Mango cheesecake

Apparently, this is a legendary cheesecake from Poznań, served at Café La Ruina. If I ever visit Poznań, I’ll definitely stop by to try the original. In the meantime, here’s a recipe for a truly delicious cheesecake packed with mango purée. It’s creamy, delicate and quite exceptional. The cheesecake sits on a homemade cocoa shortcrust base and is topped with a soured cream layer you may already recognise from other recipes on the blog, such as London cheesecake or blueberry cheesecake. Finished with a swirl of mango purée… could this one steal your heart?

Ingredients for the shortcrust base:

• 100 g plain flour
• 60 g butter, at room temperature
• 60 g icing sugar
• 15 g cocoa powder
• a pinch of salt
• 1–2 tablespoons cold water

Rub all the ingredients (except the water) together, either by hand or in a food processor, until crumbly. If the mixture is too dry, add a little water.

Press the cocoa crumb into the base of a 23 cm springform tin lined with baking parchment. Pre-bake at 180°C for about 15 minutes. Wrap the outside of the tin twice with foil – the cheesecake will be baked in a water bath*.

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 750 g full-fat or medium-fat curd cheese (or cream cheese), finely ground
• 200 ml sweetened condensed milk
• 150 g soured cream
• 470 g mango purée
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons potato starch (or cornflour)
• 1 tablespoon plain flour

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix just until combined (do not overmix to avoid incorporating too much air). Pour the filling over the pre-baked base.

Bake in a water bath* at 160°C for about 60–70 minutes, until set across the surface. Remove from the oven and take the cheesecake out of the water bath.

Ingredients for the sour cream topping:

• 300 g thick soured cream or crème fraîche
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• a few tablespoons mango purée

Mix the soured cream, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over the hot cheesecake. Spoon small circles or dots of mango purée on top. Allow to cool, then chill in the fridge overnight. Slice and serve chilled.

Store in the fridge.

*Bake the cheesecake in a water bath: place the tin with the cheesecake into a larger tin or an ovenproof dish, then pour in boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cheesecake tin. The cheesecake is baked with steam, creating a very humid environment. Thanks to the steam, it bakes evenly throughout, including the centre, doesn’t crack after baking, and keeps a perfectly smooth, creamy texture.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the book Lubię by Monika Mądra-Pawlak and Jan Pawlak.