Baked baklava cheesecake
The recipe for the baklava cheesecake below is one my brother in law Stavro shared with me. He has been in the hospitality business for years as a café/restaurant owner with a big interest in cooking himself. We made this baklava cheesecake together for his daughter’s birthday and although I was intimidated behind the idea of this cheesecake, it was easy enough and quick to assemble.
The challenges
Although the baked baklava cheesecake follows the basic steps of preparing a base and then a creamy filling, there are a few challenges, more so if you haven’t used phyllo pastry before. We used premade phyllo (Antoniou Pastry) to make this dessert, I haven’t tried making my own phyllo pastry for this recipe.
So here are a few things to consider:
- I have included two recipes below, they are each of the baked baklava cheesecake but the difference is the size springform used. So first measure the springform you have at home and pick which recipe to follow as the quantity of ingredients changes.
- Phyllo sheets can dry out quite quickly hence when taking out the amount of sheets you need make sure you cover them with a towel until you need to use them, which you will need to do soon after. At that point you will need to work fast to brush them with butter to assemble the base. Any leftover phyllo sheets need to be sealed well back in the packet and in the fridge.
- To ensure there is an even amount of phyllo sheets all around the springform, to hold the baked baklava cheesecake, you need to strategically position them. The photo storyline below is of the larger springform, as it is slightly more technical than the smaller springform.
Assembling the phyllo
Using the larger springform (10 x 2½ inch springform pan – 12 cups) I needed to figure out a way to arrange the phyllo sheets so that a substantial phyllo wall was formed. With the smaller springform (8 x 3 inch springform pan – 10 cups) it is a lot easier to do so as you just place each layer on top of each other in a cross formation.
The following photo story is of the method used for the larger springform.
- Line and brush the inside of the springform pan with butter
- Brush a phyllo sheet with butter and lay it lengthwise along the middle.
- Brush a second phyllo sheet with butter and lay it along the width, forming a cross.
- Rotate the springform clockwise at 45 degress (use the clip on the rim as an indicator).
- Repeat steps 2-4 above until all the phyllo sheets are done.
Baklava ingredients
The key similarities of this baked baklava cheesecake to the traditional baklava is the use of crushed nuts, phyllo pastry and the aromatics such as cinnamon and rosewater. And of course both soak in a sweet syrup that is drizzled on top. For that reason the cheesecake is quite sweet so if you prefer a lighter dessert then perhaps add less sugar in the filling.
Patience
Do not expect to make this baked cheesecake the same night you want to enjoy it as it requires a bit of time to cook, cool down and then chill in the fridge before serving. I suggest you make it the day before you want to serve it to your guests. And as a little tip, keep some of the syrup to drizzle just before serving to make it look more vibrant the day after.
I would love to hear from you if you do make it!
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup sugar, 140g
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon slice
- 3 cloves
- ¾ tsp rosewater
- 250 g cream cheese
- 400 g sour cream
- 1 cup caster sugar
- ½ small lemon, zest and juice
- 3 eggs
- 75 g almonds
- 75 g walnuts
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tbs sugar
- 15 g unsalted butter, melted
- 50 g unsalted butter, melted
- 6 phyllo sheets
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The method below uses the quantity of ingredients suitable for a smaller springform pan (8 x 3 inch Springform Pan). Preheat the oven to 160°C. If the packet of phyllo pastry and sour cream is in the fridge, take it out and put it aside to reach room temperature. Do the same with the cream cheese so that it softens and can be easily beaten.
-
Begin by preparing the syrup as it needs to cool down before you can use it. Simply bring all the ingredients, except the rosewater, to the boil and then let it simmer for 15min. After that time, remove it from the heat and stir in the rosewater. Let it cool down on the side until you need to use it.
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While the syrup is cooking prepare everything else. Add all the ingredients required for the base, except the butter, in a food processor. Pulse them just enough for them to break into smaller pieces, coarsely not fine. Don’t stir in the melted butter just yet, just set it aside and continue to make the filling.
-
Prepare the filling before you start using the phyllo pastry. In a large bowl add the cream cheese, sour cream, caster sugar, lemon zest and juice. Use a hand or stand mixer to combine all the ingredients together. As you are beating the mixture add one egg at time. Continue mixing until the filling is smooth. Place the bowl aside and prepare the rest of the components.
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Line the springform with baking paper on the bottom and on the sides. Brush the top of the springform’s rim with butter all around. This will prevent the phyllo pastry from sticking and breaking apart when you remove the rim.
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Take out 6 sheets of phyllo from the packet. Seal the rest of the phyllo sheets well back in the package and place it in the fridge. Cover the phyllo sheets you will use with a clean towel and take one at a time so they don’t dry up.
-
Brush the first phyllo sheet with butter and place it in the pan lengthwise letting it hang over the sides. Push the phyllo gently down and to the side. Brush the second phyllo sheet with butter and place it at a 90 degree angle across the springform forming a cross, again pushing the sheet down gently and letting the ends hang over. Repeat the process above until all the phyllo sheets are placed inside.
-
Add the melted butter in the nut mixture and then spoon the mixture out in the pan base, on top of the phyllo sheets. Use the back of the spoon to smooth it out and spread it evenly around the bottom. Then pour the filling that is in the fridge on top of the nut mixture. Ensure the phyllo sheets remain around the pan’s circumference in doing so.
-
For extra texture on top of the cheesecake, fold in some of the phyllo sheets that are the springform pushing it down gently to seal edges. Otherwise you may leave it all to hang to the sides. Place the springform on a baking tray, this will make it easier to transfer in and out of the oven as the phyllo pastry hangs over the springform.
