Summer Punch Jelly Cheesecake

Would you believe that I've been living in Cambridgeshire for a year now? That's a year in which I have come to understand what a Fen is, why Ely has its name and what a Fenland Tiger is. A year in which I have got so used to being surrounded by fields and being able to see for miles because the landscape is just so flat that forestry is a novelty and hills are way more challenging than they should be.

My life is very different to when I was a student (when I moved down here I had just graduated from Newcastle University) - not just because I actually have money now. I simultaneously have more time than before and also have less time for baking than when I was a student. I'm not going home to study and my free time is my time, which is really nice; it also means that I have more time to socialise, and I'm finding that I have less and less time where I have the time and energy to make dramatic cakes like this Eight Layer Kahlua Cake, or even the less dramatic Vodka Rainbow Cake.

Fortunately, this Summer Punch Jelly Cheesecake didn't take longer than 15 minutes to put together. I made it for this month's Baking With Spirit challenge, alcohol for parties. Laura at I'd Much Rather Bake Than... is kindly giving me a break and guest hosting this month. You've still got eight days to enter, so why not have a go?

So what does this dessert consist of? I based it off a drink I invented for myself using Pineapple & Coconut juice (easy to find at the supermarket), Malibu and some orange liqueur which I obtained from the duty free on a recent holiday to Spain. I think peach schnapps would make a fine replacement for the orange liqueur, on the probable chance that you don't have any knocking about in your cupboard.

I used the juice as a base for the jelly, and added orange liqueur and gelatine to make it set. I then added the liqueur and Malibu to the cheesecake part. You'll notice that there isn't a base on here; this is entirely aesthetic as I prefer not to eat the base, but if you can't go without you can use the base in the recipe here.

Makes 6-7 Tumblers
Ingredients

• 520mL Pineapple & Coconut Juice
• 4 Leaves Gelatine
• 75mL Orange Liqueur/Peach Schnapps
• 25mL Malibu
• 600g Philadelphia Cheese
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 150g Caster Sugar

Recipe

• Prepare the gelatine as per the maufacturer's instructions.
• Pour the juice and 50mL of the orange liqueur/peach schnapps into a saucepan and heat on low until hot, but not boiling.
• Stir in the gelatine, then continue to stir the mixture for 2 minutes. 
• Remove from the heat and leave to one side to cool.
• Put the Philadelphia cheese, Malibu, vanilla extract, caster sugar and the remainder of the orange liqueur/peach schnapps into a mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
• Divide the Philadelphia mixture between six or seven tumblers, then gently pour some of the juice mixture on top - try not to let the pressure from the juice falling onto the cheese mixture disrupt the layers.
• Place the tumblers in the fridge for at least four hours until the jelly has set, then decorate however you wish. Sprinkles and whipped cream, perhaps?