Passionfruit Cheesecake

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links below. I may receive commissions on purchases made through the links in this post; however, do not let that sway your opinion, as they are all products I highly recommend. I have personally used and stand behind the quality of each product I share in this blog post.

When I think of May, Mother’s Day is the first holiday that comes to mind! This month is also filled with many other celebrations. To name a few, it’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, there is Military Spouse Appreciation and Armed Forces Day. As a Filipino-American, military spouse, and working mama of two boys, there is so much to celebrate and appreciate! This month also includes Nurse’s Week and Care Provider Appreciation. Lastly, it’s Taurus season (shout-out to my fellow Taurus women)! I have friends and family a part of every celebration this month has to offer. To honor a few of those people in my life, I have created my Passionfruit Cheesecake.

My sweet friend Nicole is a soon-to-be Nurse and mother. With my husband, the stead-fast workhorse of our family currently underway at sea, I have found myself branching outside of my inner circle for support. I began attracting like-minded women, working mothers with crazy schedules, and along came Nicole. Through this very lonely and difficult season I have found myself in, she has been a breath of fresh air and a pillar of support. That is why she is the inspiration for this citrusy, creamy, lightly floral cheesecake! With its delicately feminine feel and smell, and uniquely bold and sweet taste, it felt like the perfect May bake. I have since gifted this delectable dessert to Nicole’s and I’s children’s care-provider, Auntie Tess, in honor of Care Provider Appreciation Day.

So, let’s dive in! I asked Nicole if she could choose any new flavor of cheesecake, what would it be? Her response was passionfruit! YUM! Her choice came as no surprise. With many members of her family and several friends with Hawaiian roots, this flavor felt fitting. To start off this sweet and tangy cheesecake, you’ll need powdered passion fruit flavorings. Many flavorings impart a yellow hue that remind me of a gentle summer morning, light and airy with a hint of golden. Perfect for the month of May! For this recipe I use two powdered flavorings. The easiest to attain is from the popular Hawaiian drink brand, Hawaiian Sun. The flavor to find is ‘Lilikoi’, the Hawaiian name for passionfruit. To note, stick to powdered passion fruit over fresh fruit, as the additional liquid from the fruit will alter the consistency and bake time of the cheesecake custard. Moving to the crust. This is not your typical graham cracker shell. I desire more depth, so I opt for Bischoff crackers with a mix of Nilla wafers, and I adjust the texture to my personal liking with almond flour. To keep the recipe nut-free, omit the almond flour. For added passion fruit flavor and freshness, I add a top layer of passionfruit curd, white tea stabilized with a little bit of gelatin. Gelatin will keep the top layer from dripping over while maintaining the delicate edible flowers in place. You can find the full recipe below!

This Passionfruit Cheesecake was so enjoyable to create and bake! The buttery, cookie crumble crust paired with the sweet, tangy, and creamy cheesecake is the perfect bake in honor of all the mamas, stay at home and working. The passion fruit and floral taste are for all my Asian American and Pacific Islander peeps! I have such fond memories while our family was stationed in Las Vegas, also known as the ‘ninth island’, sipping our Lilikoi drinks! Lastly, shoutout to soon-to-be Nurse and mama of three, Nicole, for inspiring me to make such a fun new dessert. Happy baking!

Click the photo below to connect with me on Pinterest!