Christmas Cheesecake Slab (Printer-friendly)

Velvety spiced cheesecake with dried fruits on buttery biscuit base, crowned with whipped cream

# What You’ll Need:

→ Biscuit Base

01 - 2.5 cups digestive biscuit crumbs
02 - 8.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ Cheesecake Filling

03 - 21 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
04 - 0.75 cup granulated sugar
05 - 0.63 cup sour cream
06 - 3 large eggs
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
08 - Zest of 1 lemon
09 - 0.95 cup mixed dried fruits (cranberries, apricots, cherries), chopped
10 - 2 teaspoons mixed spice blend (1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger)

→ Topping

11 - 0.85 cup heavy cream, chilled
12 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus extra for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 320°F. Line an 8 x 12 inch rectangular baking tray with parchment paper, extending edges slightly for easy removal.
02 - Process digestive biscuits in food processor until fine crumbs form. Transfer to mixing bowl and combine with melted butter, stirring until mixture resembles damp sand.
03 - Press biscuit mixture firmly and evenly into prepared tray base. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
04 - Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually incorporate sugar and continue beating until fully incorporated.
05 - Add sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth and glossy texture achieves.
06 - Gently fold chopped dried fruits and mixed spice blend into filling, ensuring even distribution throughout batter.
07 - Pour cheesecake batter over chilled biscuit base and smooth surface evenly. Tap tray gently on counter to release trapped air bubbles.
08 - Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until edges set and center retains slight wobble when gently shaken. Cover loosely with foil if browning excessively.
09 - Turn off oven and leave cheesecake inside for 1 hour. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.
10 - Refrigerate cheesecake minimum 4 hours, preferably overnight, until completely set and firm.
11 - Whisk chilled heavy cream with powdered sugar until soft peaks form, creating light and airy topping.
12 - Slice cheesecake into squares. Top each square with dollop of whipped cream and light dusting of powdered sugar.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like you've been baking since dawn, but the actual hands-on time is barely an hour.
  • The spiced cream cheese is tangy and never cloying, with warm spice notes that make people pause mid-bite.
  • You can make it days ahead and store it wrapped in the fridge, which means one less thing to stress about on the actual day.
  • Slicing into neat squares feels satisfying in a way that makes you feel genuinely accomplished.
02 -
  • The center will jiggle when you pull it from the oven, and that's exactly right—it firms up as it cools, and overbaking is the quickest way to end up with a dense, dry cheesecake.
  • Room temperature ingredients genuinely matter here; cold cream cheese and eggs won't blend smoothly, creating a grainy texture that ruins the velvety mouthfeel you're after.
  • Don't skip the gradual cooling in the turned-off oven—rushing this step is why cheesecakes crack, and those cracks, while not affecting taste, are disheartening.
03 -
  • Invest in a long, thin-bladed serrated knife and dip it in hot water between slices, wiping it clean each time—this gives you clean, neat squares instead of the ragged edges that happen with a regular knife.
  • If the cheesecake cracks slightly during baking, don't panic; the whipped cream topping covers a multitude of sins, and no one will notice once it's plated.
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