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Orange Cheesecake with Candied Kumquats

3.6

(5)

Image may contain Food Dessert Cake Sliced and Plant

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Servings

Ingredients

Candied Kumquats:

2

cups water

2

cups sugar

1

vanilla bean, split lengthwise

9

ounces kumquats (about 25 medium), thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed

Crust:

2

cups vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (made from about 9 ounces cookies, finely ground in processor)

1

/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

6 to 7

tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1

cup fresh orange juice

1

cup sugar, divided

2

tablespoons finely grated orange peel

4

8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

1

cup sour cream

3

tablespoons all purpose flour

teaspoon salt

5

large eggs, room temperature

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. For candied kumquats:

    Step 1

    Combine water and sugar in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add kumquats; reduce heat. Simmer until kumquat slices are translucent, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; cool kumquats in syrup. Strain kumquats, reserving syrup. Combine kumquats and 1/4 cup syrup in small bowl. Return remaining syrup to same saucepan; boil until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 8 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover separately and chill.

  2. For crust:

    Step 2

    Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Combine cookie crumbs and brown sugar in medium bowl; add 6 tablespoons melted butter and stir until crumbs feel moist when pressed together with fingertips, adding remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter if mixture is dry. Press crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 inch up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust until set and edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool crust in pan on rack. Maintain oven temperature.

    Step 3

    Wrap 4 layers of heavy-duty foil tightly around outside of pan with crust to make pan waterproof.

  3. For filling:

    Step 4

    Combine orange juice, 1/4 cup sugar, and orange peel in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes. Chill until cool.

    Step 5

    Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl until smooth. Mix in sour cream, flour, and salt. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in cooled orange juice mixture. Pour filling into crust; place springform pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan.

    Step 6

    Bake cake until just set in center, about 1 hour 35 minutes. Remove cake from roasting pan; remove foil. Place cake directly in refrigerator and chill overnight. Arrange kumquat slices atop cake, covering completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Tent cake with foil and refrigerate.

    Step 7

    Remove pan sides; place cake on platter. Cut cake into wedges; drizzle some kumquat syrup over and serve.

    Step 8

    The KUMQUAT SYRUP is perfect with the cake—but don't stop there. It's also yummy drizzled over vanilla or coffee ice cream or in a cup of tea, a glass of club soda, or even a vodka Martini.