Any cheesecake experts out there?

[manonmoonah]

I'm planning to make a no-bake cheesecake for dessert on Christmas Day. I've made varying kinds before generally successfully, and find Jane's Pâtisserie recipes great. However, I just wish the cheesecakes had a lighter consistency. I've had homemade cheesecakes from restaurants that have tasted so light and fluffy, and wish I could replicate. I've tried varying either mascarpone, ricotta or normal cream cheese but it didn't make a difference. I wonder if changing the ratio of cream cheese to cream would make the difference that I'm looking for.

Would be interested if anyone has any tips!

Are you whipping the cream? Usually mine are a combination of Philadelphia (nothing else works as well) a whipped double cream. It makes it much lighter.

Pre-heat oven to 150c/300f/gas mark 2
Crush 10 plain choc digestive biscuits with 3oz/75g melted butter. Press into 20cm/8in springform cake tin (at least 2in/5cm deep)
Bake for 10mins- allow to cool
Dissolve 1pk lime jelly in 200ml water; set aside
Whisk 200ml/7fl oz evaporated milk until it thickens like whipped cream. Whisk in 200ml/7fl oz cream cheese, juice of 2 limes and reserved jelly. Pour over base and chill it for a couple of hours
Decorate with grated choc or lime zest
It’s very light, fluffy and deep

I find this one light, although I don’t do the cherry topping.

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/cherry-cheesecake

Like others have said, lightness comes from air. This is achieved by whipping and then very gently folding.

https://www.garden-tricks.top/?p=4880&fbclid=IwY2xjawHU3hVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHfFIVN9tpSVmsXOP6fRrTIPpfY9LeVBWWwSyeq5D8R9zKJOWP4p44XygAw_aem__kGuxhpnl4-a3JauOcxjaw

I've made these and the filling is lovely. Maybe you can make it into 1 big one

Thanks for the replies!

I use double cream which I whip, but perhaps I'm not folding it into the cream cheese carefully enough to keep the air in. I did wonder whether using whipping cream would be better than double cream.

I'll have a look at the recipes you have given. The one with jelly is interesting.

There's a raspberry and white chocolate one on Nigella (not her recipe). It is the best. I often do half the portion in a lined glass shaped loaf tin

I love a light cheesecake, more mousse like than solid texture, have made them in restaurants over the years and nearly always the cheesecakes would be made as usual but with added whipped stiffly beaten egg whites incorporated after the cream to give that lightness and airyness but if you are doing that you nearly always need to use gelatine to set them. The receipes with standard jelly packs, which I never used so can't advise, but in general they would do the same thing as gelatine. Personally I use gelatine in all my no bake cheesecakes.

The jelly one works with different flavours. Sometimes I decorate with fruit to match the jelly
(not an expert but just love cheesecake!)

I usually use mascarpone and double cream. Just be aware that if you use jelly it will no longer be vegetarian, if that is likely to be an issue.

Perhaps egg whites are the key to the delicious ones I've had, but potentially outwith my skill set

I'll give one of these recipes a go.

Thanks all!