This no-bake Cadbury Creme Egg cheesecake is something EGG-STRA special for Easter. The filling is made by melting creme eggs and cream together to a thick and fudgy ganache, then combining with cream cheese and spreading on a biscuit base.
Crush the biscuits (either by hand, with a rolling pin or in a food processor) until you have a very coarse crumb.
Melt the butter and add to the biscuits. Mix until all the butter is absorbed.
Straight away, before the butter cools, tip the biscuit mix into the bottom of a large (23cm/9inch) loose-bottomed cake tin. Press down firmly to create a level base, then refrigerate while you work on the filling.
Make the filling
Put the cream, dark chocolate and chopped cream eggs in a large, heatproof bowl.
Heat gently until the chocolate is melted. You can do this with a bain marie (a bowl placed over a pan containing a small amount of barely simmering water) or in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each burst.
When everything is melted, it should come together as a smooth, thick, glossy ganache. If there are lumps of stubborn Creme Egg filling, don’t overheat the ganache. Instead, use a stick blender to get rid of them.
Put the ganache in the fridge for an hour to cool. Stir every now and then to ensure it thickens evenly.
When the ganache is thick and holds its shape, add the cream cheese and gently fold through until you have an even mixture.
Spoon the filling into the tin on top of the biscuit base, smooth to the edges and level off.
Dot the chopped creme eggs on top, then place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Serve
To release the cheesecake from its tin, run a warm, dry knife around the inside of the tin. Stand the tin on something stable like a large jar and gently ease the sides of the tin down to release the cake.
Because of the thick base, the cheesecake should lift onto a cake stand with ease – just use a cake slice or stiff spatula to safely transfer to a cake stand and serve.
Cut into slices with a sharp knife, wiping the knife between cuts to give a smooth, neat finish.