Easy London Cheesecake Recipe – Flaky Pastry with Jam & Frangipane
Not your typical cheesecake! London Cheesecakes are a nostalgic British bakery treat made with flaky puff pastry, sweet raspberry jam, and a rich almond frangipane topping. Finished with a drizzle of icing and a sprinkle of coconut, these classic pastries were once a staple in bakeries across London. Now, you can make them at home with this easy London cheesecake recipe.
Recipe Overview
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Prep Time:
15 MINUTES
Cook Time:
25 MINUTES
What Makes This Recipe Great
A Nostalgic British Bakery Classic – A traditional treat with flaky puff pastry, raspberry jam, almond frangipane, and sweet icing.
No Special Skills Required – Simple steps make this an easy-to-follow recipe for any home baker.
Perfect for Afternoon Tea or Gifting – A delicious addition to afternoon tea or a thoughtful homemade gift.
London Cheesecakes are a classic British bakery treat, but don’t be fooled by the name—there’s no cheese involved! Instead, these flaky puff pastry delights are filled with sweet raspberry jam, topped with a rich almond frangipane, and finished with a layer of icing and a sprinkle of coconut.
This London cheesecake recipe is a nostalgic favourite, found in bakeries across London and the South of England. Also known as a hairy cheesecake, thanks to the coconut topping that resembles grated cheese, these pastries have been enjoyed for generations.
If you’ve never tried London cheesecakes, now is the time! They’re easy to make at home with simple ingredients, and the combination of crisp pastry, sweet jam, and soft almond filling is absolutely irresistible. Perfect for an afternoon treat, a special occasion, or just because.
Check Out More Classic British Recipes:
Cheese Straws with Marmite – A classic bakery item with the added flavours of Marmite. If you are a Marmite fan, these are for you!
Sussex Smokie Bake – A classic South-East recipe made into a filling family meal with all the flavours from a classic Sussex Smokie.
Classic Cheese Scones – Perfect for picnics and snacks, our recipe results in the most light and fluffy cheese scones ever.
Equipment Needed:
- Rolling Pin: If you haven’t bought a ready-rolled puff pastry.
- Round cookie cutter: To cut out circles from the puff pastry. If you want a more traditional rectangle shape, just use a sharp knife to cut the pastry.
- Non-stick baking sheet or baking tray: To place the puff pastry circles on. Use baking paper (parchment paper) to line the tray and prevent sticking.
- Large Mixing Bowl: For mixing the frangipane ingredients.
- Whisk or stand mixer: To beat the butter, sugar, and almond essence for the frangipane.
- Spoon: For adding the jam and frangipane to the puff pastry circles.
- Wire Cooling rack: To cool the baked pastries.
- Medium Mixing bowl: For preparing the icing sugar glaze.
- Teaspoon: For spooning the icing sugar glaze over the pastries.
Ingredients:
- Puff Pastry – For ease, we are using a ready-rolled puff pastry for this recipe, but if you’d prefer to buy a block and roll it out yourself, then you can. Be sure to make the thickness even and similar to that of a ready-rolled puff pastry.
- Unsalted Butter – You can substitute this for margarine if you’d prefer but keep it unsalted.
- Caster Sugar – You can use white caster sugar or unrefined golden caster sugar in this recipe.
- Plain White (All purpose) Flour – Stick with plain white flour for this recipe.
- Egg – Use 1 large egg for this recipe.
- Ground Almonds – This is part of the frangipane which is flavoured with almonds.
- Almond Essence – This intensifies the almond flavour of the frangipane.
- Raspberry Jam – I recommend using a seedless jam. You can substitute it with other flavours of fruity jam such as strawberry but it is best to stick with a smooth jam where possible.
- Icing Sugar – I decorate the cheesecakes with icing sugar once cooled. Mix the water in slowly until you reach a thick but not too runny consistency. Otherwise it will slide off the sides.
- Sweetened Desiccated Coconut – This is the decoration on top. You can use shredded coconut, which look like strings of coconut, if you can find it, which is more traditional to this recipe, but for ease, I use desiccated coconut as it’s more easily available.
What is a London Cheesecake?
