How about making a big old fancy as hell cake without having to worry about boring old complications like knowing how to bake, or having the skill to decorate it. Well, I may just have the thing for you. This no-bake oreo and hazelnut cheesecake is so forgiving it will hide your shameful secret and have your friends, family and general acquaintances convinced you’re a pro. So, coming from a self confessed piping idiot, I bring you my easy as falling off a horse, No-Bake Oreo and Hazelnut Cheesecake.
No-Bake Oreo and Hazelnut Cheesecake
Equipment
- 1 Flat based glass
Ingredients
For the Base
- 250g (9oz) Oreos (Filling is optional)
- 50g (2oz) Roasted Hazelnuts
- 100g (3½oz) Unsalted Butter
For the Filling
- 500g (1lb) Cream Cheese (Room Temperature)
- 125g (4oz) Icing Sugar
- 2g (½tsp) Vanilla Extract
- 60g (1oz) Frangelico (Substitute for Hazelnut Syrup if making it for children)
- 2g (½tsp) Hazelnut Extract
- 500g (1lb) Whipping Cream (Straight from the fridge)
- 150g (5oz) Oreos
To Decorate
- 15g (1oz) Dark Chocolate
- 20g (⅔oz) Oreos
- 20g (⅔oz Mini Oreos (or big Oreos smashed up a little)
- 100g (3½oz) Whipping Cream
- 15g (1tbsp) Icing Sugar
- 2g (½tsp) Vanilla Extract
- 6 Mixed hedgerow nuts and berries (Optional)
Instructions
For the Base
- First of all, line the springform cake tin with baking paper, this will save a few headaches later down the line
- Next, pop 250g of Oreos and 50g of Roasted Hazelnuts in a food processor and blitz them into small crumbs. If you do not possess such kitchen gadgetry, pop them in a robust bag, and go at it with a hammer
- Now, heat 100g of Unsalted Butter in a small pan until it has fully melted, and begun to bubble slightly, then turn off the stove
- Throw the Oreo and Hazelnut crumbs in with the melted butter and mix until completely incorporated
- Pour the resulting mixture into the previously prepared cake tin, spreading it as evenly as possible. Then, take a glass with a flat base, or similar implement, and lightly press the nutty, buttery, Oreo goodness into place
- Cover the tin with plastic wrap, and pop it into the fridge for at least half an hour
For the Filling
- Before you start, the Cream Cheese should be slightly softened to room temperature. This generally assumes an ambient temperature of around 20℃ (68℉). If you live somewhere cold, place the Cream Cheese in a bowl with a lid, and place that bowl on top of a pot of hot water
- Place 500g of softened Cream Cheese in a mixing bowl, and sift in 125g of Icing Sugar. Then add 60g of Frangelico, 2g of Hazelnut Extract, 2g of Vanilla Extract and 50g of the Whipping Cream
- Using a hand mixer, beat these ingredients together until the mix resembles an even, thick paste
- In a separate bowl, but without cleaning the hand mixer, whisk the remaining 450g of cold Whipping Cream into soft peaks
- Take a big spoonful of that Whipped Cream, and slowly fold it into the cream cheese mix with a rubber spatula
- Once incorporated, pour in the rest of the Whipped Cream and ever so slowly fold it into the mixture
- Finally, decimate a further 150g of Oreos with the Food Processor, then carefully fold the crumbs roughly into the mix
- Pour the resulting delicious mess on top of your previously prepared Oreo and Hazelnut base, smooth the top with a spatula, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill the whole thing in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight
- To remove the cake from its confinement, soak a piece of cloth in hot water, then run it around the edge of the cake tin to slightly melt the sides, before releasing the springform hinge. If following the decorating instructions, prepare the grated chocolate beforehand
To Decorate
- At this point, you are more than welcome to decorate your cake however you please. However, should you wish to make something resembling the photograph, continue as follows
- Prior to removing the cake from its tin, grate 30g of Dark Chocolate, and pop it in the fridge
- Remove the cake from its tin by slightly warming the edge, as noted earlier. Then, take the grated chocolate from the fridge and stick it to the edge of the cake while it is still a little soft
- Next, pulverize 20g of Oreos using a food processor and haphazardly sprinkle the bits over the top of the cake. Then, drop another 20g of mini Oreos, or 20g of smashed big Oreos in the centre of the crumbs
- To add some extra fancy embellishments, pour 100g of Whipping Cream into a bowl, along with 15g of Icing Sugar and 2g of Vanilla Extract, and whip into stiff peaks
- Pop the whipped cream into a piping bag, and pipe small dollops of it around the edge of the cake
- For the final touch, I like to follow the hedgerow theme of the hazelnuts and add some whole nuts, raspberries, mint leaves and/or blackberries to the top
Nutrition
Oreo and Hazelnut Cheesecake – Bits and Bobs
Getting the Most out of your Cheese
One of the more defining aspects of a cheesecake, this block of dairy goodness will keep the cake rigid where other ingredients would leave it collapsing in a pile of disappointment. As such, those looking to venture into this heady dessert realm should find themselves a good quality cream cheese that boasts its applications in the confectionery domain.
Regular contenders for general cheese bakery include Anchor and Philadelphia. Just make sure you get hold of the full fat versions that don’t include any additional flavours like garlic or chives.
Mixing up your Flavours
This recipe specifically calls upon the rustic flavours of hazelnut, but you can switch things out a bit in the spirit of invention. For starters, any nut will go well with Oreos, such as almonds, walnuts, peanuts and more. In addition, some delicious chopped up fruit will happily sit within the fold of the cream cheese centre, while a myriad of extracts and alcohols can give the cheesecake an extra kick.
Pair your Oreo Cheesecake with a Lovely Hot Drink
Now that you have gone all out with a delightfully decadent cheesecake, why not go the whole hog and pair it with an equally unhealthy side-drink. Tasty morsels offerings that cut the mustard include my amazing Irish Coffee, this excellent Hot Rum Toddy, and this ultra powerful Hot Chocolate.
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