White Chocolate Cheesecake with Strawberry Santas

A very festive and Christmassy White Chocolate Cheesecake decorated with strawberries stuffed with sweetened whipped cream and made to look like Santa. You couldn't get cuter than this!

'Tis the season for joy and a White Chocolate Cheesecake brings so much joy. Especially the easiest ever no-bake variety. Oh, and the stuffed strawberry Santas on top are just the sweetest touch.

I really wanted to come up with some unique dessert ideas for you this Christmas. I know you're here for the Santas and the Milkybar in the cheesecake (who wouldn't be?) buuuuuut do have a look at this Reindeer Christmas Cheesecake because it's also adorable.

It might be a toss-up between the reindeers or Santas as to what will land on your Christmas dinner table. Or maybe you'll make both? I say go for it; I'm not the boss of you ;-)

You are going to love this because...

• It's no-bake
• Very easy to follow recipe
• It's really quick to prepare
• The ingredients are simple and cheap
• It will easily feed a crowd
• Has the wow factor
• It's cuter than cute

I only ever publish recipes I know you can recreate to the letter at home. And this white chocolate cheesecake is no exception. It's a super easy cheesecake recipe that takes moments to prepare and is an excellent make-ahead dessert.

Now obviously this is a very Christmassy version of my no-bake cheesecake so if you're not looking for something this cute then check out all my other cheesecake recipes because you're bound to find something you like.

What you need to make the cheesecake

• Gingernut biscuits
• White chocolate
• Full-fat cream cheese
• Double cream
• Vanilla extract
• Lemon juice

I've used gingernut biscuits for the base because ginger basically screams Christmas and it goes so well with white chocolate.

If you're not into ginger then try Digestives or Biscoff. If you're in the US then go for Graham Crackers.

The actual white chocolate part of the filling is made from melted Milkybars but you can use any brand of white chocolate you like, it doesn't have to be Milkybar.

As for the rest of the filling ingredients, it is pretty standard Philadephia cream cheese and double cream. I use Philadelphia because I know it works and sets perfectly - if you are going to use a different brand then you must make sure it's full fat otherwise your cheesecake won't set.

Likewise, the double cream has to have a high-fat content or you will end up with a sad, runny cheesecake. In the US look for heavy cream with the highest fat content you can find.

I've also added a touch of vanilla (make sure it's extract, not essence) and a tiny amount of lemon juice to counter the tang of the cream cheese.

The filling is creamy, smooth, light and oh so delicious. I defy you not to fall in love. You're going to want to make this one again and again.

I would usually add icing sugar to a cheesecake filling to add thickness and for a bit of sweetness but because I've used white chocolate it's sweet enough and adding chocolate to cheesecake always helps it set really well so there was no need for icing sugar.

As for the decoration, there are quite a few recipes online for cheesecake stuffed Santas. I did consider going this route but I felt like it was overkill having them on top of a cheesecake.

Instead, I added some icing sugar to double cream and whipped it together then piped it into the strawberries.

How to make it

Note: Watch the step by step recipe video to help you. Scroll to the bottom of the page for a list of ingredients, measurements and recipe method.

Step One: Blitz the gingerbread biscuits in a food processer until they are crumbs. Alternatively, add them to a zip lock bag and bash them up with a rolling pin. Add the melted butter and mix well to combine.

Tip the biscuits into the springform tin and use the back of a spoon to press the crumbs down until the base looks smooth and even. Put the tin in the fridge while you make the filling.

Step Two: Break the white chocolate into small pieces and place it in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Don't allow the bowl to touch the water. When the chocolate has melted, set it aside to cool.

Step Three: Beat the cream cheese to remove any lumps then pour in the cooled melted white chocolate and use a spatula to fold the chocolate into the cream cheese.

Step Four: In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream to stiff peaks. Then fold it very gently into the cream cheese mixture making sure it is well combined.

Step Five: Transfer the cream cheese mixture on top of the gingernut biscuit base. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the filling out so it is level and smooth. Refrigerate overnight.

Step Six: When the cheesecake has set follow the instructions below to assemble the cream stuffed strawberries and use them to decorate the cheesecake.

Stuffed strawberry Santas

Making the Santa decorations is really easy. First of all, make sure the strawberries are all roughly the same size so that when you use them to decorate the cheesecake it looks nice and symmetrical.

Step One: Whip the cream and icing sugar together until it's holding its shape but try not to overwhip it or it will curdle and not look as nice. Add the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Reserve a tiny amount of cream to add to another piping bag fitted with a very small round nozzle - this is to pipe the buttons and bobbles.

Step Two: Cut the end of the strawberry off then scoop out a little bit of the inside with a sharp knife. Pipe the whipped cream inside until it's sticking out by a few centimetres, then put the cut off piece of strawberry on top for a hat.

Step Three: Poke in black sprinkles for eyes. You can use round ball sprinkles but you might find them too heavy for the cream. See below. Pipe three dots on the front of the strawberry and one tiny blob on top of the hat.

Step Four: Arrange the strawberries on top of the set cheesecake then add two blueberries per strawberry to make it look like Santa's boots.

Note: I used a Wilton 1m piping nozzle to pipe the cream into the strawberries but any star nozzle will do the job. For the 'buttons' and 'bobble' I used a very small round piping nozzle. If you don't have one, you can use a toothpick or similar.

The only part I was not 100% happy with was the eyes. I had to use long black sprinkles because I didn't have any other suitable sprinkles. Ball sprinkles were too heavy and kept falling off. The black sprinkles I used were really difficult to push all the way into the cream and didn't look exactly how I planned but you get the idea.

Tips for success

• I used a 20cm (8″) springform tin but a 20cm (8″) loose-bottomed deep cake tin will also work well. 
• Melt the white chocolate before you do anything else and make sure it has cooled to room temperature BEFORE you add it to the cream cheese otherwise it will ruin the texture of your cheesecake.
• I would not recommend you use a microwave to melt the white chocolate because it is much more likely to seize and end up with chunks. Melt it in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
• Make sure the cream cheese is full fat AND at room temperature.
• At the double cream whisking stage ensure you whip the cream to stiff peaks. Then fold it gently into the cream cheese mixture so you don’t knock the air out. This will ensure your cheesecake sets properly.
• A no-bake cheesecake needs at least 6 hours to set but overnight in the fridge is best. Remember: no-bake cheesecakes will still have a slight ‘wobble’ and often mousse-like texture they will NOT set like a baked cheesecake.
• To remove the cheesecake from the base of the tin slide a sharp knife between the bottom of the cheesecake and base of the tin. Then move the knife around in a full circle until the cheesecake loosens.
• Use a cake lifter or two long knives to transfer the cheesecake on to a serving platter.
• Slice into pieces using a knife sharp enough to cut through the base so it doesn’t break.
• Storage: leftovers should be stored in the fridge and will keep for 3-4 days. White Chocolate Cheesecake freezes well (without the strawberry decoration) for up to 3 months.

More Christmas recipes