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Baklava cheesecake.
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4.96 from 104 votes

Baklava cheesecake (VIDEO)

Elevating classic baklava one step further, this is a must-try recipe for baklava and cheesecake lovers. Lighter than traditional baklava but with all the added flavor of a traditional cheesecake, baklava cheesecake is the best of both worlds!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 15 minutes
Waiting Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Servings: 6
Calories: 946kcal
Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

For the pastry

  • 1 pack Filo pastry 1 pack of store-bought filo/phyllo (250g or 10 sheets)
  • 50 g Unsalted butter melted but not hot
  • 140 g Walnut roasted whole walnut, then pulse blend

For the cream cheese filling

  • 450 g Cream cheese e.g. full-fat Philadelphia, at room temperature
  • 120 g Granulated sugar
  • 15 g All purpose flour (sieved)
  • 3 Eggs at room temperature
  • 75 g Heavy Cream at least 36% fat content, and at room temperature

For the syrup

  • 118 g Water
  • 70 g Granulated sugar
  • 50 g Honey
  • ½ Lemon juice Juice of ½ a lemon
  • ½ Lemon zest Zest of the ½ lemon. Peel it into 2-3 pieces so that you can take them out of the syrup later.
  • Cinnamon stick medium size
  • 1 tablespoon Rose water only use pure 100% natural rosewater

Optional garnish

  • 1 tablespoon Dried rose petals
  • 2 tablespoon Pistachio nuts
Metric - US Customary

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200C / 392F (no fan).
  • Roast the walnuts on an oven tray for 5-10 minutes. Take care not to burn the nuts, and remove them from the oven once you start to notice a lovely nutty smell.
  • Adjust the oven temperature to 180C / 356F (no fan).
  • Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until they are in tiny pieces, but do not grind them fully to flour. Alternatively, use a sharp knife to chop them by hand.
  • In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand whisk to cream the room-temperature Philadelphia cheese (or other) with the sugar for 1-2 minutes or until fluffy.
  • Mix in the flour, add the room-temperature eggs, and finally add the room-temperature heavy cream. Mix just until combined, and do not over-mix.
  • Melt the butter in the microwave to brush over the filo pastry.
  • Unwrap the phyllo pastry sheets and place rthem between two very lightly damp tea towels to prevent them from drying out.

Assembling the cheesecake

  • Generously grease the bottom and inner sides of the springform pan with butter.
  • Lay 2 sheets of filo pastry inside the pan, brush with butter, and sprinkle over walnuts. Repeat 4 times.
  • Add 2 more sheets of filo pastry, then pour the cream cheese filling on top.
  • Trim the edges of the filo pastry with scissors so it is level with the top of the pan.

Baking the cheesecake

  • Bake your baklava cheesecake for 45 minutes, then gently remove the sides of the spring form pan and bake for a further 25 minutes to allow the sides to go golden brown in color. Adjust the baking time to your oven if necessary.

Making the syrup

  • Boil all the ingredients except the rose water together in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes or until it slightly thickens and reaches syrup consistency. Remove it from the heat, remove lemon zest pieces and cinnamon stick, then stir in the rosewater.

Finishing and serving the baklava cheesecake

  • Pour the syrup over the cheesecake as soon as the cheesecake comes out of the oven. Focus on pouring syrup on the filo pastry around the edges, with only a small amount in the center.
  • Let the baklava cheesecake cool and further set in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, then decorate it with pistachio nuts and rose petals (optional) and serve.
  • Serve it fresh or store it for 2-3 days refrigerated.

Video

Notes

INGREDIENT NOTES:
  1. Make sure you buy whole walnuts (and not ground walnuts) and roast them in the oven before blending to allow the flavor to come out
  2. If you are using frozen filo pastry, bring it to room temperature first. 
  3. Use room-temperature ingredients for the cheesecake elements. 
TECHNIQUE NOTES:
  1. Whilst layering the baklava part of this dessert, pay attention to the phyllo and brush it with butter so that it doesn't dry out.
  2. The baking time is approximately 70 minutes, but adjust it to your own oven accordingly. The goal is that the phyllo turns a beautiful golden color and surrounds a well-baked, creamy cheesecake. If the cheesecake is browning too much on top, cover it with aluminum foil towards the end of the baking time.
  3. Use a Digital oven thermometer to always bake at the right temperature. 
  4. The cheesecake will further set as it cools; let it chill in the fridge before cutting. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 946kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 638mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 1533IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 4mg