Durian Cheesecake

Today, we'll make a no-bake cheesecake with durian, a wonderful exotic fruit known as the "king of fruits" in Thailand. If you like the uniquely sweet and aromatic taste of durians, this durian cream cake will become your new favourite dessert!

Durians are large, thorn-covered fruits with a creamy, yellow flesh. Native to Southeast Asia, they're used to make jam, ice cream, cakes and other desserts — and they're perfect for a tropical cheesecake!

Well-known for its strong smell, durian has an intense, unusual flavour that combines sweet and savoury notes. And when fully ripe, its flesh is so creamy it feels almost like a custard.

Durian tastes like ripe bananas and almonds mixed with cream cheese and chives. So unique and yet incredibly good, it adds lots of flavour to this cheesecake!

To make the cheesecake, you'll need about one or two durian segments, depending on the size of the fruit.

We recommend choosing the softest fruit chunks when you buy them at your local Asian food market. Ripe durian will be sweet, creamy, and fruity, and you'll get the best results.

Because durian puree is super creamy, we used it to replace cream cheese in the cheesecake mix. We also swapped the classic whipped cream with silken tofu and thickened it with a little agar powder.

The result is a dairy-free, low-fat, and fully vegan durian cheesecake. And if you use sugar-free erythritol instead of caster sugar, the durian cake will also be low in sugars. Awesome!

Now, time to gather the ingredients and make this wonderful durian cheesecake together!

And if you liked this recipe, we think you'll love these durian oatmeal cookies and Hong Kong-style durian pancakes too!

Step 1

Before you start, make sure you're using a loose-bottom/springform cake tin so you'll be able to pop out the cheesecake with ease once ready.

We used a 20cm (8 inches) tin; but if you're using a bigger or smaller one, remember to scale up or down the ingredients.

As for the durians, buy the softest fruit you can find as it will be sweeter and creamier. Ripe durians will have more of a fruity, banana-like flavour rather than a savoury, chives-like flavour: perfect for our cheesecake.

To make the cheesecake base, pulse the digestive cookies in a blender until finely ground.

Alternatively, crush the cookies in a resealable plastic food bag using a rolling pin.

Then, transfer the cookie crumbs to a bowl, tip in melted coconut oil, and mix well.

Step 2

Transfer the cookie mixture into the cheesecake tin.

Press the crumbs firmly with the back of a spoon down into the base to compact them and create an even layer.

Then, chill it in the fridge for one hour or freeze for 30 minutes until the cookie base has set and hardened.

Step 3

Meanwhile, rinse and drain the silken tofu to remove the brine water.

Make sure you're using silken tofu and not firm tofu, or the recipe won't work.

Slice the tofu block into cubes and tip them into a food processor.

Deseed the durian and add the soft durian flesh to the blender with the tofu, followed by agar powder and the sweetener (sugar-free erythritol for a healthier option or regular caster sugar).

You must weigh the agar accurately as even a small difference can affect the final result.

You can swap agar powder with the same amount of vegan gelatine or double the amount of agar flakes (but always check the package instructions first).

Now, blitz all the ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Step 4

Transfer the tofu-durian mixture into a pot and heat it over medium heat while stirring.

As soon as the mixture boils, lower the heat and cook it for 3 more minutes to activate the agar.

Stir the durian mix while it cooks to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.

Also, be careful as the mixture will sputter while it boils.

Step 5

Next, pour the durian cream over the cold biscuit base.

Tap the cake tin on the worktop to remove air bubbles and level the cheesecake filling with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Wrap the tin with cling film and refrigerate the durian cheesecake for 2-3 hours or until the filling is set.

We recommend keeping the cheesecake tin on a plate while sitting in the fridge. That's because the coconut oil in the cookie base may slightly leak at first when it gets in contact with the hot durian cream filling.

Step 6

If you are using a springform or loose-bottom tin, popping out the cheesecake is easy: place the tin on a tall glass or jar, unlock or loosen the cake tin ring, and carefully slide it downward.

Once freed, transfer the durian cheesecake onto a serving plate, remove the cake tin base (if possible), and garnish the cake to your liking.

You can top it with crumbled cookies, chopped durian, roasted nuts (like almonds or cashews), or coconut flakes.

Tips

If you have any leftovers, cut the durian cheesecake into portions, wrap them individually, and freeze them for 1 to 2 months. The cake tastes very good frozen as well, almost like ice cream!