Description
This No-Bake Cheesecake Flag Cake is a festive, creamy dessert featuring a rich chocolatey graham cracker crust topped with a fluffy cream cheese and mascarpone filling. The cake is decorated with fresh strawberries and blueberries artfully arranged to resemble the stars and stripes of the American flag, making it perfect for patriotic celebrations or summer gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 1 ½ cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
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
Decoration
- 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 thoroughly combined and crumbly.
- Set the crust: Transfer crust mixture to a 9×11-inch baking dish. Press the crust firmly into the bottom of the dish until smooth and even. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to set.
- Mix the cheeses: In another bowl, mix cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until well combined. Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to add brightness and flavor.
- Whip the cream: Whisk â…“ cup sugar into the cold heavy whipping cream until it forms soft peaks, creating a light and fluffy texture.
- Combine filling: Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until the filling is soft, fluffy, and well blended.
- Assemble the cheesecake: Spoon the filling over the chilled graham cracker crust, spreading and smoothing the top evenly. Tap the pan gently on a work surface several times to settle the crust and filling. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours until firm.
- Arrange strawberries: Starting at the bottom long edge of the cake, place strawberry halves with the pointed ends facing right in a horizontal line. Create a second shorter stripe at the top right of the cake with the same orientation. Continue adding three more full-length strawberry stripes spaced evenly above the bottom stripe, plus one shorter stripe under the top right stripe, leaving a square space for blueberries.
- Fill with blueberries: Position blueberries with the blossom ends pointing up in the reserved square space at the upper left corner. Layer the blueberries in lines touching one another to fill the entire square, mimicking the blue field of stars.
- Serve: Cut the cheesecake into squares and serve chilled.
Notes
- This cheesecake requires at least 3 hours of chilling time for proper setting, but overnight chilling enhances flavor and texture.
- Ensure cream cheese and mascarpone are at room temperature to avoid lumps in the filling.
- Fresh strawberries and blueberries are best for decoration; wash and dry them thoroughly before arranging.
- You can substitute the graham cracker crust with a digestive biscuit crust if preferred.
- Use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to cut clean slices of cheesecake.
