This Strawberry Jelly Heart Cheesecake is easily my family’s favorite cheesecake – A NO BAKE full cream cheese on a digestive biscuit base layered with strawberry jello and strawberries.
The strawberry jello and cream cheese is a light yet creamy combination with the digestive biscuit base giving that cookie crumble crunch. 1/3 biscuit, 1/3 cream cheese and 1/3 strawberry jello – the Perfect Trio.
Jung Kook Sweet 16 Jelly Heart Cake
I always remember this cake fondly as I made this as a BTS Jung Kook Sweet 16 Jelly Heart Cake for Gorgeous (Daughter No. 1). She loved it and it’s been one of her favourites since.
And BTS’s upcoming sold out performance in Singapore this Saturday reminded me again what a wonderful and easy cake this is. Read all about my Life&Cake Sweet 16 celebration here 😊
To me, this is also a nostalgic cake. The strawberry jello is somehow reminiscent of those childhood moments where I would eagerly wait at the fridge for Mom’s freshly made TORTALLY jello to set in those jelly cups before greedily grabbing a couple. Each bite of this Strawberry Jelly Heart Cheesecake is always a feel good moment and a trip down memory lane 🙂
Quote Gorgeous –
“You get that salty digestive biscuit, the light and yummy cream cheese with that irresistible jiggly jello. These three different textures blend so well together. The thing about this cheesecake is that it’s that good, you can go on eating! And before you know it, boy have I consumed a lot of cheesecake!”
Nothing complicated about this cake. It’s N0 BAKE and just requires good chilling time for each layer to set properly. And then it’s ready to serve. Check out the video to see how I made it.
What to watch out for:
- I made this with a 10 x 10 inch cake ring (check here for something similar) because it looks much prettier, set on a cake board. However, the cake ring requires a bit more patience when unmoulding in order to get the most perfect sides. This Strawberry Jelly Heart Cheesecake can also be easily made in a springform tin or a square or rectangle pie dish and just served straight therefrom. Tastes just as delicious!
Strawberry Jelly Heart is much prettier!
- This Jelly Heart Cheesecake looks the best when it’s made with strawberries. I’ve tried it with blackberries and whilst the taste is just as good, the look of the blackberry is nowhere as pretty as the strawberry hearts, enshrined in pink jello.
Pointed Vs Flat
- Use similar sized strawberries for a neat uniform look. Choose pointed ones over flat tip ones as they make nicer strawberry hearts;
- When layering the jello mixture, it’s important to go slow and ladle gently. The cheese cake is not fully set at this point so take time and that extra care if you don’t want swimming berries!
And that’s it really. Thereafter chill well and enjoy.
Did you make this? I would love to know how it turned out! Please leave me a review or tag me on Instagram or FB @thesugarcrumble 😊
If you like this Strawberry Jelly Heart Cheesecake, you might also love my other easy no-bake recipes
- Sweet Valentine Sakura Cheesecake
- Rosette Tiramisu
- Maoshanwang Durian Snowskin Mooncake
- Whisky Chocolate Cake
- Christmas Mochi Elves
~ ~ ~
Post update 31 March 2020
I love this Strawberry Jelly Heart Cheescake (SJHC) recipe because it’s delicious, easy to make and just so pretty. However, overtime as we make this again and again, (yes this household absolutely love our SJHC) we realized one small niggly fact.
Our cake rings and springform tins which were perfect at first for making this svelte looking SJHC have started to loosen due to usage. As these tins are no longer as compact and tight as they used to be, the last layer which is the thin jelly liquid, when poured in tend to seep out from the narrow side gaps.
Springform with slight gaping side
For us, it started as little trickles and spills at first (which we managed). Then last week when Gorgeous (Daughter No.1) was making the SHJC for her BFF, the entire jelly liquid oozed out from the sides. This Sugar Crumble Mom had to come to the rescue and after cleaning up and thinking through, we came up with a simple solution. Gorgeous’s SJHC was completed and once again came out beautifully. Happy Daughter = Happy Mama 😄!
Hence ..if you run into a similar complication, this is what you can do.
Double protect your tin or cake ring before you start.
Step 1: Using cling film, wrap the bottom of the tin as tightly as you can. Make sure all sides are amply and firmly covered by the cling film.
Step 2: Using aluminium foil, do a second wrap over the bottom of the tin to make it doubly secure.
