No Bake Rainbow Cheesecake
Summer is finally in full swing and where I'm from it is currently in the 90s. Turning on the oven to bake anything right now is a struggle because of the heat it puts out. I really wanted to make a cheesecake without baking it. I found out that if you use unflavored gelatin instead of cooking it. To add a summer twist to it I made it a rainbow cheesecake
Supplies
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups finely crushed graham crackers
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ cup salted butter
Filling
- 1 ½ cups cold heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1 envelope (1/4 oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
- 16oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sour cream
- gel food coloring (red or pink, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple)
Topping
- 1 pkg graham crackers
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Crust
- Crush the graham crackers by pulsing them or you can use a plastic bag and a rolling pin
- Combine the crushed graham crackers with the sugar
Drizzle the melted butter into the graham cracker and sugar mixture
Mix together so that all the butter is mixed in and the mixture looks crumbly
- Dump the crumbs into an 8 inch pan, and press the crumbs firmly against the bottom
- Set aside the crust at this time. Place in the refrigerator to let it solidify
Filling
- In a pan heat up 1/2 of heavy cream
- Heat a bit above room temperature. Do not make the cream scalding hot. Then remove from heat
- pour the 1 envelope of the gelatin into a bowl
- Pour the warm cream over the gelatin
- mix a little bit and set aside for 5 min.
Filling
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric
mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the sour cream.Gradually add the remaining 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, and beat until soft peaks form.
Add the strained cream/gelatin mixture to the mixing bowl and beat until smooth and thick.
Filling
- Divide the mixture into 6 separate bowls
- I recommend using a cookie scoop or 1/4 cup so you can equally divide the mixture
- Use a very small amount of gel food coloring as a lot goes a long way.
- I wanted a more pastel rainbow but if you want it brighter add more gel coloring
Filling
- Spread one color onto the crust, smoothing it out, and repeat with the remaining colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple)
Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours, or in the freezer for 4 hours.
Assembling
- Take a bowl larger then the 8 inch and fill with warm water
- Leave in the warm water for 10 - 15 seconds
- remove from water and set on a towel
- Crush up the package of graham crackers in the sleeve. This does not need to be fine as it is only a topping
- Once you have the top covered with graham crackers take a piece of parchment paper and place on top.
- Take plate and place it over the parchment paper.
- At this time the cheesecake will come out
- Take another piece of parchment paper and place on top of the crust
- Place a cake tray on the parchment paper and flip it over
- Once the cheesecake is out you are going to want to smooth the sides with a knife.
Topping
- Add 1 cup heavy cream into a bowl
- Add 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix with an electric mixer till soft peaks form
- Place your topping in a pastry bag with frosting tip (if you don't have this a plastic bag works too)
- Once in your bag test it out in your empty bowl before you top the cheesecake
Topping
- Squeeze whipped cream in four sections.
- This helps you with the placement of the whipped cream toppings