Delia Smith Baileys Cheesecake Recipe

Delia Smith’s Baileys cheesecake has a cocoa digestive base, a cream cheese and double cream filling spiked with Baileys Irish Cream, and melted milk chocolate drizzled over the top. This is a no bake cheesecake with no gelatine, just 30 minutes of work and an overnight chill.

I brought this Baileys cheesecake recipe to a Christmas dinner party and three people asked me for the recipe before I had finished my slice. Delia keeps the Baileys to 90ml so it flavours the filling without making it boozy enough to overpower everything else, which is the mistake most Baileys desserts make.

More Cheesecake Recipes:

• No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake
• Philadelphia Cheesecake
• Chocolate Cheesecake

Why the Cocoa Base Matters

Most cheesecake bases are just crushed digestives and butter, but Delia stirs sifted cocoa powder into the crumbs and it changes everything. The base turns dark, bitter, and almost truffle-like, which is exactly what a creamy Baileys filling needs underneath it.

I tried it once without the cocoa to save time and the whole thing tasted one-note, sweet cream from top to bottom with nothing to cut through it. The cocoa takes thirty seconds and gives the cheesecake its depth.

Baileys Cheesecake Ingredients

For the base:

• 300g (11 oz) digestive biscuits, crushed
• 150g (5 oz) butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted

For the filling:

• 680g (1.5 lb) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 100g (3.5 oz) icing sugar, sifted
• 300ml (10 fl oz) double cream (heavy cream), whipped to soft peaks
• 90ml (3 fl oz) Baileys Irish Cream

For the topping:

• 150g (5 oz) milk chocolate, broken into pieces

How To Make Delia Smith Baileys Cheesecake

1. Make the base: Crush the digestives in a food bag with a rolling pin, tip into a bowl, and stir in the sifted cocoa powder and melted butter until it looks like damp dark sand. Press firmly into the base of a 23cm (9 inch) springform tin and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Beat the filling: In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese with the icing sugar using a wooden spoon or electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Do not overmix or the cheese turns watery and the cheesecake will not set.
3. Whip the cream: In a separate bowl, whisk the double cream until it holds soft, floppy peaks.
4. Combine: Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, pour in the Baileys, and whisk briefly until thick and smooth. Stop as soon as it holds its shape.
5. Chill: Spoon the filling over the set base, smooth the top with a palette knife, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, though overnight is better.
6. Add the chocolate: Melt the milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, let it cool for a minute, then drizzle it over the top of the cheesecake in thin lines.

How Much Baileys Is Too Much?

Delia uses 90ml, which is about 5 tablespoons, and I would not go higher than that. More liquid means the filling takes longer to set and you risk it never firming up properly. I pushed it to 120ml once for a friend who wanted it boozier and the centre was still soft the next morning.

If you want a stronger Baileys hit without adding more liquid, drizzle a tablespoon of Baileys over each slice when you serve it. That way the flavour is right there on top without the filling paying the price.

Does It Work Without Alcohol?

You can use a non-alcoholic Baileys substitute and the cheesecake sets the same way, since it is the cream cheese and whipped cream doing the structural work, not the Baileys. The flavour is close enough that most people will not notice the difference.

If you want to skip the coffee-and-cream flavour entirely, the no-bake lemon cheesecake uses the same no-bake, no-gelatine approach but with mascarpone and fresh lemon instead. Same technique, completely different mood.

Keeping It for the Week

This Baileys cheesecake keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days covered, and the flavour deepens as it sits because the Baileys infuses further into the cream cheese. Day two is honestly better than day one.

I would not freeze this one. The chocolate topping cracks when it thaws and the cream cheese filling can go grainy after defrosting. Make it fresh, eat it within the week.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 520 kcal
• Fat: 38g
• Carbohydrates: 36g
• Fibre: 1g
• Protein: 6g

Nutrition is estimated per serving based on 10 servings.

FAQs

You Might Also Like:

• Tiramisu
• Profiteroles
• Chocolate Truffle Torte
• All Cheesecake Recipes