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Add the cheesecake in the oven, on the middle rack, for 50-55min. If you have a food thermometer you may want to check for readiness when the middle of the cheesecake reaches 70°C. The filling should still be wobbly but cooked through. The cheesecake will rise and the filling may separate, however once it cools down the cheesecake will drop and any separations can be covered with the toppings you add later.
-
As soon as you take the baked baklava cheesecake out of the oven gently pierce the top with a knife and then pour the cooled syrup on top. You may choose to reserve some of the syrup to add on top before serving. Set it aside, let the syrup be absorbed and allow the cheesecake to cool down (about 2 hours) as is before removing the rim.
-
Once the cheesecake is cooler cut the phyllo sheets that are overhanging along the rim edge. Unclip the springform rim carefully. The cheesecake will now have a wall of phyllo pastry surrounding it, keeping the filling intact. Sprinkle some crushed nuts on top (I added some crushed pistachios and rose petals to add some colour to it) and place the cheesecake in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours.
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup caster sugar, 200g
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon slice
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 tsp rosewater
- 375 g cream cheese
- 600 g sour cream
- 1 1/2 cup caster sugar, 300g
- 1 small lemon, zest and juice
- 4 large eggs
- 100 g almonds
- 100 g walnuts
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbs sugar
- 25 g unsalted butter, melted
- 75 g unsalted butter, melted
- 8 phyllo sheets
-
The method below uses the quantity of ingredients suitable for a larger springform pan (10 x 2 ½ inch Springform Pan). Preheat the oven to 160°C. If the packet of phyllo pastry and sour cream is in the fridge, take it out and put it aside to reach room temperature. Do the same with the cream cheese so that it softens and can be easily beaten.
-
Begin by preparing the syrup as it needs to cool down before you can use it. Simply bring all the ingredients, except the rosewater, to the boil and then let it simmer for 20min. After that time, remove it from the heat and stir in the rosewater. Let it cool down on the side until you need to use it.
-
While the syrup is cooking prepare everything else. Add all the ingredients required for the base, except the butter, in a food processor. Pulse them just enough for them to break into smaller pieces, coarsely not fine. Don’t stir in the melted butter just yet, just set it aside and continue to make the filling.
-
Prepare the filling before you start using the phyllo pastry. In a large bowl add the cream cheese, sour cream, caster sugar, lemon zest and juice. Use a hand or stand mixer to combine all the ingredients together. As you are beating the mixture add one egg at time. Continue mixing until the filling is smooth. Place the bowl aside and prepare the rest of the components.
-
Line the springform with baking paper on the bottom and on the sides. Brush the top of the springform’s rim with butter all around. This will prevent the phyllo pastry from sticking and breaking apart when you remove the rim.
-
Take out 8 sheets of phyllo from the packet. Seal the rest of the phyllo sheets well back in the package and place it in the fridge. Cover the phyllo sheets you will use with a clean towel and take one at a time so they don’t dry up.
-
Brush the first phyllo sheet with butter and place it in the pan lengthwise letting it hang over the sides. Push the phyllo gently down and to the side. Brush the second phyllo sheet with butter and place it at a 90 degree angle across the springform, forming a cross, again pushing the sheet down gently and letting the ends hang over. Then rotate the springform clockwise at a 45 degree angle in front of you.
-
Repeat the steps above until all the phyllo sheets are placed inside. Check out the photos for further clarification. I purposely used the springform’s clip as a guide to spot the 45 degree rotation.
-
Add the melted butter in the nut mixture and then spoon the mixture out in the pan base, on top of the phyllo sheets. Use the back of the spoon to smooth it out and spread it evenly around the bottom. Then pour the filling that is in the fridge on top of the nut mixture. Ensure the phyllo sheets remain around the pan’s circumference in doing so.
-
For extra texture on top of the cheesecake, fold in some of the phyllo sheets that are the springform pushing it down gently to seal edges. Otherwise you may leave it all to hang to the sides. Place the springform on a baking tray, this will make it easier to transfer in and out of the oven as the phyllo pastry hangs over the springform.
-
Add the cheesecake in the oven, on the middle rack, for 50min. If you have a food thermometer you may want to check for readiness when the middle of the cheesecake reaches 70°C.
-
The filling should still be wobbly but cooked through. The cheesecake will rise and the filling may separate, however once it cools down the cheesecake will drop and any separations can be covered with the toppings you add later.
-
As soon as you take the baked baklava cheesecake out of the oven gently pierce the top with a knife and then pour the cooled syrup on top. You may choose to reserve some of the syrup to add on top before serving. Set it aside, let the syrup be absorbed and allow the cheesecake to cool down (about 2 hours) as is before removing the rim.
-
Once the cheesecake is cooler cut the phyllo sheets that are overhanging along the rim edge. Unclip the springform rim carefully. The cheesecake will now have a wall of phyllo pastry surrounding it, keeping the filling intact. Sprinkle some crushed nuts on top (I added some crushed pistachios and rose petals to add some colour to it) and place the cheesecake in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours.
Hello how are you
What is the substitute of sour cream because it is not available in my country
I plan to bake this for a party in a few days. I want to bake it a couple of days before the party. Does the baklawa stay crispy or becomes soggy? The recipe looks amazing!
So sorry for my late response! Yes the baklava does become soggy after a couple of days especially.
Would like to see more vedeos For Baklawa with cheese
This is such an amazing dessert. The instructions are easy to follow and it turned out perfect. I was comfortable using fillo dough as I make baklava often. I was more concerned about making the baked cheesecake. It was so beautiful and delicious. I will be making this many times. Thank you d so very much
How awesome! Thank you so much for making it and so excited to read such positive feedback!