Step 3: When pouring the last jelly layer, place the tin in the refrigerator (where you would leave it to set) and pour in the jelly liquid directly. This helps to avoid any spillage from moving the tin around and also allows the jelly to set soonest possible in the fridge.
Trust this helps. I hope each of you who tries this recipe succeed madly with this wonderful Strawberry Jelly Heart Cheesecake 😊 Enjoy!
Strawberry Jelly Heart Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 300 g digestive biscuits ~20 cookies
- 150 g melted butter
- 500 g cream cheese
- 100 g sugar
- 220 ml boiling water
- 1 1/2 tbsp gelatine powder
- One punnet of strawberries (I used about 13-14 strawberries, cut into halves)
- 1 tbsp of vanilla essence
- 2x 90g packets of Tortally strawberry jelly crystals
- 400 ml hot water
- 400 ml cold water
Instructions
- Blitz the digestive cookies in the food processor until fine. Pour melted butter over the biscuit crumbs and mix well. Texture should be like wet sand.
- Pour out the biscuit crumbs into a 10x10 inch square cake ring on a cake board and spread evenly as a base (alternatively use a similar sized springform pan or pie dish) Use a small glass or a spoon to press it down especially around the sides, until the biscuit base is tight and nicely compact. Freeze for 30min.
- Dissolve 1 1/2 tbsp of gelatine powder in 220ml of boiling water and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, whisk the softened cream cheese and sugar until it’s well combined. Add half of the cooled liquid gelatine and mix well on low speed. Add 1 tbsp of vanilla essence and the remaining liquid gelatine and whisk on low until well mixed.
- Switch to a spatula and mix by hand to remove air bubbles until the cream cheese mixture is nice and smooth.
- Remove the biscuit base from the freezer and poke holes in it with a wooden skewer (this holds the cream cheese better). Layer in the cream cheese mixture evenly. If there are visible air bubbles, use the wooden skewer to gently pierce and smoothen out the bubble. Set in the freezer for no more than 7-8 minutes for the cream cheese to lightly set.
- Remove the leaf and halve strawberries. Slit a V at the hull of each strawberry half. Gently but firmly press each berry half into the lightly set cream cheese to form neat strawberry rows (as a gauge, the strawberries should be at least 1/3 wedged into the cream cheese). Freeze for another 40 minutes.
- To prepare the Jello mixture, dissolve the jelly crystals in 400ml boiling water. Stir briskly until the crystals are all dissolved, add 400ml cold water and mix well.
- Retrieve the set cream cheese from the freezer and gently ladle the cooled liquid jello over the strawberries. (Be a gentle ladler otherwise you will get swimming strawberries!)
- Set the Jello in the freezer for another 30 minutes and then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours. When it’s time to serve, carefully remove the cake ring and enjoy the beautiful Strawberry Jelly Heart Cheesecake.
Video
Notes
- I made this with a 10x10inch cake ring because it looks much prettier set on a cake board. However the cake ring requires a bit more patience when unmoulding in order to get the most perfect sides. This Strawberry Jelly heart cake is quite easily made in a springform tin or a square or rectangle dish and just served straight therefrom.
- This jello cheesecake looks the best when it’s made with strawberries. I’ve also tried it with blackberries and whilst the taste is just as good, the look of the blackberry is nowhere as pretty as the strawberry enshrined in jello.
- Use similar sized strawberries for a neat uniform look. Choose pointed ones over flat tip ones as they make nicer strawberry hearts
- When layering the jello mixture, it’s important to go slow and ladle gently. The cheese cake is not fully set at this point so take time and that extra care if you don’t want swimming berries.!
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Hi there
Can I please know the what form of gelatin is used for the preparation of the cake.
Thks
Anita
Hi Anita,
I use gelatine powder for my recipe. Hope this helps!
Hi Anita,
Thought I give you a quick buzz on this recipe. I did a recent post update for this recipe re some tips on making this SJHC using a springform tin/cake ring. If you are using a springform pan/cake ring to make this, do check it out. Stay safe and keep healthy!
And thanks for highlighting – I have updated the recipe to indicate that it’s gelatine powder. Hope you enjoy making this Jelly Heart cheesecake 🙂
Hi may I know what kind of butter did you use? Is it salted or unsalted butter, thanks!
Hi Vanessa, I use salted butter as we like a bit of saltiness with the sweet biscuit base. However if you prefer not to, unsalted butter works too! Btw, I just did a post update for this recipe re some tips on making this SJHC using a springform tin. If you are using a springform pan to make this, check it out. Stay safe and keep healthy!
