-like tree grows everywhere across the U.K., particularly in woodlands, parks, wastelands, and hedgerows. Even if you live in the city, there’s a decent chance you can find an elder tree nearby.
Elderflowers bloom in late May and June. The flowers are large, with a sweet, heady, and summery fragrance. Foragers worldwide head out to pick the flowers since they are easy to identify. Legend says you must ask permission from the tree before picking the flowers!
By far the most beloved produce made from elderflower is a sweet, floral, and slightly citrusy cordial. You can buy this in supermarkets, but I love to make it myself. I use the cordial in dishes like strawberry and elderflower galette, elderflower sorbet, lemon and elderflower cake, and of course, this delicious elderflower and lime cheesecake.
Elderflower Cheesecake Ingredients
Surprisingly, despite its elegant and sophisticated flavors, this no-bake elderflower cheesecake uses less than 10 ingredients. Most are pantry staples, especially if you’re a frequent baker!
Plus, since this is a vegetarian blog, there’s no gelatine in sight, making the recipe suitable for vegetarians, Muslims, and Hindus (gelatine is made from pig or cow byproducts). As you can see from the photos, it’s still mouth-wateringly creamy and thick.
- Biscuits (Called cookies in the U.S.) are vital for the cheesecake base. I use standard digestive biscuits, but you can play around with flavors here; ginger nuts or hobnobs would be excellent too. If you’re in the U.S., graham crackers are a suitable substitute.
- Butter is melted into the crushed biscuits, making the base gorgeously nutty, rich, and slightly crumbly.
- Double cream is indulgent and adds a silky, velvety texture to the cheesecake. Can’t find double cream in the U.S.? Heavy cream is the best bet, although it doesn’t have such a high fat content.
- Cream cheese (full fat) lends the cheesecake a traditionally rich, dairy-heavy taste that we all know and love.
- Caster sugar sweetens the creamy no-bake cheesecake.
- Cornflour helps to stabilize the cheesecake mixture so it sets. It’s optional, but since we’re adding liquids — elderflower cordial and lime juice — it helps to thicken the mix. This is called cornstarch in the U.S.
- Elderflower cordial is floral, citrusy, and honeyed. Just a touch is enough! I love using homemade elderflower cordial in summer, but you can buy the drink year-round from grocery stores or markets.
- Limes add a beautiful tartness to the creamy cheesecake. I love lime juice and zest in the filling, plus fresh lime slices to garnish.
If life gives you lemons …
Then use them instead of limes! This recipe is very adaptable, meaning you can swap the limes for lemons in this recipe without changing any quantities. Lemons have a slightly mellower flavor in comparison to limes, which have notes of bitterness.
How to Make Elderflower Lime Cheesecake
Perhaps my favorite thing about no-bake cheesecakes is how straightforward they are to make! You don’t need to worry about cracks, sunken fillings, or anything else that can bother you about a baked cheesecake. In fact, it’s so simple even a beginner could ace this recipe …
- Make the cheesecake base by crumbling the digestive biscuits and mixing them with melted butter. Press into the cheesecake tin.
- Whisk together the cream cheese, caster sugar, cornflour, elderflower cordial, lime juice, and zest.
- Whip the double cream until thick, then fold through the rest of the cheesecake filling.
- Pour into the cheesecake tin, smooth out the top, and leave to set overnight in the fridge.
Isn’t that effortless? The hardest part is waiting for the cheesecake to set overnight before you can eat it!
Cookware You Need
How to Store Elderflower and Lime Cheesecake
Unless you’re making this treat for a large party or occasion (and that’s a wonderful reason to make it!) you’ll likely have leftovers … no matter how much you enjoyed the luxurious treat.
Luckily, storing this elderflower and lime cheesecake is a piece of cake (pardon the pun). This advice applies to all no-bake cheesecakes, too!
Cut the cheesecake into portions (this makes it easier to store) and place them in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to five days. It’s important to use an airtight container, as you want to avoid the cheesecake adopting flavors from the fridge.
Surprisingly, you can also freeze elderflower and lime cheesecake. To avoid freezer burn, wrap the dessert in cling foil (plastic wrap) and aluminum foil, then freeze for up to one month. You’ll have to defrost it before eating — you can freeze individual portions.
This Recipe Is …
No Bake Elderflower and Lime Cheesecake
The perfect dessert for summer, this no-bake elderflower cheesecake with lime is easy, delicious, and oh-so-pretty.
Ingredients
For the Biscuit Base
- 300g Digestive Biscuits*
- 150g Salted Butter
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 600g Cream Cheese
- 80g Caster Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cornflour**
- 3 tbsp Elderflower Cordial
- Half Lime, juice and zest
- 300ml Double Cream***
For the Topping
- 150g Double Cream
- Half Lime, cut into wedges, optional
- Elderflowers, optional
Instructions
- Prepare a 22cm (8.6 inches) diameter cheesecake tin with parchment paper. I like using springform pans.
- Make the cheesecake base. Use a food processor to grind the biscuits into fine crumbs****. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Mix the butter into the crushed biscuits and press into the base of the tin.
- Make the cheesecake filling. In a large bowl, use a whisk to mix the cream cheese, caster sugar, cornflour, elderflower cordial, lime juice, and zest until thick and well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream until it doubles in size and becomes thick. Carefully fold the double cream into the rest of the mixture.
- Pour the filling into the cheesecake tin. Gently tap it on the counter to knock out air bubbles, smooth the top with a spatula, cover with clingfilm, and leave to set overnight in the fridge.
- For the topping, whip the remaining cream until thick. Place in a piping bag and use a star tip to pipe dollops around the edge of the cheesecake. Top with lime wedges and elderflowers. I recommend doing this the morning after the cheesecake has set.
Notes
* Feel free to play around with the variety of biscuits. For U.S. readers, graham crackers or plain cookies are a fantastic substitute for Digestives.
** In the U.S., this is known as cornstarch. It's optional but helps to thicken the cheesecake mixture.
*** U.S. readers can use heavy cream.
**** If you don't have a food processor, place the biscuits into a sealed plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 815Total Fat: 70gSaturated Fat: 42gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 184mgSodium: 472mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 1gSugar: 30gProtein: 8g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
