The Best No-Bake Cheesecake

Andre proposed to Tiffany. Denise's boy. The quiet one. The one who works the docks. He proposed on a Saturday evening, at a restaurant downtown, with a ring he picked out himself and a speech he wrote on his phone and delivered from his phone because Andre is a millennial and millennials do everything on their phones, including the most important question they'll ever ask.

Denise called me at nine p.m. She was the Henderson announcement cry — the cry that bridges joy and overwhelm and the specific maternal terror of realizing your baby is getting married. "Mama," she said, "Andre proposed." I said, "What did Tiffany say?" She said, "She said yes before he finished the speech." I said, "Of course she did. She's been eating three helpings of greens for two years. She decided a long time ago."

Tiffany is a good woman. She is patient and warm and she laughs at Andre's quiet jokes, which are the best kind of jokes because they arrive without warning and leave without explanation. She works in marketing — something with computers that I don't fully understand but that pays well enough for Andre to buy a ring and Tiffany to say yes and both of them to start thinking about a house and a life and the future that starts with "I do" and continues with meals at a table and arguments about nothing and the slow, steady business of building something together.

I will make the engagement dinner. This is non-negotiable. The menu is already decided: shrimp and grits (because the engagement dinner for every Henderson starts with shrimp and grits), followed by whatever Tiffany wants, because the woman who says yes gets to choose the menu, and the grandmother who cooks it gets to cook it, and that is the law.

Tiffany wants pot roast. Pot roast. I haven't made pot roast in years — it's not a Lowcountry dish, it's a comfort dish, a Sunday dish, a sit-at-the-table-and-eat-something-that-took-all-day dish. Tiffany said, "My grandmother used to make pot roast on Sundays." And that was enough. That was everything. A grandmother's pot roast is a grandmother's love, and if Tiffany's grandmother expressed love through pot roast, then I will make pot roast for Tiffany's engagement dinner, and the two grandmothers — mine and hers — will meet in the pot.

Now go on and feed somebody.

The pot roast is for the grandmothers, and the shrimp and grits are for the Hendersons, but every engagement dinner needs something sweet at the end — something that says this is a celebration without you having to say it out loud. I’ve been closing big meals with this no-bake cheesecake for years because it asks nothing of you in the final hour when the kitchen is warm and the family is already at the table, and because it is the kind of dessert that makes people sit back in their chairs and go quiet in the best possible way. Tiffany said yes before Andre finished his speech — the least I can do is give her a cheesecake worth lingering over.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Chill Time: 6 hours | Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 12

Ingredients

For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full sheets)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
24 oz (three 8-oz packages) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold

Instructions

Make the crust. In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter until the mixture resembles damp sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Place in the refrigerator to firm while you make the filling.
Beat the cream cheese. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes until completely smooth and fluffy with no lumps remaining. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the sugar and flavorings. With the mixer on low, add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and beat for another minute until fully combined and creamy.
Whip the cream. In a separate chilled bowl, beat the cold heavy whipping cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not over-beat.
Fold together. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two additions, working carefully to keep as much volume as possible. Fold until just combined with no white streaks remaining.
Fill and smooth. Spoon the filling over the chilled crust and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Smooth the top as flat as you can.
Chill. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. The cheesecake must be fully set before slicing — do not rush this step.
Serve. Run a thin knife around the inner edge of the springform pan before releasing the latch. Slice with a clean, sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Serve plain or topped with fresh berries, cherry pie filling, or a drizzle of caramel.

Nutrition (per serving)

The Best No-Bake Cheesecake — Something Sweet to Seal the Celebration