This is one of my favorite cheesecakes! It’s showy and special and tastes wonderful 🙂 The method for this cheesecake is different from my usual method, but it works like a dream, and I’ve never had this cheesecake crack. The only tricky part is getting the right ‘Cream of Coconut’. Try to find the Coco Lopez brand, or any other brand used for making mixed drinks such as the Pina Colada. Don’t use canned coconut milk or even the new canned coconut cream [this is getting so confusing!], you need Cream of Coconut. It’s sweet and thick. Here are pictures of the two brands I have used successfully.

Hope you can make this for a special occasion in your life. It’s a winner!

Coconut-Mango Cheesecake

Coconut Crust:

• 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
• 8 whole graham crackers, broken
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, diced

Cheesecake:

• 32-ounces Philadelphia-brand cream cheese (do not use reduced-fat, fat-free, or whipped) The cream cheese MUST be at room temperature. Do not proceed with cold cream cheese!
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 15-ounce can (sweetened) cream of coconut (such as Coco López, look for it in the alcohol mixers section. Do NOT USE COCONUT MILK!)
• 1 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 5 large eggs

Glaze:

• ¼ cup  water
• 1 pkg unflavored gelatin
• 2 ½-3 cups mango puree (from 2 16 oz packages frozen mango chunks)
• 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

For crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Blend all ingredients in processor until finely ground and sticking together, 1 to 2 minutes.
3.  Press crumb mixture onto bottom and 2 1/2 inches up sides of 10-inch-diameter spring form pan with 2 3/4- to 3-inch-high sides.
4. Bake crust until golden, 14 to 15 minutes.
5. Cool crust on rack.
6. Increase oven temperature to 425°F.

For filling:

1. Blend cream cheese and sugar in bowl of electric mixer. Stir in cream of coconut, coconut extract and salt. Add eggs 1 at a time. Mix to blend.
2.  Pour filling into crust. Bake cheesecake 10 minutes at 425°F .
3. Reduce oven temperature to 250°F. Bake until center is softly set, about 1 hour 35 minutes longer.
4. Turn off oven, keeping the oven door closed. Cool cake in oven 1 hour.
5. Refrigerate cake, uncovered, at least 12 hours or overnight.

For glaze:

1. Place water in small cup or bowl.  Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, pour mango puree and sugar into small saucepan. Taste that flavor is correct. Add more mango puree or more sugar if needed.
3. Stir mixture over low heat until sugar dissolves, bubbles form at edge of pan, and mixture is hot.
4. Add gelatin mixture and stir 1 minute to dissolve. Stir in vanilla.
5. Cool mango mixture until lukewarm, stirring occasionally.
6. Pour glaze into center of cheesecake. Rotate and tilt the pan until glaze is spread evenly over top.
7. Chill cheesecake to set glaze, approximately 3 hours.

Notes: DO AHEAD! This recipe can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.