Pleesecakes' easy no-bake cheesecake
From decorating houses to decorating cheesecakes, Joe Moruzzi and Brendon Parry are ex-painter-decorators who started a cheesecake revolution on Instagram with their no-bake Pleesecakes. Loved by everyone from Dawn French to Emma Willis, they’ve even delivered their cheesecakes to Clarence House.
The boys are in the the kitchen to show how you can whip one up at home, and offering up a healthy alternative.
Fully loaded Pleesecake
Serves: 15
Ingredients
For the base:
420g double chocolate digestive biscuits
100g unsalted butter, melted
20g mini fudge pieces
20g dark chocolate drops
20g toffee popcorn
For the filling:
990g cream cheese
110g caster sugar
415g salted caramel sauce
1 tsp sea salt
35g mini fudge pieces
250ml double cream
For the topping:
125g dark chocolate
125g milk chocolate
185ml double cream
500 – 700g of your favorite chocolate and wafers in varying sizes and shapes – get creative!
You’ll need a deep 23cm springform cake tin
Method
Whizz the biscuits to a fine crumb in a food processor (stick them in a sandwich bag and bash with a rolling pin if you haven’t got a food processor) and whack them in a mixing bowl
Add the melted butter and give it a good stir to make sure that all the biscuit is nicely coated, then mix in the mini fudge, dark chocolate drops and popcorn. Pour into the cake tin and press down gently and evenly to make your base. Level off around the edge with the back of a spoon and place in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.
Beat the cream cheese and sugar together. Add the salted caramel sauce, sea salt and mini fudge pieces and mix together thoroughly. Whip the cream until you have stiff peaks and fold it gently into the mix.
Spoon into the cake tin, level off with a palette knife, then run your forefinger and thumb around the rim of the tin to create a professional finish. Tap the tin gently on a hard surface to remove any air bubbles. Stick it into the freezer for at least 3 hours to set.
Once frozen, remove from the freezer and release the springform sides, keeping the base in place. To make the chocolate drizzle, blitz the dark and milk chocolate into a coarse crumb in a food processor and whack it into a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until piping hot (but not bubbling). Pour the cream onto the chocolate gradually, stirring as you go, making sure the consistency is not too thick or too thin. Then drizzle it onto the cake, starting in the middle and using the back of a spoon to gently encourage the chocolate over the edge.
When you’re ready, get building a fully loaded beaut! Our tip is to start with the big bulky things to create a good foundation. Then move onto the slightly smaller bars and work your way down in size until you get to the little things for the finishing touches. But there’s no correct way of constructing this cake.
Allow to defrost in the fridge for 3-4 hours before serving
Choc orange popcorn
Anyone who’s against or doesn’t understand the vegan flex (which used to include both of us) needs to try this. Chocolate, orange and popcorn – undeniably incredible flavours that work so well together! If you're not a choc-orange fan, switch the orange for raspberry. Either way you're going to win with this one!
Serves: 2
Ingredients
For the base:
120g pitted dried dates
5g popcorn
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
For the filling:
75g cashew nuts (ideally soaked overnight)
55ml coconut milk
5ml orange extract
Finely grated zest of ½ orange
60g dark chocolate (vegan)
20g popcorn
For the topping:
60g dark chocolate (vegan)
10g coconut oil
25g popcorn
Finely grated zest of ½ orange
You’ll need 2 mini cheesecake moulds or a mini cheesecake tray (12 compartments)
Method
Grease the moulds and stick the kettle on. You want to soak those cashew nuts in boiling water for at least an hour – preferably overnight. Then soak your dates in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Once the dates are nice and soft, strain them into a sieve and squeeze out any excess water. Throw them into a bowl with the popcorn and orange zest and mash and scrunch them with your hands, until all the dates have broken down and the mixture all binds together.
Decide evenly between the moulds, pressing down firmly with the back of your hand to form your bases. Whack them in the freezer for 15 minutes while you crack on with the rest.
Drain the cashews (making sure they’re soft) then chuck them into a food processor with the coconut milk, orange extract and orange zest. Give it a blast for a good 5 minutes.
While this is blending, melt the dark chocolate in the microwave for 2 minutes (or over a pan of simmering water). Then, add the melted chocolate to the processor and blend further until it is a very smooth consistency. Stir through the popcorn until evenly distributed. Spoon into the moulds and stick it in the freezer for at least 2 hours to set.
Once set, remove from the freezer and take them out of the moulds (a small blowtorch can help with this – just for a couple of seconds, or it’ll start to melt). Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave (or over a pan of simmering water). Spread an even layer of chocolate over the tops of the cakes to create a sticky foundation. Then add a layer of popcorn while the chocolate is still wet. Drizzle with more melted chocolate, followed by more popcorn. Repeat the process until you have a popcorn tower stuck together with chocolate. A final drizzle of chocolate and a grating of orange zest is all that’s needed to finish off these proper tasty vegan cakes!
Allow to defrost in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving