Christmas Cheesecake Slab (Print View)

Velvety festive cheesecake with warming spices and dried fruits on a crunchy biscuit base, finished with snow-like icing sugar.

# What You'll Need:

→ Biscuit Base

01 - 2.5 cups digestive biscuit crumbs
02 - 8.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ Cheesecake Filling

03 - 21 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
04 - 0.75 cup granulated sugar
05 - 0.625 cup sour cream
06 - 3 large eggs
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
08 - Zest of 1 lemon
09 - 0.75 cup mixed dried fruits (cranberries, apricots, cherries), chopped
10 - 2 teaspoons mixed spice blend (1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 0.5 teaspoon ground ginger)

→ Topping

11 - 0.75 cup heavy whipping cream
12 - 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar, plus additional for dusting

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 320°F. Line an 8 x 12 inch rectangular baking tray with parchment paper, allowing overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - Process digestive biscuits in food processor into fine crumbs. Transfer to mixing bowl and combine with melted butter until mixture resembles wet sand.
03 - Press biscuit mixture firmly and evenly into prepared tray base. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
04 - Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat until fully incorporated.
05 - Add sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon zest to cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth and glossy consistency.
06 - Gently fold dried fruits and mixed spice blend into batter, ensuring even distribution throughout.
07 - Pour batter over chilled biscuit base and smooth surface. Tap tray gently on counter to release air bubbles.
08 - Bake 45 to 50 minutes until edges are set and center shows slight wobble. Cover loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
09 - Turn off oven and allow cheesecake to cool inside for 1 hour. Remove and continue cooling to room temperature.
10 - Refrigerate cheesecake for minimum 4 hours, preferably overnight, until fully set.
11 - Whisk heavy cream with confectioners sugar until soft peaks form.
12 - Cut cheesecake into squares. Top each portion with whipped cream and dust lightly with confectioners sugar.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • It feeds a crowd without hogging your oven time: one tray, 12–16 squares, and you're the hero.
  • The spiced cream cheese is ridiculously comforting: warm spices meet tangy cheese in a way that feels both festive and deeply satisfying.
  • You can make it days ahead: chilling overnight actually improves the texture and flavor, so stress melts away.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and naturally elegant: no fussy techniques required, just honest, beautiful layers.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are genuinely non-negotiable: cold cream cheese and eggs create lumps no amount of beating will smooth out, ruining the silky texture you're working toward.
  • That slight jiggle in the center is your friend, not a sign of failure: the cheesecake continues to cook from residual heat and sets fully as it cools, so trusting that wobble is the difference between creamy and rubbery.
  • Overnight chilling isn't lazy cooking—it's essential: the flavors meld into something far more sophisticated than a same-day cheesecake, and the texture becomes perfectly firm and sliceable.
03 -
  • Use a water bath if you're worried about cracking: place the entire baking tray inside a larger roasting pan filled with about 1 cm of hot water, and the gentle, humid heat prevents the top from cracking as dramatically.
  • Save a few dried fruits to arrange on top before baking: they become slightly candied and add a beautiful visual element that makes each square look intentional and special.
  • Lemon zest is more important than people realize: don't use bottled juice—the zest itself brightens and sharpens the entire filling in a way that makes people taste 'something special' without identifying what it is.
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