Raffaello Cheesecake (no-bake)

Close up of no-bake cream cheese Raffeallo dessert flavoured with white chocolate and coconut.

5 from 6 votes

Raffaello cheesecake is an easy and thoroughly delicious treat to make. Coconut and white chocolate team up in this no-bake Raffaello dessert that feeds a crowd.

Prep Time30

Chilling time6

Total Time6 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Worldwide

Servings:

Calories: 462kcal

Author: Jane Coupland

Equipment

1 20cm (8-inch) deep-sided springform cake tin

Ingredients

Cheesecake Base

200 g Digestive biscuits or graham crackers
100 g Butter
30 g Desiccated coconut

Cheesecake Filling

400 g Cream cheese full-fat (I recommend Philadelphia)
30 g Caster sugar
125 g White chocolate
3 tablespoons Soured cream
2 teaspoons Lemon juice
2 teaspoons Vanilla bean paste
3 tablespoons Coconut rum such as Malibu
60 g Desiccated coconut
Pinch of salt
275 ml Double cream (48% fat content)

Decoration

15 Raffaello chocolates
200 ml Double cream
30 g White chocolate
2 tablespoons White chocolate grated
2 tablespoons Desiccated coconut

Instructions

Make the cheesecake base

Grease a deep-sided 20cm (8-inch) baking tin. Optional: line it with baking parchment to make it easier to remove from the tin.
Crush the biscuits in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs.
Melt the butter, add to the biscuit crumbs with the coconut and pulse briefly to blend. (Be careful not to pulse too much as the coconut will reduce to powder. A couple of 1-2 second pulses should be sufficient.)
Tip the biscuit mixture into the prepared tin and use the back of a metal spoon to press it down firmly.

Make the cheesecake filling

Melt the white chocolate either using a bain-Marie or in a microwave (gentle heat). Stir until smooth.
Beat the cream cheese and sugar together using electric beaters.
Add the vanilla bean paste, soured cream, lemon juice & salt. Beat in.
Take 1 heaped tablespoon of the batter and briskly mix it into the white chocolate. (This helps to reduce the risk of the chocolate seizing when mixed with the cheesecake batter).
Now add the white chocolate mix back into the remaining batter and beat it in until smooth.
Mix in the desiccated coconut and coconut rum.
Pour in the double cream and beat until very firm (the beaters or a large spoon should be able to stand up in it).
Spoon half of the batter onto the biscuit base, pressing it in and levelling before adding the rest and pressing that down too. Take time doing this to ensure there are no air pockets within the cheesecake.
Level the top, cover and chill for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight.

Decorating the cheesecake

Unmold the cheesecake and place it on a serving plate.
To make the ganache, melt 30g of white chocolate then beat in 30ml of the cream. Allow to firm up if necessary (chill in the fridge for 15-30 minutes) then drizzle over the top of the cheesecake.
Scatter desiccated coconut and white chocolate flakes over the top of the ganache.
Whip the cream to soft peaks and use it to pipe rosettes around the edge of the cheesecake (aim for 15). Top each rosette with a Raffaello chocolate.
Either serve your Raffaello dessert straight away or store it in the fridge (covered) for up to 48 hours.

Notes

Weigh all ingredients accurately. The easiest way to do this is to use digital kitchen scales and the gram system. I do not advocate the use of the cup system as it is highly inaccurate.
It’s okay to vary the tin size but keep in mind that a large tin will result in a thinner cheesecake and a smaller tin will create a deeper dessert.
A deep-sided springform cake tin is the best option as it will be easier to remove the cheesecake from this type of tin.
This Raffaello dessert takes a minimum of 6 hours to set. Ideally, leave it overnight in the fridge.
To make it gluten-free use gluten-free biscuits and, since Ferrero Raffaello chocolates contain gluten, these will need to be replaced with a suitable gluten-free alternative. As a precaution, check the packaging of all ingredients to ensure there is no possibility of cross-contamination during the manufacturing process.

Nutrition