This No-Bake Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake is a showstopper for dinner parties and special occasions. A creamy white cheesecake flavored with fresh orange zest and studded with chocolate pieces sits atop a buttery shortbread biscuit base. Finished with whipped cream swirls and chocolate orange segments, it’s as impressive to look at as it is to eat. Chocolate Oranges are available year-round, so there’s no need to save this recipe for the holidays.
No-bake cheesecakes are made by chilling a cream-cheese-based filling until set, rather than baking. This version combines soft cream cheese, orange zest and chopped Terry’s Chocolate Orange in the filling, with mini chocolate orange segments used for decoration.
One of the best things about no-bake cheesecakes is how simple they are to prepare and how well they store in the fridge, making them ideal for preparing in advance. They’re a lighter alternative to heavier puddings at festive meals and are popular year-round.
What is a Chocolate Orange?
Chocolate orange generally describes the combination of chocolate and orange flavours in desserts. Terry’s Chocolate Orange is an iconic British confection first sold in 1932. The classic product is a sphere of milk chocolate divided into 20 segments that resemble orange slices, traditionally tapped to separate the pieces. There are also dark, white and mini variations you can use in this recipe.
Terry’s Chocolate Orange
For this cheesecake I used a regular Terry’s milk Chocolate Orange chopped into pieces to fold through the filling, and mini segments to decorate the top. For a larger cheesecake (8″ or more) you can use the full-size segments for decoration; for a 6″ cake, minis sit neatly on the whipped cream swirls.
More Terry’s Chocolate Orange Recipes
If you love chocolate orange flavours you can apply them to many bakes, from tray bakes to cakes. Using chocolate orange pieces both inside and on top of desserts adds texture and amplifies the flavour.
How Many People Does a 6″ Cheesecake Serve?
This recipe uses a 6″/15cm tin and yields about 8 slices—perfect for a small family or intimate gathering. If you’d like to feed more people, scale the recipe up: double for an 8″/20cm tin (serves 12–16) or triple for a 12″/30cm tin (serves 16–20). Alternatively, bake in a square tin and cut into smaller squares for bite-sized portions.
Why Make a No-Bake Cheesecake?
No-bake cheesecakes are quick, forgiving and reliably creamy. Baked cheesecakes are beautiful but take longer and can crack or curdle. Many no-bake recipes use gelatin, but this one sets without it, making it suitable for vegetarians. You can prepare this cheesecake in advance and chill until ready to decorate and serve.
How to Decorate this Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
How to Pipe Whipped Cream
Whipped double cream piped with a star nozzle creates elegant swirls. To pipe, fill a piping bag, hold the nozzle directly above the cake, squeeze gently until the swirl is the size you want, then release pressure and lift away. Use the clock-face method—3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock, then fill in gaps—for evenly spaced swirls. If you don’t have a piping bag, spoon and swirl cream with the back of a spoon for a rustic finish.
Adding the Chocolate Orange Decorations
Place mini chocolate orange segments thin-side down on the cream swirls so they sit neatly and look enticing. The more swirls you pipe, the more segments you can add—an indulgent finishing touch.
Tips and Tricks for Making this Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
The full ingredients and step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, but here are a few key tips to ensure the best result.
What Cream Cheese Works Best?
Full-fat soft cream cheese gives the richest flavour, but reduced-fat varieties can still work in no-bake cheesecakes. Avoid brands that are overly watery—drain any watery liquid before mixing, as excess moisture can prevent the cheesecake from setting properly.
Branded vs Own-Brand Cream Cheese
Well-known brands like Philadelphia are excellent, but many supermarket own brands are just as good. Avoid the lowest-cost “super saver” versions if they taste grainy or have an off texture, and don’t use flavoured cream cheeses for this recipe.
Adding Orange Flavor
For a clear chocolate-orange profile, use fresh orange zest and either orange extract or a small amount of orange juice. Extract gives a stronger, concentrated flavour—but avoid adding too much juice, as excess liquid can affect the set. Folding chopped Terry’s Chocolate Orange into the filling ensures pockets of chocolate and reinforces the signature flavour throughout.
Adding Chocolate Texture
To add extra chocolate on top, chop a bar or large chocolate orange segments into shards on a diagonal using a large sharp knife. Grating can be messy and cause the chocolate to melt under your hands; chopping into shards creates attractive pieces to scatter over the cake or mix through the filling.
How to Store No-Bake Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
Store the cheesecake covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. To keep the whipped cream and chocolate decorations fresh, add them shortly before serving. You can prepare the base and filling ahead of time, but it’s best to pipe the cream and place the chocolate segments just before serving for the best texture and appearance.
Freezing
No-bake cheesecakes freeze well. Remove from the tin, wrap tightly in clingfilm and place in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving and decorate after thawing rather than before freezing.
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No Bake Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Biscuit Base
- 50g Unsalted butter
- 200g Shortbread biscuits
For the Cheesecake Layer
- 300g Soft cream cheese
- 60g Caster sugar
- 150ml Double cream / heavy cream
- Zest of ½ orange
- ½ tsp Orange extract (or fresh orange juice)
- 1 Terry’s Chocolate Orange (for chopping into the filling)
To Decorate
- 150ml Double cream / heavy cream
- 125g Terry’s Chocolate Orange Minis
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 6-inch loose-base cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
- Melt the butter gently and crush the shortbread biscuits in a food processor or by hand with a rolling pin.
- Combine the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter, press firmly into the tin and chill for 30 minutes to set.
- Beat together the cream cheese and caster sugar until smooth and the sugar is dissolved.
- Coarsely chop half the Chocolate Orange and stir into the cream cheese mixture with the orange zest and extract or juice.
- Lightly whip 150ml double cream until it starts to thicken, then fold into the cream cheese mixture.
- Pour the filling over the chilled base, smooth the top and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until set.
- Remove from the tin and place on a serving plate. Whip the remaining 150ml cream until thick, pipe swirls with a star nozzle and top each swirl with a mini chocolate orange segment. Scatter any remaining chopped chocolate orange if desired.
Nutrition
Please note the nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline.