If you love Cheesecake you are going to swoon over this Hawaiian Lilikoi Cheesecake recipe! It’s the most insane combination of tart, sweet, and fresh that I have ever had in a cheese dessert…and everyone is obsessed.
Don’t just believe me…my neighbor had a slice this morning and was wow-ing, my mother drove from an hour away to grab a piece for breakfast, and my husband, who DOES NOT LIKE FRUIT, says it is 10/10. Are you sold yet?!
Try these other Hawaiian desserts:
What is Lilikoi?
Lilikoi is what we call Passionfruit in Hawaii. It’s tart but a bit sweet and tastes very tropical.
I grew up on the island of Kauai and we had an abundance of Jamaican lilikoi that grew wild on the vine, as well as the round passionfruit you see most often in the grocery store. For this recipe, we use the round passionfruit, which is a bit tangier.
Lilikoi Curd
For the top of this cheesecake we make an insane lilikoi curd- it’s similar to lemon curd but even better if you ask me!
what you need for the curd:
- Lilikoi puree/pure lilikoi juice/frozen passionfruit, defrosted. with or without seeds is fine! I think the seeds add extra flavor and we strain the curd anyway so you won’t get them in the final product. buy frozen passionfruit where you would frozen strawberries and smoothie stuff in the grocers.
- white sugar
- butter
- eggs
- egg yolk
TIP: I am a high advisor in preparing ahead and having an easier life- make a double of this curd recipe and save a second jar!! Enjoy fresh lilikoi curd on waffles, pancakes, toast and butter, and use for filling tarts and pies. (or just eat it straight from the jar like me.)
Shortbread Cheesecake Crust
The crust of this cheesecake is made with a simple shortbread cookie crust.
Its not soggy AT ALL(have you ever made a cheesecake with soggy crust? the worst!), it is golden and crumbly and tastes….like a shortbread cookie! YUM.
You add the ingredients to a food processor and blend until a dough forms, and then press it into the pan and up the sides as high as you can go. Freeze to firm it up for 15 minutes, then fill with cheesecake filling.
It’s like a crown around the cheesecake!
TIP: If you like a thinner crust you can use less dough, and save the rest for mini cheesecakes
Creamy Mascarpone Cheese Filling
For the cheesecake base we use a variety of cheeses: mascarpone cheese, quaker cheese(white cheese), and cream cheese.
Add in sugar, eggs, and a drop of vanilla extract and lemon juice, and you’re done! No gelatin, no cornstarch, NO LUMPS.
To make the filling:
- Add the cheeses to a stand mixer and beat together, or use a spatula in a regular bowl to combine all cheeses until smooth.
- Add in eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and lemon juice.
- Pour over the frozen crust, and bake.
Whipped Cream Topping
The cherry on top of this Hawaiian Lilikoi Cheesecake Dream is a dollop of fresh whipped cream on each slice.
It’s not totally necessary- but it really does make the perfect final touch. The fresh cream compliments the tangy curd very nicely. Anyone who receives a slice of your cheesecake is a lucky friend indeed!
Final Notes
- You do not need to butter your springform pan, nor add parchment paper on the edges. For an easy release, slide a plastic knife gently around the edges between the crust and the pan, and it should release perfectly, with a beautiful golden crust to show.
- NO water bath. I fervently hate water baths. They result in soggy crust most of the time, no matter how well the pan is wrapped in foil.
- To help ensure you dont get any cracks in the top of your cheesecake, add a pan of boiling water to the bottom shelf of your oven, and then place the cheesecake on the rack above it. This will create steam, which makes for the perfect smooth top.
- Let the cheesecake rest overnight in the fridge. I know, we all hate this part of a recipe. However, cheesecake does taste better(a LOT better), after the cheeses have had time to set. Let the cake and the lilikoi curd rest in the fridge and assemble the cake the next day, for tip top results.
Hawaiian Lilikoi Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9 inch round springform pan
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 2 cup flour plus 2 TBS flour (300 gram)
- 1/2 cup sugar (100 gram)
- 200 gram butter, cubed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg
Cheesecake Filling
- 500 gram quaker cheese(white cheese/gvina levana)
- 250 gram mascarpone cheese
- 225 gram cream cheese 30%
- 200 gram white sugar (1 cup)
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Lilikoi Curd
- 1/2 cup lilikoi puree/lilikoi juice/ frozen passionfruit, defrosted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 85 gram butter, cubed
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
Whipped Cream
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 TBS white sugar
- 1 TBS vanilla pudding mix, dry this helps stabilize the cream
Instructions
- Shortbread Crust:
- Add flour, sugar, butter, and salt to a food processor fitted with the "S" blade attachment. Blend until crumbs form and add the egg. Blend just until a dough forms. It will still be crumbly.
- Press into the base of a springform pan and up the sides as high as you can go. Press it down tightly so it sticks together. If you like a thinner crust you dont have to use all of the crumb mixture .Freeze for 15 minutes before adding filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Preheat the oven to 320º f/ 160º c.To a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cheeses and mix until smooth.Add the sugar, mix. Add eggs one at a time. Add in vanilla and lemon juice. Pour into the frozen crust and bake for 1 hour, 10 minutes. The edges will be golden and the centre of the cheesecake still jiggly.Cover well with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set overnight. (when you remove it from the fridge if there is condensation on the cheesecake top, simply dab it with a paper towel until dry).
Lilikoi Curd
- Add lilikoi juice/puree, sugar and butter to a small saucepan set over low heat. Stir and cook until the butter is melted. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs (2 eggs), and egg yolk (2 yolks) very well.While whisking the eggs, slowly pour in the warm lilikoi/butter mixture into the egg mixture. you must whisk constantly to not curdle the eggs.Once combined, pour the whole mixture back into the saucepan and heat once again, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens, 4-6 minutes. It should be the consistency of Pantene conditioner! Set a strainer over a glass bowl and pour in the lilikoi curd. Press the curd against the strainer to help it through the holes and then scrape the curd off the bottom of the strainer into the bowl. Try your homemade curd!! delicious!Cover the curd with cling wrap, being sure to press the cling wrap onto the top of the curd so it sticks. This prevents any air from creating a "crust" while it cools. Place in the fridge and let sit overnight with the cheesecake. The curd can be made up to a week in advance.
Whipped Cream
- Whip the cream after the cheesecake is assembled. Whip cream until stiff, then add the sugar and pudding mix and continue mixing for another minute, until the cream holds its shape when you pull out the whisk.
Assemble Cheesecake
- Remove cheesecake from the fridge. Gently slide a plastic knife around the edges, between the crust and the pan, being careful not to break the crust. Release the springform pan and remove the edge.Spread lilikoi curd over the top of the cheesecake, leaving a tiny edge of golden cheesecake peeking through. Use the back of a spoon in a back and forth manner to create a wavy pattern with the curd. Slice the cheesecake into slices: I like to dip my knife in hot water for 10 seconds, then dry it off before slicing for the cleanest cut. Once sliced into desired slices, pipe a flower of whipped cream at the edge of each slice. Enjoy!
- To Keep: Cover and place in the fridge for around 4 days.To freeze: do not pipe whipped cream. Cover the whole cheesecake with cling wrap before or after adding the curd, and place in the freezer in a safe space(where nothing will be put on top of the crust), for 3 weeks. Let thaw at room temperature and pipe whipping cream on before serving.
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