Why did my cheesecake not set?

It could be that you didn’t whip the cream cheese and double cream properly. It needs to be very thick - which is why I recommend using an electric whisk if you have one. However, be mindful not to overwhip or you will have a dense mini egg cheesecake. It could also be you haven’t given it enough time to set. Try to let it chill overnight if you can.

Can I make this mini egg cheesecake in advance?

Absolutely. In fact, this mini egg cheesecake is better if it is left to chill overnight. You will get much cleaner slices that way. That is why it is one of my favourite Easter desserts. I can prep ahead the day before and then just decorate before serving. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How do you make dark chocolate curls?

Although you can buy them in little jars in the cake decorating aisle (like these ones from Waitrose ), they are super simple and more affordable to make yourself. For cheat’s dark chocolate curls, take a vegetable peeler and grate down the side of a chocolate bar. This will give you big curls of chocolate. You can also grate using a microplane grater for smaller, tighter curls. Although I use dark chocolate in this recipe, it will work with any flavour.

Can I freeze this Mini Egg Cheesecake?

Yes, wrap well in cling film and freeze for up to 3 months (without the whipped cream decoration). Defrost in the fridge before decorating.

How long will this cheesecake keep for?

It will keep well covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can I use mascarpone instead of cream cheese in this cheesecake?

Yes, when it comes to the ‘cheese’ part, the important bit is the fat content. Hence why you need to use full-fat cream cheese. Mascarpone has a higher fat content than cream cheese so will give a richer cheesecake with an even creamier texture. It also has a sweeter, less tangy, flavour. I would recommend trying half cream cheese, half mascarpone first. By all means use all mascarpone, but bear in mind it will taste very indulgent.

Mini Egg Cheesecake

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This delicious no-bake mini egg cheesecake is the perfect Easter dessert. Imagine a buttery biscuit base topped with sweet vanilla cheesecake hiding plenty of mini eggs. All topped off with whipped cream, more mini eggs and dark chocolate curls. So good.

Author: margie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Setting Time: 4 hours, ideally overnight
Total Time: 20 minutes + 4 hours setting
Yield: Serves 10-12 1x
Category: Pudding
Method: No Bake
Cuisine: English

Ingredients

Scale

For the biscuit base:

300 g digestives
100 g unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake filling:

600 g full-fat soft cream cheese
100 g icing sugar
About 1 tsp vanilla extract
300 ml double cream
300 g mini eggs, crushed

Decoration

100g double cream, whipped to soft peaks (optional, but recommended)
100-200 g mini eggs
Good-quality dark chocolate, grated into curls

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Instructions

For the biscuit base: tip the digestive biscuits into a food processor and blitz into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and whizz again until you have the desired crumbly consistency. It should resemble damp sand.
Tip into a 20cm (8-inch) deep springform tin and use a glass (or the back of a spoon) to pat into a smooth and compact layer on the base. Cover and chill in the fridge whilst you make the filling.
For the cheesecake filling: put the cream cheese into a large bowl and sift in the icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract and whisk using an electric whisk until smooth. You can also do this using a stand mixer.
Pour in the double cream and continue to whisk until you have a lovely and thick cheesecake mix. Alternatively, you can whisk the cream to medium peaks separately, then gently fold through (I find the same bowl method saves on the washing up!). Taste and add a little more vanilla extract, if desired.
Fold through the chopped mini eggs until evenly distributed throughout the cheesecake mix. You can be as generous as you like!
Spoon onto the chilled biscuit base and use the back of a spoon, spatula or palette knife to spread in a smooth, even layer. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) or until set.
Once the cheesecake has set, remove from the tin and set onto a flat plate. Gently spoon and swirl the whipped cream on top and scatter with the remaining mini eggs. Sprinkle with dark chocolate curls, if desired. Cut into slices and serve!

Notes

Mini eggs: obviously this is a mini egg cheesecake which is great for Easter celebrations. However, you can make it all year round with different chocolates. Maltesers and Galaxy Minstrels work really well. So do M&M's and Smarties. You can even use chopped up chocolate for a chocolate chip cheesecake. If you want to stick with the Easter theme, LINDOR milk chocolate mini eggs are delicious.

Whipped cream: take care to whip the cream just to medium peaks for the decoration - if you over whip, it will split and you will eventually get something akin to butter.

Make ahead: this mini egg cheesecake is the perfect make ahead dessert. It actually benefits from having an overnight set as the slices will cut more cleanly. Then just decorate before serving. Once made, it will last for up to 3 days in the fridge.

To store: Once made, it will last for up to 3 days in the fridge.

To freeze: you can pop this undecorated mini egg cheesecake in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure it is well wrapped in cling film. Defrost in the fridge.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/mini-egg-cheesecake/