Cheesecake de Vane §

Vane’s cheesecake is the only no-bake cheesecake I recommend. It’s easy and super versatile: you can choose any flavor for the top layer!

Ingredients §

• 160 grams of crackers
• 85 grams of unsalted butter
• 452 grams of cream cheese (2-8oz cream cheese blocks in the U.S. or CasanCrem in Argentina)
• 150 grams of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin (7.2 grams)
• 150 grams of heavy cream

Top Layer §

• A handful of your choice of berries
• Some lemon or orange juice
• 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin (7.2 grams)
• 2 tablespoons of sugar (optional)

Procedure §

• Process the crackers and add the melted butter. Incorporate well and use the mixture to make a crust in a 9” springform pan.
• Bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• In a bowl, mix the room-temperature cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
• Hydrate gelatine: Sprinkle it in a small bowl, add some boiling water, and stir until it is completely dissolved.
• Add the dissolved gelatin to the mixture in the bigger bowl. Mix until it is homogeneous, making sure there are no lumps.
• Separately, mix the heavy cream just enough so it’s a little more solid and fold it into the main mixture.
• Pour the mixture on the crust and refrigerate while you make the topping.
• For the top layer, cook the berries over medium heat, along with some lemon or orange juice and sugar if you want extra sweetness, just enough to make a jam-like sauce. Separately, in a small bowl, repeat the process of hydrating unflavored gelatin, and then add it to the sauce.
• Pour the berry sauce on top of the cheesecake and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before eating.

Note: my mom doesn’t do the berry layer on the cheesecake. Instead, she makes the sauce without the gelatin, and pours it on every slice when serving.