Baked Passion Fruit Cheesecake – Easy Recipe
This passion fruit cheesecake is a dessert loaded with rich, creamy, soft, and fluffy textures. It has a refreshing tropical flavor to it with delicious vanilla undertones. This cheesecake is easy to make and if you follow my steps, will come out perfectly each and every time!
If you love cheesecakes, make sure to check out recipes for my Coffee Cheesecake recipe as well as these Mini Cheesecake Cups.
And don’t forget to let me know what you think about this passion fruit cheesecake in the comments below! If you have any questions about this recipe, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Reasons Why I Love Passion Fruit Cheesecake
1. The unique and sweet taste of passion fruit: Passion fruit is known for its intense, tart flavor that pairs well with creamy cheesecake for a balanced and flavorful dessert.
2. The vibrant color: When baked, the cheesecake takes on a beautiful yellowish-orange hue from the puree, making it an eye-catching treat that’s sure to please your guests.
3. It’s light and refreshing: Unlike many other cheesecakes which can be quite heavy and rich, this passion fruit version has a lighter texture making it perfect as a summery end to any meal.
4. It’s easy to make: Making this delicious cheesecake only takes a few simple steps and minimal ingredients. Plus, your friends will never guess that it’s not store-bought!
5. Endless ways to decorate: With its bright color and sunshine-like feel comes endless possibilities when it comes to decoration; whether you opt for fresh fruits like kiwi or mango or even dried flowers like lavender – the choice is yours!
Expert Tips For Making Baked Passion Fruit Cheesecake
- All of the ingredients that you use for making cheesecake should be at room temp. This way they will mix a lot better and you won’t struggle with lumps forming. Remember, the batter should be completely smooth. Otherwise, it will bake unevenly.
- When pressing the crumbs into the cake pan, make sure they are packed in tightly. Use the back of a flat measuring cup or mug to help make the crumbs compact. This will help prevent a slice from completely breaking apart.
- Pre-baking the crust is essential. It helps it from becoming soggy when you add the filling. Do not skip this step!
- There are a couple of ways that you can test the doneness. The easiest is a jiggle test. But because we’ve covered our cheesecake with granadilla topping, it will be nearly impossible to accurately check. So, you will need to test the internal temp with a probe thermometer. The center should be 150ºF (65.5ºC).
- The cooling process for this baked granadilla cheesecake is quite lengthy. But it’s the proper way to cool cheesecakes. If you expose them to sudden temperature changes (like removing them immediately from a hot oven) they are likely to sink in or crack.
- Even though this granadilla cheesecake has been baked, it still needs to be stored inside the fridge for up to 7 days.
Recipe Variations
- Add a layer of passion fruit jelly on top, before you bake.
- Make a batch of mini passion fruit cheese tart instead of one big cheesecake.
- Substitute the cream cheese and sour cream with Greek yogurt for a lighter version.
- Swap out the graham cracker crust for an oreo cookie crumb base.
- Top with white chocolate shavings or dark chocolate chips for an extra special touch.
- Drizzle some melted white or dark chocolate over each slice before serving.
Decorating Ideas for Your Homebaked Passion Fruit Cheesecakes
- Garnish each slice with a dollop of freshly whipped cream and a sprinkle of dried edible flowers for an elegantly rustic presentation.
- Top with fresh passion fruit slices and add a sprinkle of mint leaves for added color.
- Make a crunchy topping with crushed graham crackers and chopped macadamia nuts.
- Sprinkle each slice with toasted coconut shavings for an island feel.
- Surprise your guests with an unexpected garnish – try freeze dried raspberries and pomegranate arils.
How to Serve
This cheesecake can be served as is, or topped with a few cream cheese, few berries and some homemade whipped cream. It’s also delicious when served alongside fresh fruit like kiwi, mango, oranges, or strawberries.
If you’re looking for something more special than berries or whipped cream, you can add a dollop of fresh passion fruit pulp to each slice.
