Cheesecake bakeoff

A few weeks ago I wrote about a goat cheese cheesecake. Shortly after the creation of that masterpiece, I was sitting with a few friends enjoying the last of that cheesecake when the idea of a cheesecake bake off came up.

I was browsing through an Indian grocery store a few weeks before I left Seattle and stumbled across a very large can of mango pulp--the prime ingredient in a mango lassi (delicious Indian mango yogurt drink spiced with cardamom). I grabbed one thinking it would come in handy at some point this summer.

The idea of a chai flavored cheesecake is something that has also intrigued me for some time--something about cardamom, saffron and ginger flavors in a cheesecake make my mouth water.

When it came to my entry for the cheesecake bake off I pulled that giant can of mango pulp out of the cupboard and went to work. The result-a mango flavored cheesecake with hints of cardamom and a crystallized ginger graham cracker crust.

Crust
1.5 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons of finely minced crystallized ginger
1/4 tsp of cinnamon and ground cardamom
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) melted butter

Mix ingredients together and bake at 325 F for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool while preparing the filling.


Filling

2 cups of mango pulp
3 8 oz packages of cream cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp of ground cardamom
4-5 saffron sprigs-ground up in with a mortar and pestle (optional)

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add spices and mango puree and beat until well blended. Pour filling over crust in pan.

Bake cake at 325 until set and puffed and golden around edges (center may move very slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off the oven and prop the door open for an hour before removing the cake. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. Serve topped with fresh strawberries and shredded unsweetened coconut.

This mango cheesecake went up again the goat cheese cheesecake topped with a berries in a lime-mint dressing. They were both amazing!



The consistency of the goat cheese cheesecake if far superior so if you want a super creamy cheesecake I would try swapping out 1 package of cream cheese for 8 oz of goat cheese.