Mango Cheesecake by Thomas Bernon

(This recipe appeared in the Summer 2021 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)

This recipe was inspired by a strong desire to create a cake that combines simplicity with efficiency. The cake is composed of two types of cheesecake: one in the form of mousse, the other baked with steam. The mango adds sweetness, while lemon gives the cake some punch and a vanilla shortbread base adds a little crunch. While I used a custom mold for this fresh spring dessert, you can use any shape mold you like.

Yield: 12 servings

Baked Lemon Cheesecake Insert

• 200 g Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
• 110 g heavy cream
• 60 g superfine granulated sugar
• 9 g cornstarch
• 60 g whole eggs
• 8 g eggs yolks
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• Finely grated zest of 1 lime

1. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix together the cream cheese, heavy cream, and citrus zest at low speed. Mix the sugar with the starch, then add to the cream mixture. Whisk the eggs with yolk until homogenous, then add to the cream mixture, mixing until blended.
2. Pour into a silicone mold or a ring (about 1.18ʺ/3 cm high) with cling film underneath (this will be for an insert, so make sure to use an appropriate mold). Bake at 176˚F (80˚C) for 1 hour in semi-steam (place a container of water in the oven during baking). Remove from oven and freeze.

Mango Lemon Gel

• 200 g mango puree
• 16 g lemon juice, plus more as needed for the gel
• 3.6 g agar agar
• 20 g superfine granulated sugar
• Mango puree, as needed
• Chopped mango, as needed

1. Heat the mango puree with the lemon juice, then add the agar agar mixed with the sugar and bring to a boil. Refrigerate until set.
2. Blend the set gel in a blender, adding mango puree and more lemon juice as needed. Reserve some of the gel for piping and add chopped mango to the rest.

Lime Cheesecake Mousse

• 72 g water
• 12 g gelatin powder
• 257 g heavy cream
• Zest of 1/2 lime
• 66 g egg yolks
• 80 g superfine granulated sugar
• 300 g Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
• 650 g whipped cream

1. Add the water to the gelatin; refrigerate.
2. Heat the cream and infuse the zest in it.
3. Blanch the yolks with the sugar. Melt the gelatin. Heat the lime cream, then temper in the egg mixture and cook as would a crème anglaise to 185˚F (85˚C). Pour over the cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the melted gelatin. Fold in the whipped cream at 82˚F (28 °C).

Vanilla Shortbread

• 200 g unsalted butter, softened
• 4 g salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 110 g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 250 g pastry flour
• 16 g egg yolks

1. In a mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together the butter, salt, vanilla bean seeds and confectioners’ sugar. Add the yolks, then the confectioners’ sugar, mixing just until combined and smooth (do not overwork).
2. Roll out and cut out appropriately sized pieces for the base of your molds. Bake at 338˚F (170 °C) for about 15 minutes (or as needed).

Assembly

1. Pipe the Mango Lemon Gel precisely in two ‘gutters’ at the bottom of the mold (see photo).
2. Line the bottom of the silicone mold with the mousse, then freeze for a few minutes. Spoon some mango gel (with the mango pieces) in the center, as an insert. Place a Baked Lemon Cheesecake Insert on top, then seal with the Lime Cheesecake Mousse, smoothing the top. Freeze until hard before unmolding.

Finishing

• Neutral glaze

1. Dilute the glaze with 10% water and 10% glucose syrup. Spray over unmolded desserts. Place the cheesecakes on the shortbread bases before serving.

About Thomas Bernon

Thomas Bernon is a pastry chef in Bordeaux, France. He spent his childhood living in the countryside, surrounded by his grandparents’ vegetable garden and the smell of his grandmother’s cakes coming out of the oven. Its simplicity and the good things have influenced him greatly in choosing his career. His signature style is modern and elegant, with a focus on how things look as well as how they taste.