A London Cheesecake is a traditional British pastry dessert that you will find in many bakeries such as Greggs and various supermarkets around the United Kingdom. Although their popularity has declined in more recent times and they aren’t as easy to find, most often, they are found in the South of England.
Also known as Hairy Cheesecakes or Hairy Marys, London cheesecakes are made from puff pastry which is topped with raspberry jam, almond frangipane and icing sugar and decorated with a sprinkling of desiccated coconut. They contain no digestive biscuits, cream cheese or sour cream that you find in many regular cheesecake recipes today.
Sometimes referred to as an old-fashioned cheesecake, they gained popularity during the 1950s and 1960s and many will remember them as something their Grandmothers or mothers would often bake.
But why are they called cheesecakes when they contain no cheese? That’s a good question and one that isn’t easily answered. Some say that the original recipe contained cheese curds . Others may tell you that the name derives from the shredded coconut that tops the icing sugar as it resembles grated cheese. The actual origin of the recipe is quite a mystery but it is generally agreed upon that they came from the South-East of England and were, perhaps, called London Cheesecakes to differentiate from the more well-known cheesecake recipes found around the world today.
Step-By-Step – How to Make London Cheesecakes
Serving Suggestions
- Dessert Spread – Serve alongside scones, Victoria sponge, and tarts for a traditional British dessert platter.
- Afternoon Tea – Enjoy with a cup of tea for a nostalgic British treat.
- Bake Sale Favourite – These are a classic addition to bake sales.
- Picnics & Lunchboxes – A perfect sweet treat on the go.
- Homemade Gifts – Wrap a few in a box for a thoughtful homemade gift.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you want to save time, you can use pre-made frangipane. However, homemade frangipane has the best flavour.
No, despite the name, there is no cheese in this London cheesecake recipe! It’s a puff pastry treat with jam, almond frangipane, icing, and coconut.
Mastering This Recipe – Expert Tips
- Keep ingredients cold – Chilled puff pastry and butter make for a flakier pastry.
- Use a smooth jam – Seedless raspberry jam works best.
- Make them any shape – You can cut the puff pastry into circles or rectangles.
- Allow proper cooling – Let the pastries cool before icing to prevent it from melting.
Storage
- Room Temperature: Best enjoyed fresh on the day of baking. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Refrigeration: If the weather is warm, keep them in the fridge to prevent the icing from melting.
- Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing the finished pastries, but you can freeze the uncooked puff pastry and frangipane to assemble and bake later.
Easy London Cheesecake Recipe – Flaky Pastry with Jam & Frangipane
Ingredients
- 375 g Ready-rolled Puff Pastry
- 75 g Unsalted Butter
- 75 g Caster Sugar
- 75 g Plain White All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Egg, Beaten
- 30 g Ground Almonds
- 1 tsp Almond Essence
- 6 tsp Raspberry Jam, Seedless
- 150 g Icing Sugar
- 30 g Sweetened Desiccated Coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven to 180C (356F).
- Unroll the puff pastry and cut out 12 circles of pastry using a cookie cutter.
- Place the circles with a little space between on a baking sheet.
- In the centre of each circle, place half a tsp of jam. Set to one side.
- In a bowl combine the butter, sugar and almond essence and beat well until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Beat the egg and add to the mixture slowly whilst still beating it.
- Combine the flour with the ground almonds and stir into the mixture.
- Place a heaped teaspoon of this mixture on top of the jam ensuring that the jam is completely covered to stop it from spilling out over the sides.
- Place the puff pastry circles in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and risen.
- Remove the circles from the oven and place them on a cooling rack.
- Combine the icing sugar with approximately 1 to 1 and a 1/2 tbsp of cool water and mix until you get a thick, smooth icing.
- Once the puff pastry has cooled, spoon over about 1 tsp over the top of each one.
- Sprinkle over the desiccated coconut and serve once the icing has set.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Wait until the cheesecakes have completely cooled before topping them with icing.
- Use shredded coconut for a more traditional and classic ingredient, if you can find it.
- You can cut out different shapes for variation but just ensure the jam is completely covered by the frangipane so that it doesn’t spill out as the cheesecakes bake.
