Raffaello Cheesecake

Raffaello Cheesecake – a delicate, creamy cheesecake with a coconut and almond flavour. Made with curd cheese and enriched with coconut cream, desiccated coconut, and two types of liqueur: coconut and almond. It is baked in a water bath to ensure an even, creamy texture, prevent cracks during baking, and keep the surface perfectly smooth. Decorated with desiccated coconut and Raffaello pralines, it beautifully reflects a wintery, elegant atmosphere. At the same time, its pristine white colour makes it an ideal centrepiece for family celebrations such as christenings, First Holy Communion, or Christmas. Highly recommended!

Ingredients for the base:

• 160 g coconut shortbread biscuits
• 40 g butter, melted
• 30 g desiccated coconut

Place the biscuits, melted butter and desiccated coconut into a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles wet sand. If you don’t have a food processor, place the biscuits in a sturdy plastic bag (e.g. a zip-lock bag) and crush them thoroughly with a rolling pin. Then mix with the melted butter and desiccated coconut.

Line the base of a 23 cm springform tin with baking parchment. Press the biscuit mixture evenly over the base, smoothing it out and packing it down firmly. Bake at 180°C for about 8 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool while you prepare the cheesecake filling.

Wrap the outside of the tin twice with aluminium foil – the cheesecake will be baked in a water bath.**

Ingredients for the cheesecake filling:

• 800 g full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese, minced three times
• 300 g coconut cream (the thick part scooped from a tin of coconut milk)*
• 150 ml whipping cream
• 5 large eggs
• 220 g caster sugar
• 50 g desiccated coconut
• 30 g plain flour, sifted
• 2 tbsp coconut liqueur
• 2 tbsp Amaretto (30 g) or 1 tsp almond extract

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place all the filling ingredients into the bowl of a mixer. Mix just until combined, or stir with a whisk; do not overmix, as incorporating too much air will cause the cheesecake to rise excessively during baking and then collapse. We want to avoid this – once baked, the cheesecake should be perfectly flat on top.

Pour the cheesecake mixture over the pre-baked base. Bake at 170°C (conventional top and bottom heat, no fan) in a water bath for about 70 minutes. The baked cheesecake should be set and slightly springy to the touch in the centre.

Leave to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Then remove, run a sharp knife around the edge of the tin, release the sides of the springform tin and remove them. Chill in the fridge for approximately 12 hours before serving.

Additionally:

• desiccated coconut, for sprinkling
• Raffaello pralines, for decorating the top of the cheesecake

Ingredients for the white chocolate topping:

• 120 g white chocolate, chopped
• 50 ml whipping cream
• ½ tsp almond extract

Heat the cream until it is almost boiling, then remove from the heat. Pour it over the chopped white chocolate, add the almond extract and leave for 2 minutes. After that time, stir until the chocolate has completely melted and a smooth ganache forms. If necessary, strain through a sieve. Set aside to thicken slightly.

Remove the cheesecake from the fridge (you can take it out a little earlier) and spread the white chocolate topping over it. Sprinkle with extra desiccated coconut (you can also coat the sides of the cheesecake) and decorate with Raffaello pralines.

* Coconut cream can be purchased in well-stocked shops. Alternatively, you can use tinned coconut milk. Chill two tins of coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours. Carefully remove from the fridge, turn the tins upside down, open them and pour off the coconut water into a separate container (it won’t be needed). Scoop out the thick coconut cream remaining in the tins. To obtain the amount of coconut cream required for this recipe, you will need 2 tins of coconut milk (sometimes more, depending on the brand and fat content).

** The cheesecake is baked in a water bath: this means placing the cheesecake tin into a larger tin or ovenproof dish and pouring boiling water around it, halfway up the sides of the cheesecake tin. The cheesecake bakes in steam, in a very humid environment. Thanks to the steam, it bakes evenly throughout, including in the centre, does not crack after baking, and retains a perfectly creamy texture.

Enjoy!