Junior S Lemon Coconut Cheesecake

Description

Another amazing cheesecake from junior's – a ton of work, but a great recipe when you're in dire need of baking therapy 🙂

Ingredients

• Cake Flour
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Extra-large Eggs
• Sugar
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Lemon Extract
• Unsalted Butter
• Cream Of Tartar
• Cream Cheese
• Cornstarch
• Heavy Cream
• Extra-large Egg Yolks
• Cold Water
• Lemon Rind
• Fresh Lemon Juice
• Yellow Food Coloring
• Unflavored Gelatin
• Angel Flake Coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 f and generously butter a 9-inch springform pan
2. Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside
3. Beat the egg yolks together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high for 3 minutes
4. Then, with the mixer still running, gradually add the 1 / 3 cup of sugar and continue beating until thick light-yellow ribbons form in the bowl, about 5 minutes more
5. Beat in the vanilla and lemon extracts
6. Sift the flour mixture over the batter and stir it in by hand until no more white flecks appear
7. Then blend in the butter
8. In a clean bowl, using clean dry beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high until frothy
9. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form
10. Stir about 1 / 3 cup of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining whites
11. Gently spoon the batter into the pan
12. Bake the cake just until the center of the cake springs back when lightly touched, only about 10 minutes
13. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack while you continue making the cheesecake filling
14. Do not remove the cake from the pan
15. While the sponge cake is baking, make the lemon custard
16. With clean, dry beaters, beat the egg yolks with mixer on high about 5 minutes until thick & light golden
17. Combine the sugar, cornstarch, & salt together in a large saucepan
18. Gradually whisk in the water until smooth & all the cornstarch lumps have disappeared
19. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil, turns clear, & thickens, then immediately remove from heat
20. Spoon about a cup of the hot cornstarch mixture into the egg yolks, then return it all to the saucepan
21. Stir over low heat just until the mixture begins to cook & bubble around the edge of the pan
22. Remove from heat & stir in the lemon rind & juice, butter, extracts, & a couple of drops of food coloring to tint to light yellow, if you wish
23. Transfer to a medium- size bowl, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on its surface to prevent a skin from forming, & refrigerate until cold, at least 45 minutes or over night
24. While the cake cools, make the cream cheese filling: place one 8-ounce package of the cream cheese, 1 / 3 cup of the sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl
25. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, then beat in the remaining 3 packages of cream cheese
26. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1 1 / 2 cups of the sugar, then beat in the vanilla and heavy cream
27. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating the bating only until completely blended
28. Be careful not to over-mix the batter
29. Gently spoon the cheese filling into a 9-inch springform pan
30. Place the springform pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the pan
31. Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour
32. Cool the cake on a wire rack until completely cooled
33. Wrap tightly and freeze at least 2 hours
34. Let the sponge cake cool 2 hours then wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate till until ready to assemble cake
35. When ready to assemble, remove cheesecake from freezer & let stand at room temperature while you make the frosting
36. Place the gelatin in a heat proof measuring cup, stir in cold water, & let stand until it swells & thickens
37. Cook in the microwave on high for about 30 seconds or over a pan of simmering water for about 1 minute, until clear & completely melted
38. In a medium- size bowl with clean, dry beaters, whip the cream with the mixer on high until it thickens & soft peaks just begin to form
39. With the mixer still running, add the sugar & beat just until the cream stands up in peaks
40. Beat in the vanilla
41. Add the melted gelatin all at once & beat until thoroughly incorporated
42. Refrigerate the cream in 2 bowls: 2 cups in small bowl for piping decorations on the top of the cake & the remainder in a second bowl for frosting the cake
43. Remove the lemon custard from refrigerator, transfer 2 tablespoons to a small bowl, & return this to the refrigerator
44. Place the sponge cake, top side down, on a cake plate
45. Spread with a thin layer of whipped cream from large bowl, sprinkle with about 2 / 3 cup of the coconut, & gently spread with half of the lemon custard
46. Release & remove ring of the springform pan, then remove the frozen cheesecake from the bottom pan
47. Place top side down on the custard
48. Top cheese cake with some more whipped cream, sprinkle with 2 / 3 cup coconut, & spread with the remaining custard in the large bowl
49. To decorate, frost top & sides of the cake with the remaining whipped cream in the large bowl
50. Using fingers, gently pat coconut on the side of cake & sprinkle the rest on top
51. Fit a pastry bag with a medium closed star
52. Pipe shells or rosettes in the center
53. Fill the circle with the 2 tablespoons reserved lemon custard
54. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours to allow the cheesecake to thaw enough to slice easily
55. Use a sharp straight edge knife, not a serrated one, to cut it
56. Cover any leftover cake with plastic wrap & refrigerate, or wrap & freeze for up to 1 month