This is a wonderful ginger bread cheesecake with a gingernut base and a delicately spiced, creamy and delicious baked filling, finished off with swirls of vanilla frosting and a gingerbread man treat.

You know when you're in your favourite restaurant, and you get to the desserts, and you order the one you always go for, but it's somehow...different? Well in my favourite restaurant I always go for the vanilla cheesecake, but this time, inexplicably, it tasted of ginger. And lo, it was good.
So, this week I thought I'd experiment with baked cheesecake, cranking up the ginger flavouring to create a spicy, creamy dessert...and it worked! The base is warm and moreish, while the cream filling is smooth and delicately spiced. Here's what to do.
Ingredients
For the base
- 260 g (9.2 oz) gingernut biscuits
- 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 85 g (3 oz) unsalted butter
For the filling
- 350 g (12.3 oz) light cream cheese room temp
- 250 g (8.8 oz) full fat cream cheese room temp
- 175 ml (5.9 floz) double cream (heavy cream) room temp
- 1 medium free range egg yolks room temp
- 2 medium free range eggs room temp
- 1 tbsp plain white flour (all purpose flour)
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 200 g (7.1 oz) soft light brown sugar
For the topping
- 100 g (3.5 oz) frosting
- 8 gingerbread men
- 4 tbsp caramel sauce optional
Equipment
Instructions
Crush or blend the biscuits so they’re like coarse sand. I used a ziplock bag and a rolling pin.
Add the sugar and melted butter and mix well.
Press into the base of a large springform cake tin, flattening with a spoon.
Cook at 170C/340F (150C/300F fan) for no more than 5 mins, then set aside to cool.
In a bowl add the cream cheese, double cream, sugar, ginger, flour and eggs together.
Pour the batter into the tin on top of the biscuit base.
Bake at 170C/340F (150C/300F fan) for 45 mins to 1 hour until firm but slightly wobbly if shaken.
Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and leave to cool for another 45 mins to 1 hour – it may crack a little but if you had everything at room temp when you started, it’s much less likely to.
Cool on a rack and when cold, cover with clingfilm/wax cloth/foil and store in the fridge to set for 4 hours or overnight.
Run a knife around the inside of the tin and unlock to release the sides. It should then lift onto a board cleanly.
Pipe 8 swirls of cream on top and put the tops of the gingerbread men into each swirl of cream.
To serve, cut into slices, transfer to plates, drizzle with the caramel sauce and crumble over the gingerbread legs!
If you’d like to print this recipe to make later, just hit PRINT on the recipe card below.
Gingerbread Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
For the base
- 260 g (9.2 oz) gingernut biscuits
- 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 85 g (3 oz) unsalted butter
For the filling
- 350 g (12.3 oz) light cream cheese room temp
- 250 g (8.8 oz) full fat cream cheese room temp
- 175 ml (5.9 floz) double cream (heavy cream) room temp
- 1 medium free range egg yolks room temp
- 2 medium free range eggs room temp
- 1 tbsp plain white flour (all purpose flour)
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 200 g (7.1 oz) soft light brown sugar
For the topping
- 100 g (3.5 oz) frosting
- 8 gingerbread men
- 4 tbsp caramel sauce optional
Instructions
- Crush or blend the biscuits so they’re like coarse sand. I used a ziplock bag and a rolling pin.
- Add the sugar and melted butter and mix well.
- Press into the base of a large springform cake tin, flattening with a spoon.
- Cook at 170C/340F (150C/300F fan) for no more than 5 mins, then set aside to cool.
- In a bowl add the cream cheese, double cream, sugar, ginger, flour and eggs together.
- Pour the batter into the tin on top of the biscuit base.
- Bake at 170C/340F (150C/300F fan) for 45 mins to 1 hour until firm but slightly wobbly if shaken.
- Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and leave to cool for another 45 mins to 1 hour – it may crack a little but if you had everything at room temp when you started, it’s much less likely to.
- Cool on a rack and when cold, cover with clingfilm/wax cloth/foil and store in the fridge to set for 4 hours or overnight.
- Run a knife around the inside of the tin and unlock to release the sides. It should then lift onto a board cleanly.
- Pipe 8 swirls of cream on top and put the tops of the gingerbread men into each swirl of cream.
- To serve, cut into slices, transfer to plates, drizzle with the caramel sauce and crumble over the gingerbread legs!
Nutrition
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Bex @ The Mummy Adventure says
This sounds delicious! I am starting to think I should be baking a bit more/at all so will add this to my list!
Emily Leary says
This one is quite fun and easy to make - let me know if you try it :)
Erica Price says
This looks gorgeous - I like the idea of ginger in a cheesecake.
TheBoyandMe says
I am so making this! It's going on my Christmas wish list. Pinned and stumbled.
Emma @mummymummymum says
That looks amazing!I love cheesecake, but have never managed to make a good one. I'll be trying this though. x
HELEN says
ooh yum, sounds lovely!
Emma Smith says
I need to try this, it sounds absolutely delicious!
Mammasaurus says
OH MY WORD. I just want to wrap a blanket round me and sit in front of the fire with the entire cheesecake! NOM!
Emily Leary says
That's pretty much what we did! :)
Michelloui | The American Resident says
Quite simply, wow! I read the title, thought about it a moment with the imaginary flavours rolling around in my moth, then thought exactly what you see above--wow! Will download this...
Emily Leary says
Thanks!