As featured for Kenwood kClub

Key Ingredients:

Cheesecake Ingredients

  • Orange Blossom Syrup
  • 2½ cups caster sugar
  • 600ml water
  • 4 tbsp orange blossom water
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Semolina Base

  • 1 tbsp tahini or butter
  • 2½ cups fine semolina
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 250g unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1cm cubes
  • 2 tbsp orange blossom water
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup milk

Labni Cheesecake Batter

  • 500g cream cheese
  • ¾ cup caster sugar
  • ¾ cup Labni (We recommend Grandpa’s Labni or their Greek Style unsalted yogurt)
  • 3 eggs
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp orange zest

Garnish

  • Pistachios
  • Nuts
  • Almonds
  • Extra zest

How to Make

  1. For the syrup place sugar and water in a saucepan on a medium heat, stir until combined and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer then add orange blossom water and lemon juice. Allow to simmer for a further 10 minutes, set aside and allow to cool.
  2. Preheat a fan forced oven on 170°c.
  3. Rub a 10-inch spring-form baking tin with tahini or butter along the sides and base. Before closing the spring-form tin line the base with baking paper, allowing a skirt of baking paper to form around the bottom of the tin to trap the syrup.
  4. In a bowl, stir the baking powder and milk together and set aside.
  5. For the semolina base, melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat, bring to the boil and stir in the orange blossom water.
  6. Place fine semolina and sugar in the Kenwood Chef XL Titanium and use the folding tool to mix gently until combined. While the butter is still hot pour the orange blossom water mixture into the mixing bowl and gently fold until combined. Add the baking powder and milk mixture and continue to fold to combine.
  7. Pour the mixture into the baking tin, spread out evenly and using a fork prick the surface of the mixture before placing in the oven for 35 minutes.
  8. For the labni cheesecake batter, beat the cream cheese, caster sugar and labni in the Kenwood Chef XL Titanium using the K-Beater. Start beating on low and slowly increase the speed until the mixture is combined and creamy.
  9. In a separate small bowl lightly beat eggs, then add eggs to the labni mixture continuing to beat on low again slowing increasing speed until mixed and glossy.
  10. Add the remaining ingredients – orange juice, cornflower and zest – and fold in gently using the folding tool.
  11. Once the base is baked, remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 140°c. Pour in half of the orange blossom syrup to soak the semolina base.
  12. Pour the labni cheesecake batter on top of the semolina base evenly. Return to the oven and bake for 2 hours.
  13. Once baked, allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door open for about 15 minutes. Once completely cooled, top your cheesecake with roasted almonds, pistachio nuts, orange zest and serve with the remaining syrup.