In her cookbook, Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, author Yasmin Khan celebrates the sharp, tangy cherry—a prized fruit in Turkey—by pairing it with a cake of baked yogurt and cream cheese. She uses frozen sour cherries for this recipe (they’re pitted, which saves time), but you can use fresh ones when they’re in season. To avoid a cracked cheesecake, don’t overwork the cream cheese mixture; be sure to line the baking pan; bake it slowly (if you know your oven runs hot, you can drop the temperature 25 degrees); and let the cheesecake cool gradually.
Recipe information
Yield
8 - 10 Servings
Ingredients
Cheesecake
1½
7
1
⅔
3
1
1
1
1
1
Cherries and assembly
14
½
1
special equipment
Preparation
Cheesecake
Step 1
Lightly coat pan with nonstick spray and line bottom with a parchment paper round. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. (Or crush in a resealable plastic bag with a rolling pin.) Drizzle in butter; pulse to combine. Press into bottom of prepared pan, packing with a measuring cup. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Step 2
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and yogurt in a large bowl until smooth. Add eggs, sugar, flour, and salt and beat until just combined. Mix in vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Step 3
Pour filling into pan and gently tap on counter to evenly distribute; set on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake cheesecake until filling is set but still wobbly in the center, 55–65 minutes. Turn off oven and prop door open. Let sit in oven 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool completely, 1–1½ hours. Chill until cold, 1–2 hours.
Do ahead: Cheesecake can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Cherries and assembly
Step 4
Bring cherries and sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until cherries are thawed if frozen. Add more sugar if needed. Sprinkle cornstarch over and stir in. Simmer until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
Step 5
Spoon cherries and juices over cheesecake just before serving.