Tips for Storing Your Homemade Passion Fruit Cheesecake
Place your cheesecake in an airtight container then store it in your fridge. Don’t store it for longer than 7 days, as the mixture of cream cheese and sour cream may start to lose its texture and become runny.
If you are serving it straight from the refrigerator, set aside on the counter at room temp for 10 minutes before serving. This will help soften up the cream cheese and sour cream, making it more flavorful and creamy.
FAQs
The pulp of passionfruit refers to everything inside the skin. This includes the seeds juices and seed sacks. Puree only refers to the juices that are extracted from the pulp. So, passionfruit puree doesn’t contain any seeds or sacks. For this recipe, I use whole passionfruit pulp. The seeds help add some texture.
Scoop the fresh passion fruit pulp into a small saucepan. Place it over medium-low heat and allow it to warm slightly. This will make the juices easier to remove. Then, strain the passionfruit pulp through a fine-mesh sieve. Press it gently with a spatula or spoon to remove as much juice as you can.
There are a couple of ways you can reduce the sweetness of your passion fruit-topped cheesecake, you can reduce the sugar in the batter by 2/3 cup. You can also completely leave it out of the crust. For the filling, you can substitute the condensed milk with unsweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk.
This is a step that isn’t essential, but it has a lot of benefits. A water bath helps create a more uniform and stable temperature around the cake pan (and batter). This helps it bake much more evenly.
If you didn’t properly cool the cheesecake, that is likely the cause of the crack. If it’s exposed to drafts and sudden temperature changes, it will contract and crack. So, don’t open the oven door to check the doneness until at least 80% of the total baking time has elapsed. And, don’t skip the lengthy cooling process – it is crucial.
More delicious Desserts
Baked Passion Fruit Cheesecake – Easy Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE BASE:
- 1 ¾ cups graham crackers, crumbs
- 2 tbsp white granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
FOR THE CAKE BATTER:
- 2 pounds full-fat cream cheese at room temp
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated white sugar
- 2 tbsp cake flour
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- ⅔ cup sour cream, room temp
- ½ cup heavy cream, room temp
FOR THE PASSION FRUIT TOPPING:
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup fresh passion fruit pulp (with seeds)
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat your oven to 320ºF (160ºC). Then line a 10-inch springform cake pan with non-stick baking paper. Brush the sides of springform pan with extra melted butter or spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted unsalted butter in a mixing bowl. Mix them together until you have a uniform crumb mixture.
- Press the crumbs into the lined cake pan. Make sure they are packed tightly.
- Pre-bake your crust for 10 minutes or until it slightly starts browning.
- Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely at room temp.
Make the cheesecake filling
- To start, beat together the cream cheese, sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix them for about 5 minutes or until they become light and fluffy.
- Then, mix in the flour, vanilla extract, and fine salt.
- Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix each egg well before adding the next one. If you don't, the cheesecake batter will bake unevenly and sink in.
- Finally, gently whisk in the sour cream and heavy cream. Don't overmix the batter, but it should be uniformly smooth and creamy.
Bake the cheesecake
- Pour the batter into the crust-lined cake pan.
- Place the cheesecake into a water bath.
- Bake the cheesecake for roughly 40 minutes. At this point, the cheesecake will still be underbaked. But you need to add the passion fruit topping.
Make the passion fruit topping and continue baking the cheesecake
- While the cheesecake is baking, you can make the topping.
- Whisk together the condensed milk, egg yolks, and passion fruit puree.
- Once the cheesecake has been baking for 40 minutes, add the passion fruit topping over the cheesecake.
- Leave the cheesecake to bake for another 20 minutes or until it has set completely.
Cool the cheesecake
- After the cheesecake has been baked, switch off the oven and open its door slightly. Remove the cheesecake from the water bath, but leave it inside the cooling oven. There, it should cool for about 1 hour.
- Then, remove it from the oven and leave it to cool at room temperature for another hour or so.
- Finally, wrap the entire cheesecake pan with plastic or saran wrap. Leave it inside the fridge to set for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
