Benjamina Ebuehi's recipe for no-bake lemon elderflower cheesecake | The perfect place

If I'm looking for a quick to make dessert that's good for a crowd, nine times out of 10 I'll go for a no-bake cheesecake because it's so easy to put together and hard to mess up; it's just a matter of mixing and cooling. This one is unsweetened and brightened up with the classic summery combination of lemon and elderflower. Build it up in a square pan to take it a step further, although it works just as well in a round pan.

No-Bake Lemon Elderflower Cheesecake

Preparation 10 minCooking 20 minRefrigeration 6 hrs+For 9 to 12 people

For the base175 g shortbreadZest of 1 lemon100 g melted unsalted butter

For the filling560g cream cheese90g icing sugar1½ tbsp lemon juice3 tbsp elderflower cordial 250ml double cream1 tbsp lemon curd

Towards the top 150ml double cream2 tbsp lemon curd50g shavings of white chocolate

Line a 20cm square cake tin parchment paper (if using a removable bottomless pan, leave enough overflow to help you get the cheesecake out later).

Blitz cookies and lemon zest into a food processor until fine, then pour in the melted butter and give everything a quick pulse to combine. Pour into lined pan, press firmly and evenly, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare filling. Put the cream cheese and icing sugar in a bowl, whisk until smooth, then pour in the lemon juice and cordial, and stir to combine.

In another bowl, lightly whip the double cream - you want it to thicken up a bit, so stop just before you get to soft peaks. Fold it into the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the lemon curd. Pour over the top of the cooled and set biscuit base, smooth the top and chill in the fridge for about six hours, and ideally overnight.

Lightly whisk the rest of the cream in soft peaks, then spoon spoonfuls over the cheesecake. Make a small dip in each drop of cream with the back of a teaspoon, fill with a little lemon cream, cover with shavings of white chocolate, then cut into portions.