passionfruit coconut no-bake cheesecake

homemade coconut biscuit base, creamy coconut filling & a tart passionfruit swirl

i asked my friend what kind of birthday cake her husband might like

“i’m not sure” she said, “maybe something fruity? he’s never had a warm birthday before”

this was one of the saddest things i’d heard recently, so set about making something with the summeriest flavours i can think of: coconut & passionfruit

this is a no-bake coconut cheesecake with swirls of passionfruit throughout and a coconut biscuit base

i made my own coconut biscuits (based off my favourite tart base recipe here) but you could substitute a similar coconut cookie (like these)

serves eight

ingredients

toasted coconut base

75g desiccated coconut

130g flour

62g caster sugar

195g butter

pinch salt

1 egg yolk

passionfruit swirl

170g passionfruit pulp

1 tsp gelatine powder

0.5 tsp citric acid, or to taste

coconut cheesecake filling

60g coconut cream

60g water

250g cream cheese, room temperature

70g sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp gelatine

method

toasted coconut pastry

preheat the oven to 180°C

toast the desiccated coconut (75g) in a pan and set aside to cool

sift together the flour (130g) and sugar (62g) in a medium bowl

add the 125g of the butter and rub together with your fingertips until the texture is like wet sand

add in the cooled toasted coconut flakes and a pinch of salt and stir to combine

add in the egg yolk (1) and mix until just combined

spread over a lined baking tray and bake until lightly golden brown

let cool then crush into crumbs

melt the remaining butter (70g) and stir through the coconut biscuit crumbs

press into the base and up the sides of a round cake tin

return to the oven for a further 10 minutes

let cool while you prepare the fillings

passionfruit swirl

add the passionfruit pulp (170g) and 100mL of water to a small saucepan

sprinkle over the gelatine powder (1 tsp) and let bloom for 5 minutes

heat gently until the gelatine is fully dissolved

stir in the citric acid (0.5 tsp) then set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the cheesecake filling

coconut cheesecake filling

add the coconut cream (60g) and water (60g) to a blender and blend to combine

add in the softened cream cheese (250g), sugar (70g), and lemon juice (1 tbsp) and pulse until combined into a smooth, thick liquid

add 2 tbsp of water to a small saucepan

sprinkle the gelatine (1 tsp) over the water and let bloom for 5 minutes

heat gently until the gelatine is fully dissolved

let cool slightly, then pour the dissolved gelatine mixture into the coconut mixture and blend to combine

assembly

pour half of the passionfruit mixture into the cooled biscuit base and let sit for 5 minutes to slightly solidify

gently pour in the coconut cheesecake filling

dollop over the rest of the passionfruit filling

gently run a knife through the filling to create the marbled pattern

transfer to the fridge to set completely (at least two hours)

keep in the fridge until ready to serve

best served in a sunny backyard after a bbq with friends