To make the base use a food processor to whizz up the biscuits into crumbs, if you don't have a food processor, bash the biscuits gently with a rolling pin in a bowl or freezer bag
Mix the melted butter into the biscuit crumbs, and press the mixture into the bottom of a 23cm springform tin. Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to set
Melt the Milkybar chocolate so it has time to cool. I melt mine in the microwave, start with a 30 second blast, then stir, keep blasting for 10 seconds, stirring between each one, until it's melted. Or you can melt it in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water
For the cheesecake filling use a food mixer with a whisk attachment or an electric hand whisk to mix together the cream cheese, vanilla extract and icing sugar until smooth with no lumps
Gently mix in the cooled melted Milkybar chocolate
Add the double cream and whisk until it is very thick and holds it's shape, You want it to get to a stage where you can scoop some up with your spatula or spoon and you have to give it a tap on the side of the bowl or slight flick of the wrist to get the mixture off the spoon. If it’s sloppy and slides right off the spoon without any encouragement needed, then you need to mix it more
Smooth the filling into the tin on top of the biscuit base, then put it in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours, to set
Remove the cheesecake from the tin and put on your serving plate. Smooth the sides with a butter knife to create a neater finish if needed
To make the ganache, put the ingredients into a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 20-30 seconds. Stir well, then microwave in 10 second blasts, stirring between each one, until fully melted
Pour the ganache over the cheesecake and use a palette knife, or the back of a spoon to spread it out
Whip up the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla, ideally using an electric whisk, and pipe swirls all around the edge of the cheesecake
Decorate with Milkybar buttons and chunks of Milkybar chocolate around the edge
Finely chop up some Milkybar chocolate and sprinkle it in the centre too
Serve immediately, store any leftovers in the fridge and eat within 2 days
Video
Notes
It is really important to stick to the ingredients and use full fat cream cheese and double cream (a cream with a 48% fat content), both of these ingredients are essential to ensure the no bake cheesecake sets. If you want to make a low fat version, I suggest doing this in small dessert glasses or ramekins as they will not set well enough to be sliced.
I am based in the UK and I find that Philadelphia cream cheese is the thickest and best quality cream cheese to use for no bake cheesecakes. I have made many cheesecakes with supermarket own brand cream cheeses too, and they have worked great. If you can though, I think it is worth spending a little more for Philadelphia (and no they haven't paid me to say this!)
I like to use digestive biscuits (Graham crackers if you're in the US) for the base, but you could substitute if for another similar biscuit like Hobnobs.
You can use either butter or baking spread for the biscuit base, I find that baking spread makes the cheesecake easier to remove from the tin as it doesn't make the base set as solidly.
You can find lots of answers to common no bake cheesecake questions on my How To Make A No Bake Cheesecake guide. If you've never made a no bake cheesecake before, I highly recommend reading through my guide first!
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.