The Best Baklava Cheesecake

5 from 3 votes

Spoil your guests this Christmas with this Best Baklava Cheesecake recipe made with indulgently sweet and nutty Turkish Baklava layers topped with creamy and rich cheesecake.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Middle Eastern, Turkish, Western

Diet: Halal, Low Salt

Servings: people

Calories: 602kcal

Author: Ayla Clulee

Equipment

1 kitchen scale
1 measuring spoons
1 Measuring cups
1 9" springform cake tin
1 small knife
1 Kitchen Aid stand mixer

Ingredients

For The Cheesecake Filling

16 oz full fat cream cheese (at room temperature) (450 grams)
1 cup powdered sugar
3 medium eggs (at room temperature)
2 tablespoon plain white flour (all-purpose flour)
⅓ cup double cream or heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract (optional)

For The Simple Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup caster or granulated sugar
few drops of lemon juice

For The Baklava Base

9 oz filo pastry (250 grams) (around 10-12 leaves)
¼ cup clarified butter
3 tablespoon vegetable or sunflower oil
1 ½ cups crushed walnuts

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparing The Cheese Filling

Place the cream cheese and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk together until fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and keep whisking until nicely combined.
Lastly, add the flour, cream, and vanilla (optional), and beat just enough to combine without overmixing it at that stage.
Set the bowl aside and proceed to make the syrup.

Preparing The Simple Syrup

Place the water and sugar in a pan and put on medium heat.
Stir it until the sugar dissolves, bring it to a boil, and let it gently simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Add a few drops of lemon juice, let it simmer for a few more minutes, and then remove the pan from heat.
Let the syrup cool down while layering the baklava cheesecake base.

Assembling The Baklava Layers

To assemble the baklava layers, you need a 23 cm (9") springform cake tin.
Preheat the oven to 180° C (350° F).
Combine the clarified butter and vegetable oil in a bowl to use for buttering the filo layers.
Lightly butter the bottom and the sides of your cake tin with a pastry brush.
Place one of your filo sheets, letting the pastry hang over the edges of the pan. My filo sheets were extra large so I had to trim the ⅓ of the filo and use it as a second layer.
Brush generously the filo sheet with melted butter mixture using a pastry brush and then place another filo sheet on top.
Keep layering until you used half of the filo sheets, making sure to butter generously each layer.
Sprinkle your chopped walnuts evenly on top and continue layering the rest of the filo sheets. Make sure to butter each layer generously. Pour any remaining butter mixture over the top to finish.
Carefully trim the overhanging filo sheets using a small knife or scissors.
Pour the cream cheese filling over the filo crust.
Place the cake tin in the preheated oven and bake it for 55 to 60 minutes, until the cheesecake is set and the filo pastry is golden and crispy. Do not open the oven door during baking your Baklava Cheesecake.
Switch off the oven and leave the cake in for 10 minutes with the oven door slightly open to avoid any cracks on your cheesecake.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool down for 5 minutes. Your syrup should be at room temperature at that stage.
Slowly drizzle the syrup over the golden baked filo sheets using a spoon. Try and aim the filo sheets and take your time while pouring the syrup. The main focus should be moistening the crispy filo sheets.
Let the Baklava Cheesecake cool down to room temperature and let it refrigerate overnight, ideally for 24 hours before serving.

Video

Notes

If using frozen filo pastries, remember to thaw them in the fridge overnight, and also leave them out for half an hour to bring them to room temperature before using them.

You can make your own filo sheets at home if you have some extra time on your hand. It tastes so much better and is worth the extra time and effort. You can check my Homemade Turkish Baklava Recipe for step-by-step instructions and a video tutorial if you want to know how to make homemade filo pastry!

Keep the filo pastries covered with a damp towel after opening the packaging and handle them gently.

Make sure the syrup is at room temperature before adding it to the freshly baked & hot baklava.

Use clarified butter to avoid dark & burnt marks on top of the baklava.

Bring the eggs and cream cheese to room temperature before using them.

Make sure to lightly toast the walnuts (or any other nuts) for a more intense flavor before adding them to your baklava.

Chop the walnuts finely, without turning them into a paste or powder.

A few drops of lemon juice are necessary to prevent the syrup from crystallizing. Don't use too much lemon juice as it will destroy the taste of the baklava.

Nutrition