Tortally Jelly out of stock. What are the alternative?
Hi Lily, apologies – I have not tried making this Strawberry Jellyheart Cheesecake with other than Tortally jelly. I have used gelatin powder to make a Sakura Cheesecake with sake jello. It is a similar style jelly cheesecake but the jello texture is not as jiggly and the taste not as fruity. If you would like to try this alternative, you could perhaps substitute fruit juice for water with the gelatin if there is really no way of getting Tortally. Check out the Sakura Cheesecake recipe here https://thesugarcrumble.com/sweet-valentine-sakura-cheesecake/
Hope this helps and please let me know how it turns out!
Hello, Tried making for the first time today I find my jelly melting really quickly should i add more gelatin powder ?
Would like to make a perfect one for Mothers Day.
Hi Nicole, my apologies, I only just saw your comment. Belated Happy Mother’s Day to your mom! Hope you both had a wonderful celebration! It sounds like you didn’t use Tortally Jelly in the recipe? Which gelatin recipe did you use? Let me know and I’ll try to see how I can help.
Hi, I would like to make a 8″ round springform tin, may I know what is the proportion of yr recipe need to reduce? TIA
Regards
May
Hello! May. I have been going through exams with my kid and just saw this! Truth be told, I have always only made this in a square tin as it is just easier to cut and serve. However, I have attempted some math here given how much math revision has been happening over this side. Going by the area of the 10×10 square vis a vis an 8inch round, I would say you could probably reduce the recipe by 50%. Hope this helps!
Area of 10inch square: 10 x 10 = 100 square inches
Area of 8inch round: 3.142 x 4 x 4 = ~50 square inches
8inch round as proportion of 10inch square: 50/100 ~ 50%
Hi Kai, gelatine powder is out of stock.can I replace it with seaweed jelly powder?
Hi Priscilyn, I have not tried seaweed powder but I think it’s possible. Add proportionately less water when making your jelly so that it will be firmer when it’s set. You can add some natural food coloring if you’d like to keep the same strawberry red. Hope it works out. Please let me know how it turns out 🙂
Hi, i don’t have a square ring pan . If I use a square pan , do I need to put any cling paper or baking paper?
I have a round spring form but thinking that square will look nicer and easier to cut with 1 strawberry on it.
Thank you
Mimi
Hi! Mimi, yes a square pan is always nicer (to me) as you can slice the cheesecake into single heart strawberry square. Makes for easy serving too. If you are using the square pan, I suggest you line it well with a double layer of cling film (with a good 4-5 cm overhang) so that it will be easier to lift it off the pan when serving. Enjoy.
Best,
Kai
This recipe is great! I added too much water in the gelatin to make the filling but you can set in the refrigerator for 10-15 mins to lightly set then pour over biscuit crumbs
Hi Cherie! Glad you liked it. Thank you!
Thanks for the awesome recipe, Kai! I’m thinking of making this as a surprise birthday gift for a friend, but need it to be transportable. Do you think it would work if I set it directly in a tupperware/plastic box instead of a metal cake tin/springform pan? I’m just worried about whether it’ll get cold enough to set well. Thanks in advance!
Hi! SB, first my apologies – I have been busy on the home front and just logged in to my page and saw your query. The Jelly Heart Cheesecake once properly set in the fridge should transport reasonably well. I would recommend the springform or cake pan rather than the tupper-ware. You can cover the springform pan with foil during the transport and remove both at serving. Just make sure it’s transported well sealed in a cooler bag and if you have them, throw some mini ice packs in the cooler bag that will help to keep it cold. Hope this helps!
How should the digestive biscuits be smashed, can i use a grinder? Must it be fine or coarse?
Hello! The digestive cookies should be fine so that they can compact well (like wet sand) as the base when the melted butter is added. And yes, you can use a grinder. Hope you enjoy and have fun with this recipe.
Hi can I use powdered sugar instead of extra fine sugar?
Hi Elaine, I have not tried using powdered sugar. It could probably work but you may need to adjust the quantity as the sweetness of powdered sugar is different from fine sugar and depending on how much is added, it may give a different texture. Hope this helps.
Hi Kai! What kind of knife should I use to cut the cake
Hi Michelle!
I find a serrated knife offers the best cut as it can gently see-saw through the soft jelly whilst still giving a clean cut. Otherwise using a sharp knife with a gentle hand works too! Hope this helps.