Recipe (for a 18-20cm round pan)
FYI: In brackets you can find the amount of ingredients for the cheese filling in case you want to make a larger cheesecake in a classic 26-28cm cake pan
Ingredients for baklava base:
1 package phyllo sheets (400g - the same for 26-28cm)
80g melted butter (100g for a 26-28cm pan)
150g grounded walnuts (200g for a 26-28cm pan)
Ingredients for cheesecake filling:
600g cream cheese (900g)
140g white sugar(200g)
3 medium eggs (5 ouă)
160g sour cream (240g)
30ml lemon juice(45ml)
1 tsp vanilla extract (1,5 tsp)
Ingredientes for syrup:
150ml water
70g honey
70g white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Optional: Ground walnuts for topping.
FYI: Is very important that all ingredients to be kept at room temperature, so the cream cheese will be soft and easy to mix in, getting a very fine texture of the final cheesecake.
Steps to follow:
(1) Grease the pan with butter. Start adding the phyllo sheets, one by one. Coat each sheet with butter, on the base and on the sides (just as high as the side of the pan). Add a layer of 2 sheets, coat them with butter, and sprinkle 2 spoons of finely ground walnut. Repeat the process with all your sheets and walnuts, top layer being a layer of phyllo sheets.
At the same time when we add a new layer of sheets, we aim to place the corners in the opposite direction to the corners of the previous layer.
(2) Prepare the cheese filling. With the help of a whisk, mix the cream cheese and sugar well until you get a creamy mixture. Add the cream, vanilla and lemon juice and incorporate them into the mixture.
As a final step, we add the eggs and mix until all the ingredients are perfectly incorporated.
FYI (or tips & triks):
*It is important to mix the cheese composition with the whisk in order to not let too much air being trapped into the composition. If the cheese filling is too airy, our cheesecake will crack at the end of the baking process.
* It is important that the ingredients are at room temperature, take them out of the refrigerator at least 45 minutes before, so they will mix perfectly. If we use the cold ingredients, the final cheesecake will have a slightly sandy texture.
* The order of adding the ingredients is the most optimal for obtaining a smooth and perfect cheesecake. You can also add all the ingredients at once, or just the eggs at the beginning, I tested all the options, but this way the eggs can be easily overbeaten and the composition will become too airy and crack at the end.
(3) Pour the cheese mixture over the baklava base and gently shake/tap the pan a few times on the counter top so that the cheese mixture settles and any air bubbles left inside are broken.
Place the cheesecake in the oven at 175C with ventilation for 50-55 minutes.
(4) While the cheesecake is in the oven, prepare the syrup. Add all the ingredients in a fireproof pot and boil strictly until the sugar melts.
(5) After the cheesecake is baked, turn off the oven, partially open the oven door and leave the cheesecake for 10 minutes.
Take the cheesecake out of the oven, put the tray on another tray and pour the syrup on the edges so that it is absorbed between the sheets.
Leave the cheesecake to cool at room temperature and then at least 3-4 hours in the refrigerator before removing it from the pan and enjoying it.
FYI:
* At the end when it is ready, it will have a golden color, a slightly convex shape and a slightly gelatinous consistency when we gently shake the pan.
* If the center does not seem set or has not risen, it is a sign that it is not baked enough and you need to leave it in the oven for an extra 5-10 minutes.
Decorate with ground nuts and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Happy Baking!
Love,
G.
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