No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake for a Crowd

(2)

This extra-large cheesecake spends time in the refrigerator not the oven, a boon for summer entertaining. 

no-bake ricotta blueberry cheesecake
Photo: Alpha Smoot
Prep Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
8 hrs 30 mins
Yield:
12 to 16 Serves

Whipped cream folded into this no-bake beauty’s lemony ricotta-and-cream-cheese filling gives it an airy texture and ethereal taste, all of which is sandwiched between a mellow vanilla wafer crust and burst of blueberry.

Ingredients

  • 1 box (11 ounces) vanilla-wafer cookies, such as Nabisco Nilla

  • ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta

  • 16 ounces cream cheese

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 4 tablespoons fresh juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)

  • 1 ¼ cups heavy cream

  • 5 cups blueberries (from 3 pint containers)

  • 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

  • Fresh mint leaves, for serving (optional)

Directions

  1. Pulse cookies in a food processor until finely ground. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and butter; pulse until all crumbs are moist (you should have about 3 1/2 cups). Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; refrigerate while making filling.

  2. Blend ricotta, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, zest, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice in clean food processor until very smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Beat cream on medium-high speed to stiff peaks, then fold into ricotta mixture

  3. Dollop 2 1/2 cups cream mixture over crust; spread evenly to cover with an offset spatula. Top with 2 cups berries. Dollop with remaining cream mixture; spread to cover berries. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

  4. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1 1/2 cups blueberries with 2 tablespoons water and remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until blueberries begin to burst, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into blueberry mixture. Bring to a boil, then cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 more cup berries; let cool completely. Spoon berry mixture over chilled cake. Garnish with remaining 1/2 cup berries and mint leaves. (Leftovers can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, up to 2 days.)

Cook's Notes

Keep this cake chilled until ready to serve.

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, June 2019

Related Articles