This cheesecake was the brain child of me wanting to use silken tofu in a dessert, but also wanting to play around with plums while they were still in season. I have been playing around with what I call “blank slate”-types of desserts, where the dessert components are left super open-ended in a way where I could switch out or flavor these components differently to make essentially different desserts. My almond tofu phyllo pie was kind of the start of this, but I wanted to also do a tofu cheesecake that acted like a pleasant background base to highlight some seasonal produce. Every time I went to the farmer’s market during this summer, every single stand was selling plums. I always equated plums to softer, wetter peaches. Mostly because they are all stone fruit. The beautiful thing about stone fruit is that they can be sweet or acidic, depending on their ripeness, and what works really well here is that stone fruit and cheese is a classic combination. So going the route of a tofu cheesecake just made perfect sense! I have made tofu cheesecakes in the past, but one HUGE mistake I used to make was freezing the cheesecakes. The thing about tofu is that when you freeze it, the water leeches out of the proteins and freezes, so when the tofu thaws, you are left with a shriveled lump of tofu that will be sitting in a giant puddle of tofu water. The same thing happens when you try to freeze a cold-set tofu-based cheesecake as well. So NEVER freeze your tofu cheesecake. Literally do not do it. You will only regret your decisions. That being said, if you plan to make a tofu cheesecake, be sure to serve it within a week of making it, since again, freezing it will be a major mistake.

For the components, we have a kinako shortbread crust, a vanilla bean-tofu cheesecake filling, and honey-glazed plums on top. The beautiful thing about this recipe is that you can really switch out the fruit on top with whatever is seasonal, the shortbread crust flavor, or even the flavoring of the cheesecake, and have an entirely different tofu cheesecake recipe! In terms of technical difficulty, I would rate this one a 3/10. The shortbread crust does take some technical skill to make and bake the dough, but the only pressure point is making sure that the crust is neither raw nor burnt to a crisp. The shortbread can be a touch overbaked(snappy-textured), and that’s fine since the cheesecake filling will soften the crust when that is poured over it. The cheesecake filling, the only risk is making sure that there are no lumps prior to pouring it over the crust, and making sure it is lump-free. Lumpy cheesecake is gross. If anything else, I recommend pureeing the cheesecake filling prior to pouring it over the crust, and also passing it through a strainer to guarantee that there are no lumpy bits, be it from the cream cheese or the tofu. With the topping, it literally is just plums tossed with honey, kept completely fresh. I wanted to make a dessert that was light and refreshing, since at least here in Southern California, we are experiencing 80 to 90 degree F weather, and cold desserts are ideal right now for that sort of climate. I adore this recipe, and I cannot wait for the next time I purchase silken tofu so that I can try out another fun flavor combination with this fruity-tofu cheesecake format.

For the kinako shortbread crust:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup kinako powder
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl, combine all of your ingredients together to form a dough. Refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes. Then roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/16-inch thickness. Cut a 6-inch disk out of the dough. Bake the dough on a lined sheet tray at 375 degrees F for 18 minutes. Allow the crust to fully cool before attempting to use in the initial assembly.

For the cheesecake filling:
2 tbsp gelatin powder + 1 tbsp cold water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8oz silken tofu
8oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
a pinch of salt

In a pot, heat up the gelatin, heavy, and granulated sugar on low heat until everything is dissolved into the cream. To that, add pureed silken tofu and stir everything until combined, still over low heat. In another bow, cream the cream cheese, vanilla paste, and salt until smooth and spreadable. Fold into the cream cheese the silken tofu cream to form your cheesecake filling.

For initial assembly:
Line the outside of a 6-inch ring mold with cling wrap and place onto a sheet tray that can fit in your refrigerator. Spray the inside of the ring mold with cooking spray. Place down the baked crust first. Then pour over that the cheesecake filling. Allow the cheesecake to refrigerate for at least 2 hours before attempting to unmold it. The final cheesecake should still hold its shape when unmolded.

For garnish:
2 red plums
2 tbsp honey
a pinch of salt

In a bowl, toss the plums, honey, and salt together. Garnish the top of the cheesecake with the plums to finish.