I won't beat around the bush, this cheesecake takes several steps, but the results are absolutely astounding! It's the kind of dessert that looks like you spent days in the kitchen, but with a little planning, it comes together beautifully.
Here are a few tips to make it easier:
Make your Dubai chocolate in advance. I simply toasted some kataifi, mixed it with pistachio cream and melted white chocolate, then froze it so it's always ready for a new creation.
Prepare the fruit filling the day before. I simmered the strawberries and cherries for just 5–8 minutes so the fruit stay whole. It's delicious on toast the next morning, too!
The Recipe
Crust
300 g biscuits, crushed
150 g melted butter
Crush the biscuits until you get a fine powder. Add the melted butter and mix well. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan (I assembled mine on a non-stick pastry sheet without the pan bottom). Chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours to set.
Flan-Cheesecake Filling
125 g heavy cream (35% fat)
125 g whole milk
60 g egg yolks (about 3)
80 g sugar
55 g gelatin (if using sheets, soak them in cold water until soft, squeeze out excess water before using)
400 g cream cheese
200 g whipping cream
Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan, add softened gelatin and stir until melted completely. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Slowly pour the warm cream mixture over the yolks, whisking constantly. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Let the mixture cool. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until fluffy and blend in the cream cheese. Gently fold in the whipped cream into egg yolk mixture.
Strawberry-Cherry Filling
2 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup cherries
½ cup sugar
Simmer all ingredients over medium heat for about 5–8 minutes, or until the fruit is coated in a glossy, syrupy juice. The fruit should stay mostly whole, so don't overcook it.
Assembly
Chop about 1 cup of fresh strawberries and scatter them over the bottom of the chilled crust.
Spread a layer of the cheesecake filling on top.
Add a layer of the Dubai chocolate, then spoon over some of the strawberry-cherry preserves.
Repeat with another layer of cheesecake filling, followed by more preserves.
Top with a disk of flattened cookie crust (cut to fit the pan). Seal the edges by pinching together with the wall crust.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Serving
When you're ready to serve, carefully unmold the cheesecake (the most nerve-wracking part!). Decorate with leftover cheesecake filling, fresh berries, and edible flowers for a gorgeous finishing touch.
Enjoy every last bite! 🍰🌸
