A cheesecake is one of the classics at any coffee table - alongside its German relative, the cake based on low-fat quark. With a fruity passion fruit mirror glaze, it gets a summery upgrade. The combination of velvety filling and exotic freshness makes this dessert pleasantly light.

Ingredients (for one cake)

For the crust:

  • 250 g butter cookies
  • 125 g butter
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar

For the filling:

  • 500 g cream cheese (full-fat, room temperature)
  • 150 g sour cream
  • 100 g sugar
  • 2 eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 organic lemon (zest)

For the passion fruit jelly:

  • 4 ripe passion fruits
  • 200 ml passion fruit juice
  • 40 g sugar
  • 5 gelatin sheets

Kitchen utensils: Springform pan (8 inches), parchment paper, food processor or freezer bag and rolling pin, small pot, mixing bowl, hand mixer, spatula, zester, cake ring, cooling rack

Preparation (100 minutes + min. 3 hours cooling time)

  1. First, preheat the oven to 320°F convection and line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper. Melt the butter in a small pot. Finely crumble the butter cookies in a food processor or in a freezer bag and mix with the brown sugar. Add the melted butter and stir everything into a moist, sandy mixture. Distribute the cookie mixture evenly on the bottom and sides of the springform pan and press down firmly. Bake the crust for about ten minutes, then let it cool completely.
  2. For the filling, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and sugar until creamy. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Finally, add the cornstarch, vanilla extract, and finely grated lemon zest and stir everything into a smooth mixture.
  3. Pour the cream onto the pre-baked crust and smooth it out. Bake the cake at 300°F for about 55 minutes until the filling is set but not yet browned. Then turn off the oven and let the cake rest for another 15 minutes with the oven door slightly open. Afterwards, let it cool completely and refrigerate for at least four hours.
  4. For the topping, soak the gelatin in cold water. Halve the passion fruits and scoop out the pulp. Gently warm the passion fruit juice with the sugar, but do not let it boil. Dissolve the squeezed-out gelatin in it. Then stir in the passion fruit pulp and let the mixture cool slightly until it begins to gel lightly.
  5. Place a cake ring tightly around the chilled cake. Carefully pour the passion fruit jelly onto the cheesecake and distribute it. Let the cake set in the refrigerator for at least three to four hours, ideally overnight.
  6. Finally, carefully remove the cake ring and serve the cheesecake.

Plating tips

The cheesecake looks particularly impressive on a simple cake plate. For clean slices, dip the knife in hot water and dry it before each cut. A few fresh passion fruit seeds or pieces add a colorful accent.

Beverage recommendation

  • A Hugo has a light effect and pairs well with the summery flavors of the cake.
  • Iced Earl Grey harmonizes with the freshness of the passion fruit.

Recipe variations

  • If desired, you can add some mango puree to the jelly, which intensifies the color and rounds out the sweetness.
  • For a gluten-free version, the butter cookies can be replaced with gluten-free cookies or a mixture of ground almonds and oats.
  • The cheesecake is not vegetarian due to the gelatin used in step 4. Those who prefer a vegetarian version should work with pectin (4-5 g), which is stirred together with the sugar into the 104-122°F warm mixture of passion fruit juice and passion fruit pulp, then brought to a boil, and after cooling briefly, spread on the cheesecake.