Moni's Tropical Cheese Cake Delight
I am so excited to share with you my own creation of the perfect summertime "no bake" cheese cake recipe. This cake is 3 layers of tropical explosion in your mouth all at once. You can savor the taste of each of the different layers and yet they all meld well together at the same time. One bite and you'll think you died and went to Cheese Cake Heaven! Cool and refreshing, it's the perfect dessert for hot summertime days while sitting on the veranda with your friends and family or just relaxing by the pool or the lanai on your favorite lounge chair.
Preparation time: about 1 hour / serves: as many as 16 / you will need a 10 inch spring form pan
Step 1. Crust: Combine in a mixing bowl
1 & 1/2 cups finely chopped macadamia nuts
1 & 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
3 tbs. sugar
5 tbs. melted lightly salted butter
Mix together and press the crumbs evenly with a spoon, over the bottom and half way up the sides of a 10 inch spring form pan that has been sprayed lightly with non stick spray and place in the refrigerator.
Step 2. First layer of filling: Beat in a mixing bowl or electric mixer until smooth
1/4 cup sugar
1, 8 oz. package of softened Philly cream cheese
Add 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin, that has been dissolved for 1 min. or 2 on the stove in a sauce pan on low heat with
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup of pineapple juice
Add slowly to the cheese mixture and mix well. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool for 10 min.
Fold in 1, 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple that has been drained, and fold in 1 cup whipping cream with 1/4 cup sugar that has been whipped to stiff peaks
Fold into the cheese mixture.
Pour into the crust and refrigerate.
Step 3. Second layer of filling: In a mixing bowl or an electric mixer beat until smooth
2, 8 oz. packages of softened Philly cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
Add 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin, that has been dissolved for about 1 or 2 min. on the stove in a sauce pan on low heat with
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lime juice
3 egg yolks
2 tsp. lime zest
Add a few drops of green food coloring or paste ( I use an olive color) and slowly add this to the cheese mixture.
Fold in 3 egg whites with 1/4 cup of sugar that have been whipped to stiff peaks into the cheese mixture
Fold in 8 oz. of your favorite non dairy whipped topping and place all of the cheese mixture on top of the first layer of cheese cake. It will be pretty full but save room for the topping.
Step 4. Topping: Whip up
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 packs of whip cream stabilizer
1/2 tsp. of vanilla flavoring
1/4 cup 10x sugar
Beat to stiff peaks stage.
Place in piping bag with large star tube and decorate the outer perimeter with mounds and also the center with 4 mounds of cream and sprinkle with some of the crumbs of vanilla wafer.
Add a ring of macadamia nut pieces and a twist of a lime slice in the middle on top of the cream mounds.
This Cheese Cake now looks like it came from the best bakery in town and it will taste as good as it looks. Return it to the refrigerator for another 20 min. to 1/2 an hour and serve. Be sure to loosen the edges of the cake with a sharp knife before you release the spring form when serving.
You may now pat yourself on the back and sit back and enjoy a slice of Tropical Cheese Cake heaven! You can make this cake up in advance and also adapt it to diabetic needs by substituting equal instead of sugar and Neufchatel cheese instead of regular Philly cream cheese and sugar free non dairy whipped topping.
Enjoy!
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