Makes a 9 inch cake
This one owes its existence to Sarah Randell—a great cook and writer of great cookbooks—who asked us to do a summer baking piece for the food magazine she edits. We wanted something that would look glitzy and glam for the press. We came up with this, and it is as glossy as one of our cakes can be. The combination of coconut, roses and berries makes for the most spectacular mouthful. While some people are attracted to rose-scented desserts, they can occasionally be a bit soapy. That is definitely not the case here; the rose is just a gorgeous, exotic back note in this creamy white cheesecake, exactly as it should be.
50g unsalted butter
100g desiccated, unsweetened coconut
75g granulated sugar
½ tsp flaky sea salt
1 egg
500g full fat cream cheese
100g/ml sour cream
200g granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
4 eggs
1 tbsp rose water
50g all-purpose flour
300g raspberries, plus 100g extra to fold in at the end
180g granulated sugar
1 lemon, halved
1 tbsp rose water
100g strawberries, cut in quarters, to fold in at the end
Preheat the oven to 375°F/350°F convection and line a loose-based (springform) 9 inch cake tin with baking parchment.
Melt the butter and mix with the coconut, sugar, salt and egg until well combined. Transfer to the cake tin, smooth out and bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the coconut goes a light golden color. Remove from the oven to cool.
Make the filling in a mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a bowl with a large spoon (but not a whisk). Combine the cream cheese with the sour cream, sugar and lemon zest on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time, then gradually mix in the rose water. Finally fold in the flour. Pour over the coconut base and bake for 30–35 minutes until the cake rises and goes a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in the fridge for at least 4 hours before topping.
Mix 300g of the raspberries in a pan with the sugar and lemon halves. Set on a very high heat, bring to a rapid boil and cook for about 3–4 minutes until the compote thickens. Remove from the heat. Take out the lemon halves and squeeze them into the compote so that you don’t lose any juice, then discard. Stir in the rose water, transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge for at least an hour until set.
When you are ready to serve, gently fold the additional 100g of raspberries and the quartered strawberries into the chilled compote and use to top the cheesecake (or serve on the side).