Equipment
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
- 250 g digestive biscuits
- 120 g unsalted butter, melted
- 1 g kosher salt
Cream Cheese Filling
- 600 g full-fat block cream cheese, room temperature
- 300 ml heavy cream, chilled
- 100 g icing sugar, sifted
- 10 g vanilla bean paste
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Tropical Salsa
- 300 g fresh mango, peeled and finely diced
- 4 passion fruit, halved and pulp scooped out
- 15 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 15 g caster sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your oven to 180C/350F. Line the base of a 23cm springform pan with parchment paper.
Place the digestive biscuits into a food processor and pulse until they form fine crumbs.
Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl. Pour in the melted butter and salt, stirring until the mixture is evenly moistened.
Press the crumb mixture firmly and evenly into the base of the prepared springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 180C/350F to set the crust.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow the crust to cool completely on a wire rack before adding the filling.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature cream cheese and sifted icing sugar on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy.
Add the vanilla bean paste and lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture, beating briefly just to combine.
In a separate clean mixing bowl, whip the chilled heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two batches using a spatula, maintaining as much volume as possible.
Spoon the filling over the cooled biscuit base. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top into an even layer. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
Shortly before serving, combine the diced mango, passion fruit pulp, lime juice, and optional caster sugar in a bowl. Toss gently to create the salsa.
Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the fresh tropical salsa generously over the top just before presenting and serving.
Chef's Notes
- For the cleanest possible slices, dip a sharp chef's knife into hot water and wipe it completely dry with a towel between every single cut.
- Baking the biscuit base briefly before adding a no-bake filling is a professional trick that ensures a crisp crust that will not turn soggy under the moisture of the cheese layer.
- The temperature contrast is vital during prep: your cream cheese must be thoroughly at room temperature to avoid lumps, while your heavy cream must be fridge-cold to whip to proper volume.
- Do not add the fruit salsa until just before serving. The acid and moisture from the fruit will begin to break down the surface of the cheesecake if left sitting for too long.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep covered to prevent the cheesecake from absorbing fridge odors. Best stored without the salsa, adding it just before serving.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze the cheesecake base and filling only. Fresh fruit salsa must be made fresh and cannot be frozen.
