Description
This No-Bake Cheesecake Flag Cake is a patriotic dessert featuring a rich and creamy cheesecake filling on a chocolate graham cracker crust, decorated with fresh strawberries and blueberries to resemble the American flag. It’s a delightful and visually stunning dessert perfect for summer celebrations or patriotic holidays, requiring no baking and just a few hours of chilling time.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 1 ½ cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 1 cup cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- â…“ cup white sugar
- 1 ¼ cups cold heavy whipping cream
Topping
- 20 large fresh strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise, or as needed
- 24 large fresh blueberries, or as needed
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup sugar, cocoa powder, and melted butter in a bowl until the mixture is crumbly and well mixed.
- Set the crust: Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9×11-inch baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes until firm.
- Make the cheesecake filling base: In a bowl, mix together cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Whip the cream: In a separate chilled bowl, whisk â…“ cup sugar into the cold heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form.
- Combine filling: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cheese mixture until soft, fluffy, and well incorporated.
- Assemble the cake: Spread the filling evenly over the chilled crust. Tap the pan gently on the counter to remove air bubbles. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until set.
- Decorate with strawberries: Arrange strawberry halves starting along the bottom long edge of the cake in horizontal stripes, with the pointed ends facing right, creating multiple full-length stripes and a shorter stripe to reserve a square for blueberries.
- Add blueberries: Fill the reserved square in the upper left corner with rows of blueberries, placing them blossom side up, tightly packed.
- Serve: Cut the cheesecake into squares and serve chilled.
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese and mascarpone are at room temperature to create a smooth filling without lumps.
- Press the crust firmly and evenly to avoid crumbling while serving.
- Refrigerate the cake well before decorating to allow it to set firmly.
- Use fresh, ripe strawberries and blueberries for best flavor and visual appeal.
- This recipe is egg-free and perfect for warm weather as it requires no baking.
