Sweet Potato Cheesecake with Ginger Pear and Cranberry Compote by Kimberly Brock Brown

ACF Immediate Past President & Certified Executive Pastry Chef, Charleston, SC

Living in the South – and particularly the Charleston area – for more than 25 years, I have come to love these Southern flavors! I feel it is my duty to represent where I am living, and it’s a bonus that it also represents a part of my heritage as an African-American. I want others to have the opportunity to discover these traditional southern treats in some of the more famous American desserts. Cheesecake is the most popular American dessert, so incorporating sweet potatoes, benne seeds and pears into a dessert was a no-brainer for me. I also love that these ingredients are in good supply year-round. Of course, the cranberries can be substituted with muscadine, huckleberry, mulberries, elderberry or fig.

Yield: 12 servings

Chocolate Graham Cracker Topping

• 227 g graham crackers
• 85 g confectioners’ sugar
• 2 Tbs cocoa powder
• 85 g unsalted butter, melted

1. Pulse together all the ingredients. The mixture should hold its shape when pressed together.

Sweet Potato Cheesecake  

• 454 g cream cheese
• 283 g roasted mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 170 g granulated sugar
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• ½ Tbs maple syrup
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 3 large eggs
• 57 g unsalted butter, melted

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese until smooth. Add the mashed potatoes and mix to combine, scraping the bowl a few times to make sure the mixture is evenly blended.

2. Combine the cornstarch and sugar and add to the sweet potato mixture, mixing until blended and scraping down the bowl. Add the vanilla, maple syrup and nutmeg and mix until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl again and then add the melted butter and mix until combined.

3. Fill 12 4-ounce flexi molds with the batter, then top with the chocolate graham cracker topping. Bake in water bath at 320°F (160°C) until set and firm to touch, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the water bath and cool completely before chilling and unmolding.

Benne Seed Wafers

• 170 g all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 85 g unsalted butter, softened
• 170 g light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 32 g lightly toasted benne (sesame) seeds
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

1. Sift the flour and baking powder together.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until the mix is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and mix until blended. Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed until just combined. Stir in the seeds and vanilla.

3. Pipe nickel-sized drops onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 8 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. 

Cranberry Compote

• 103 g fresh cranberries
• 170 g orange juice
• 50 g granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp allspice

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer slowly, stirring occasionally. The berries will burst and thicken the liquid. Simmer slowly until it reaches the consistency of a compote. Cool and chill.

Ginger Pears

• 400 g simple syrup
• 1 1ʺ (2.5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 ripe, but firm, pears, peeled and thinly sliced

1. Using a saucepan, heat the simple syrup with the ginger and allow to infuse for an hour.

2. Strain the syrup and add the sliced pears to it; allow to macerate for an hour. Drain and pat dry before plating.

Plating

• Caramel sauce
• Chantilly cream
• Crystallized ginger, julienned

1. Brush a large ‘X’ on the plate with some caramel sauce. Then place the cheesecake at the center of the ‘X’. Pipe a few dollops of Chantilly cream around the cake and put a Benne Seed Wafer into each dollop. Lay 2 pear slices on each side, basically mirroring the east and west sides. Add the compote and crystallized ginger julienne on the top of the cheesecake.

Photos by Zheng Chia

(This recipe appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)