Recipe: Coconut Cheesecake
This velvety cheesecake from cookbook author and New York Times reporter Melissa Clark ("Dinner in an Instant") is made with toasted coconut in the crust plus a shaggy garnish of shredded coconut on the top.
As with the classic cheesecake recipe, make sure your cream cheese is very soft before beating it. If your kitchen is cold, consider microwaving the cream cheese (removed from its foil package) for a few seconds; cold cream cheese is much harder to beat until smooth.
Coconut Cheesecake
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus at least 8 hours chilling
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
For The Crust
½ cup (about 50 grams) graham cracker crumbs (6 to 7 graham crackers)
¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted (see note)
3 tablespoons coconut butter or oil, melted
1 tablespoon coconut sugar or light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
For The Filling
12 ounces cream cheese, softened (see note above)
6 tablespoons sugar
¾ cup unsweetened coconut cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon coconut-flavored rum, such as Malibu, or 1 teaspoon coconut extract
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
Shredded sweetened coconut, for topping
Note: To toast the coconut, place it in a small skillet, set it over medium heat, and toast, stirring, until it turns golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the coconut to a plate to let it cool before using.
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. To make the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, toasted coconut, coconut butter, coconut sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Pat the mixture into a 7-inch springform pan, patting it all over the bottom and ½ to 1 inch up the sides. Bake until the crust has set and is golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool.
3. Make the filling: Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar until the mixture is very smooth (this could take several minutes if your cream cheese is not soft). Then add the coconut cream, beating again until incorporated. Add the rum and salt, and beat on medium speed until all the ingredients are incorporated and smooth. On medium-low speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Pour the filling into the prepared shell and cover the top of the springform pan with aluminum foil.
4. Fill the pressure cooker with ½ inch of water. You can either place a steamer rack in the pot and then lower the cake pan onto the rack using a homemade sling* or, if you have a rack with an attached handle, simply lower the rack and pan together. Cover and cook on high pressure for 32 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 8 minutes, and then release the remaining pressure manually. Lift the pan out of the pressure cooker and transfer it to a wire rack. Remove the foil. Note that the center of the cheesecake will still be wobbly; it will set further as it cools. Top the warm cheesecake with the shredded coconut and let it cool completely.
5. Cover the cooled cake with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours and preferably overnight to firm up. When you are ready to serve it, release the springform sides and place the cheesecake on a platter.
* If your steamer rack does not have handles, it's easy to build a sling that will help you lift soufflé dishes and cake pans out of the cooker. To make one, fold a long (about 16 inches) piece of aluminum foil into thirds so that it can sit under the dish or pan and extend up the sides of the pressure cooker pot (as handles). This will help you lift and lower the dish or pan from the cooker. Be sure to leave the sling in the machine while cooking so you can use it to lift the dish out afterward. Note that it will be hot after cooking, so use over mitts.
For more info:
- "Dinner in an Instant: 75 Modern Recipes for Your Pressure Cooker, Multicooker, and Instant Pot" by Melissa Clark (Clarkson Potter), in Hardiver and eBook formats. Available via Amazon
- melissaclark.net
For more food suggestions check out our 2017 "Food Issue" recipe index!