The BEST Mango Cheesecake

Super creamy and smooth Mango Cheesecake with a shortbread cookie crust, topped with sweet, tangy mango curd and slices of fresh mango. It’s like sunshine on a plate!

this recipe!

The BEST Mango Cheesecake

Mango puree gives a delicate mango flavor and a lighter texture to the cheesecake. Mango curd and sliced fresh mango on top give a sweet and tangy burst of mango.

You’ll love this Mango Cheesecake!

• Super creamy and smooth texture that comes with a baked cheesecake
• Wonderful delicate, sweet mango flavor
• Mango curd topping gives a tangy burst of mango
• Mango puree gives a lighter texture to the cheesecake
• Shortbread cookie crust perfectly complements the mango and never gets soggy
• Kitchen tested recipe with tips for the perfect cheesecake

Ingredients in Mango Cheesecake

• Shortbread cookie crumbs – Shortbread cookies make my favorite crust for cheesecake. They have an amazing sweet flavor that perfectly complements the cheesecake and their texture stays perfect, never soggy.
• Melted butter – salted or unsalted is fine
• Cream Cheese – I always use Philadelphia brand. Make sure it’s at room temperature before starting for the creamiest, lump free cheesecake.
• Sugar – white sugar to let the delicate flavor of the mango shine through
• Eggs
• Cornstarch – I added a little cornstarch to this recipe to counter the extra moisture from the mango puree. Many of my cheesecake recipes don’t call for cornstarch, but in this case it’s necessary.
• Mango puree – 2 cups from about 3 large, fresh mangoes. Use sweet, ripe mangoes for the best flavor. Mango gives the cheesecake a lush, lightened texture. You can also make the puree out of frozen mangoes or use canned puree.
• Lime juice – a spoon of lime juice brightens up the flavor of the mango. You can substitute lemon juice if necessary.

How to make Mango Cheesecake

For the shortbread cookie crust:

• Pulse the shortbread cookies in a food processor until they become fine crumbs.
• Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. The mixture should resemble wet sand.
• Press firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. The flat bottom of a measuring cup helps.
• Bake the crust until golden and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

For the cheesecake filling:

• With a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl. Add sugar and cornstarch and beat another 2 minutes, scraping down bowl halfway through.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed for 20 seconds after each egg. Scrape down bowl. Don’t overmix after adding the eggs or too much air will be incorporated into the batter, causing cracks and sinking in the cheesecake as it puffs up then falls when cooling.
• Add mango puree, lime juice, and salt and mix until combined.

To assemble and bake the cheesecake:

• Wrap the springform pan in 2 sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil. Heavy duty foil won’t rip as easily, letting water seep in.
• Brush the sides of the pan with butter or spray with nonstick spray.
• Pour the cheesecake batter onto the prebaked crust and smooth the surface.
• Put the cheesecake into a larger pan and fill with hot water half way up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
• Bake until the sides are puffy and golden, and the center is still slightly jiggly, about 1 ½ hours.
• Place the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the cake to loosen it from the edges of the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.
• Pour Mango Curd on top of the cooled cheesecake and smooth.
• Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and firmly set, at least 6 hours.

To serve:

• Gently unmold cheesecake and remove the sides of the pan. Slide a thin metal spatula between the crust and pan bottom. Gently slide cheesecake onto a serving platter. If the bottom of your pan has a small lip around it, it may be easier to leave the pan bottom under the cheesecake and place it on the serving plate.
• Decorate with sliced mango, if desired.

Tips for cheesecake success:

1. Bring the cream cheese and eggs to room temperature before beginning. This will make your cheesecake velvety smooth with no lumps. Cold cream cheese doesn’t fully incorporate into the batter and can leave lumps. If you’re short on time, take the cream cheese out of its foil wrapper and put in the microwave on its lowest setting (mine has a thaw setting) until it’s soft but not warm.
2. Use cornstarch or flour in the batter to prevent cracks. Cornstarch or flour in the batter helps prevent cracks. It also makes for neater, cleaner slices. There is a slight difference in the texture of the cheesecake when it contains starch. It becomes sturdier and firmer, while a cheesecake without starch is softer and creamier.

Most of my cheesecakes don’t contain starch because I prefer a softer, creamier texture. However, this cheesecake, with its higher moisture content from the mango puree, needs a little starch to provide firmness.Don’t overmix. Over mixing incorporates too much air into the batter. This leads to the cheesecake puffing up too much as it bakes then falling as it cools. This can causes cracks and sinking in the middle of the cake.

3. Scrape down the bowl frequently. This will prevent any lumps in the cheesecake batter.

4. Use a water bath. A water bath allows the cheesecake to cook and cool more slowly, preventing cracks and resulting in the ultimate creaminess. Wrap your pan very well in two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil, being careful that it goes all the way up to the top on all sides so no water can leak in.

5. Don’t overbake. Overbaking leads to cracks in the cheesecake and gives a drier, less creamy texture. The edges of the cheesecake should be puffy and set, while the center 3-4 inches should still be somewhat jiggly when you remove it from the oven. (Or when you turn off the oven and crack the door open to begin a slow cooling._

6. Cool the cheesecake slowly to prevent cracks. If you don’t mind heating your kitchen, baking the cheesecake in a 325° F oven for an hour (until it reaches 150 degrees), then turning off the heat and cracking the oven door open for another hour, lets the cheesecake cool off slowly to further ensure cracks don’t form and to prevent sinking.

I like to use this method in the cooler months when the ac isn’t on. However, this recipe was baked in the summer so I baked the cheesecake for 1 ½ hours then removed it from the oven to cool, without leaving the oven door open. In this case, try to find an area of the kitchen that is less cool so the cheesecake doesn’t have such a drastic temperature difference.

7. After removing the cheesecake from the oven, run a knife around the edge of the cake, between the cake and the pan. The cheesecake sticking to the side of the pan, while its interior shrinks as it cools, causes cracks.

8. Chill the cheesecake thoroughly. If you cut into a cheesecake before it’s totally chilled, it will have a custardy texture. A cheesecake needs to come to room temperature and then chill in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours and preferably overnight.

If you really hate using a water bath…

A water bath isn’t absolutely necessary and there are methods of baking the cheesecake without one, such as cooking low and slow on a very low temperature. A water bath does make the cheesecake extra creamy and helps to prevent cracks. However if you really hate using one, at least put a baking pan of water on the shelf under the cheesecake when baking to provide some moisture in the oven.

More Cheesecake recipes you might love:

• White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
• Classic New York Cheesecake
• Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake
• Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes
• Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
• Swirled Caramel Cheesecake Bars
• Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars
• White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
• Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Sauce
• New York Cheesecake with Roasted Cherries and a Chocolate Cookie Crust

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