Tart mangoes and dark chocolate come together beautifully in Chocolate Mango Cheesecake. Ours is featured on an Epicurean pastry stand.

Cambodia has tons of fruit. There are many fruits here that I’ve never seen outside Cambodia and some that I’ve seen elsewhere but have more intense flavors. There are probably 20 varieties of bananas here. The most popular ones are no longer than your fingers and very sweet. They leave American bananas in the dust for flavor.

Another familiar favorite of mine is mango. Mangoes (Svay in Khmer) are so common here there’s even a region of Cambodia named after them (Svay Rieng). Most often, you see them in shakes but there are times you find them in desserts here. The local favorite is “sticky rice.” Sticky rice is sweetened rice served with fruit – usually mango.

I love the tart flavor of mangoes. They go so well with chocolate too. I found a recipe for mango cheesecake that most people said was a bit weak on flavor so I added more mango puree, a little lime juice and some orange flavoring (you can use orange extract, Grand Marnier, or Cointreau). I also topped the cheesecake with a little more mango puree.

Epicurean sent me some items they will provide in giveaways this month. I features the cocktail plate in my almond shortbread pinwheels post. They also sent two display boards and a pastry stand to display my chocolate mango cheesecake. We’ll have one giveaway each week so be sure to enter!

Since I’ve had to downsize to a small apartment this year, the fact that this pastry stand stores flat is a plus. I also love that you can take the top off and pop the cake in the refrigerator without having to put the legs in with it.  There is a groove along the bottom of the platform that aligns with notches in the legs so the top is secure when you put it on the base. I think you could use the top upside down (without the base) to serve juicy foods like meats, sliced fruits or tarts. The groove would catch the juices.

Another great thing is that these pastry stands are dishwasher safe so pop the top off and put it in the dishwasher after your family devours the cake on top. It will fit easily in with your other dishes. The cake stands come in nutmeg and slate tones and there are two sizes: 9.25″ x 5.25″ and 12.5″ x 7.5″ sizes. Epicurean products are made in the USA and are known for their quality. They come with a lifetime guarantee.

Yield: 1 cake

Chocolate Mango Cheesecake

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Ingredients

Crust

• 2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (or chocolate cereal crumbs or chocolate graham cracker crumbs)
• ¼ cup butter melted

Chocolate layer

• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 4.5 ounces dark chocolate, melted (I used ¼ of a Trader Joe's 72% Cocao Dark Chocolate Pound Plus bar)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 eggs

Mango Layer

• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ cups mango puree (2 large mangoes)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier or orange extract
• Mango topping
• 1 mango pureed (about ¾ cup puree)
• juice of 1 small lime (about 1 tablespoon)
• Chocolate curls (Optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir cracker crumbs and melted butter together until evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom (not sides) of 9 inch springform pan. Bake until crust is set, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Maintain oven temperature.
2. Melt chocolate and blend in 8 ounces softened cream cheese.
3. Blend in 2 eggs, cocoa and sugar until smooth.Pour onto prepared crust.
4. In a separate bowl, blend 8 ounces cream cheese with 2 eggs until smooth.
5. Add mango puree, sugar, and Grand Marnier (or orange extract).
6. Pour on top of chocolate cheesecake mixture (swirl if you like)
7. Bake at 325°F for 1 hour 25 minutes. Center should be almost set and edges should be slightly browned when done.
8. Cool completely and then refrigerate.
9. Before serving make the mango topping by mixing the lime juice into the mango puree. Pour on top of cooled cheese cake.
10. If desired, make chocolate curls or add thin broken chocolate to the top as well.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 336Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 84mgSodium: 198mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 2gSugar: 28gProtein: 5g

Nutrition information is based on cutting the cake into 16 slices and is provided as a guideline only. Please consult a dietitian if you have specific dietary needs.