Ube Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs For the Coconut cookie crust
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 6 tbsps melted unsalted butter, slightly cooled
• Pinch of salt
• 2 8 oz block cream cheese, room temperature Ube Cheesecake Filling
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 5 oz Ube jam
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp Ube extract
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 14 oz coconut cream Coconut Whipped Cream
• 2 tbsps granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine all crust ingredients. Stir until evenly moist. Transfer to your prepared pan and use the back of a spoon or measuring cup to pack it tightly to the bottom. Set aside.
2. Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on med/high speed until fluffy (2-3 mins). Add 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating for another 2 minutes.
3. Add 5 oz ube jam and 3/4 cup sour cream. Beat until smooth and incorporated. Make sure to break apart any chunks of ube jam (some brands are chunkier than others).
4. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 3 tsp ube extract and stir until combined. Taste your batter and decide if you're OK with the sweetness. Add sugar 1 tbsp at a time, if necessary.
5. Add eggs one a time, beating each one just until combined. Remember to scrape the bottom and sides of your bowl to make sure you're getting to every last inch of batter.
6. Pour the batter into your pan and tap gently on your counter. Place the pan on your oven's middle rack. Place a roasting pan filled with hot water on the bottom rack. Bake for 30 minutes at 325F then lower the oven temperature to 300F and bake for 30 minutes more or until set (see blog post for tips on how you can tell if your cheesecake is done). Turn the oven off, open the oven door slightly but keep the cheesecake inside for another hour so it can gradually cool.
7. Take the cheesecake out of the oven, run a thin, sharp knife around the edges to separate the cake from the pan. Don't take the cake out of the pan though. You can place it straight into the fridge to chill 6-8 hours, preferably overnight.
8. When you're ready to serve, prepare your coconut whipped cream by taking the chilled can out of the fridge and scooping out the solid parts into a small bowl (see notes). Add 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and beat until stiff.
9. To serve the cheesecake, top with a dollop of coconut whipped cream and sprinkle with shredded coconut. For the coconut whipped cream, make sure to only use the solidified parts of the coconut cream otherwise, your cream will be too soupy. It won't come together. You can use the liquid parts for smoothies and other recipes.