Guava Cheese Cake
Guavas are my most favorite of fruits. I love their taste, of course, but also their fragrance, which I find as enticing as a vase of gardenias – there should be a guava scented air freshener!
Fresh guavas are neither easy to find nor very affordable, if you do find them, however, guava paste, jelly, and juice are wonderful tools, in your pantry, that allow you to enjoy this delightfully beguiling flavor, regardless of where you are or what your budget maybe, at the moment.
This is not my recipe; it comes from The New Florida Cuisine, Miami Spice, by Steven Raichlen. The only modification, which I have made, is in the glaze, using guava jelly instead of red currant.
This cake has become a part of my Christmas table, but it is great for any occasion.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 ¼ cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs
⅓ cup melted Butter
2 tablespoons Sugar
Filling:
1 cup of Guava Paste
⅓ cup of Lemon Juice
2 pounds of Cream Cheese
2 cups of Sugar
4 extra- large eggs
2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
1 tablespoon of grated Lemon zest (I use Lime0
Glaze:
¼ cup Red Currant Jelly (I use Guava Jelly instead)
About 1 tablespoon of Water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, butter a 9 inch spring-form pan. Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and sugar, and then press into the spring-form pan, covering the bottom well, and then up the sides of the pan. Bake the dough covered spring-form pan, for about ten minutes, and let it cool.
Melt the guava paste in the lemon juices, whisking steadily over medium heat for about 3 minutes. In a large bowl mix the cream cheese and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, the vanilla, zest, and guava.
Place a wire rack in the bottom of a large roasting pan, cover the bottom and sides of your spring-form pan with foil, to ensure that nothing leaks, and then place the spring-form pan on the wire rack. Pour one inch of hot water into the large roasting pan, and fill with the cheesecake mixture, to bake, for about an hour and half, though it may be done sooner. You want the top to be firm and filling to no longer jiggle, when the pan is shaken. Let the cake cool for about twenty minutes, in the oven, with the door slightly ajar. Refrigerate, on a wire rack, covered for at least six hours.
To make the glaze, put the jelly in a small pan, melting over low heat, until it is the consistency of heavy create, adding the water as necessary. Brush the glaze over the cake, chill for another 30 minutes.
To serve, put the spring-form pan on top of something akin to a large coffee can, unlock the hinge, let the sleeve come off, and then place the cake on a serving dish.
This is a cake, which I tend to serve myself, as opposed to allowing my guest to cut their own slice, only because the bottom of my spring-form pan, sits underneath the glorious cake – if at all possible, you do not want the coated surface, of the pan, scratched with knife marks.
The is a great dessert, and it is something which can be made a few days ahead, with the flavor only improving!
~ M ~
I remember when I was a child, living in Puerto Rico, and we went for a car ride in the country, which led me to a guava tree where I was allowed to eat all of the fruit I wanted. I felt like I was in heaven; sadly, I later got a bit of motion sickness, on that same wonderful day of feasting on guavas, I had my first expertise with two Alka-Seltzer tablets being dropped in a small paper cone, with water, and being directed to drink it all. For better or worse, to this day, I still love guavas, and Alka-Seltzer is my go to med when I have an upset tummy – the imprints of childhood.
