Kunafa Cheesecake
A Middle-Eastern twist to your classic, baked New York Cheesecake that features all the beloved flavors of a Kunafa that will blow you away.
Equipment
- 8 inch springform pan
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric mixer
Ingredients
Cheesecake Layer
- 810 g cream cheese
- 220 g granulated sugar
- 115 g sour cream
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
Sugar Syrup
- 200 g granulated white sugar
- 200 ml water
- Additional flavoring (optional)
Kataifi Base
- 200 g kataifi dough, defrosted
- 85 g unsalted butter, melted
Toppings
- 200 g keshta cream
Instructions
Cheesecake Layer
- Preheat the oven at 160 degrees Celsius. Prepare the baking pan by greasing it with butter and then covering it with parchment paper. Make sure that the spring form pan is properly tightened so that there is no leakage.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer or a bowl with an electric mixer, add the cream cheese (810 g) and beat it on medium speed until it’s soft and smooth. You can also use a hand whisk to for this but it will take a lot more time and effort.
- Next, add the sugar (220 g) in the cream cheese and beat it for 2-3 minutes until it’s well combined. You can check if it’s done by rubbing the cream cheese between your fingers to check for graininess. Your mixture is done once there are no grains left.
- Add the sour cream (115 g), lemon juice (1 tsp), and vanilla essence (1 tsp), and beat it until it’s all well combined.
- Finally, add the beaten eggs (4 eggs) and give the batter a final mix until the egg is well incorporated into the cream cheese mixture. This is the final mixing step, so make sure that your batter is smooth and has no lumps.
- To bake the cheesecake, transfer the batter in the prepared springform pan, then wrap the sides of the pan with aluminum foil to make sure no water gets inside the pan while baking.
- The cheesecake is baked in a water bath to stop it from cracking while baking. Take a baking pan that can fit your springform pan and fill it with water halfway. Then, place the springform pan into water bath and bake it for 50-60 minutes, until the sides are firm and the center is set, but soft.
- Let the cheesecake layer cool, then remove it from the springform pan and freeze it until it’s completely set, for 3-6 hours. Make sure to cover the cheesecake layer properly while chilling it.
Sugar Syrup
- In a saucepan, add the sugar (200 g), water (200 ml), and any other flavoring you would like to infuse in the syrup.
- Bring the sugar syrup to boil on medium-high heat, then let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, until it’s reduced, thick, and sticky.
- Let the sugar syrup cool before using it.
- The sugar syrup can be made a week in advance and refrigerated in air tight containers.
Kataifi Base
- Defrost the frozen kataifi dough (200 g) until it’s soft.
- In a bowl, melt butter (85 g), then add the kataifi dough and mix it until all the dough is properly covered with butter and holds itself together.
- Put some of the buttered dough aside to roast for the topping. Roast this part of the kataifi dough over a pan until it’s golden brown.
- Take rest of the dough and place it on the same springform pan that was used for the cheesecake layer, and press it down until it form a smooth, even base layer. You can use a measuring cup to flatten the base properly.
- Bake the base layer for 15-20 minutes, until it’s golden-brown.
- While the base is still hot, pour a generous amount of sugar syrup on it and allow it to soak it properly, then let it chill in the fridge until it’s set, about 1-2 hours.
Assembly
- Once the cheesecake layer is properly set and frozen and the base is set, your cheesecake is ready to be assembled.
- Place the kataifi base on a plate, the transfer the frozen cheesecake layer on top using a spatula. Since the layer is frozen, this process should be easy.
- Place the cheesecake layer in the fridge for 3-6 hours, until the cheesecake layer is soft.
- When you are ready to serve, spread a thick layer of keshta cream (200 g) on top of the cheesecake layer. Then add a generous layer of the crispy roasted kataifi dough (prepared while making the cheesecake base) and drizzle the sugar syrup on top. Make sure to add the sugar syrup just before serving, or the kataifi dough on top will become soggy.
- That’s it, your cheesecake is ready to be served! I suggest serving it with extra sugar syrup to bring out the sweetness.