This Mandarin Pomegranate cheesecake is a combo of two seasonal fruits that are perfect or the holidays. I love cheesecake, both the eating and the making of it. You can use so many flavours, from the crust to the topping. With this one, I wanted to make something festive to bring to a holiday gathering, and both pomegranate and mandarin fit the bill for festive. The two fruits complement each other beautifully, too.
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Pomegranate, The Jewell of Winter
The pomegranate is a star of the holiday season. The translucent jeweled seeds and crimson juice just look like a celebration, don't they? It's no surprise that the season for pomegranates runs from October through February. These versatile fruits add a sweetly tart touch to all kinds of sweet and savory dishes, like this Spiced Baked Salmon with Pomegranate Raita, or Farro, Pomegranate, & Belgium Endive Salad.
Mandarin Oranges, A Symbol of Christmas
And the mandarin orange is, to me, a symbol of Christmas. We can get mandarins in our stores all year here in Canada now. But when I was growing up, the mandarins only showed up at Christmas, from Japan, in little wooden crates, each one wrapped in green paper. (I know, I'm dating myself). The arrival of the "Japanese oranges" in stores each November was exciting and they were a very special treat that signified the beginning of the Christmas season.
What Is A Mandarin Orange?
There can be some confusion about what exactly is a mandarin orange. Is it a tangerine? I found a perfect explanation on The Spruce: What Are Mandarin Oranges?
This simple mandarin pomegranate cheesecake has a firm, but creamy filling on a graham crust. The topping is a mixture of pomegranate and orange juice, along with mandarin orange segments and those jewel-like ruby pomegranate arils.
This cheesecake is versatile because the firm center makes it easy to cut into squares and serve on a dessert tray like a square. I took this cake along with me whole, so I wasn't able to take photos of the cut squares. Which almost caused me not to do this post. In the end, though, I had to share it with you. Why should you miss out on a great recipe because of my neglectful photo taking?
So, you'll just have to imagine what the creamy center looks like. I love the look of this dessert intact, though. The glossy red-orange topping is so pretty and the pomegranate arils and mandarin wedges look perfectly festive, don't you think?
And, if you are looking for more mandarin recipes, check out this fresh Salmon, Spinach, Mandarin Orange Salad.
Recipe
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Mandarin Pomegranate Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups graham wafer crumbs
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 16 ounce cream cheese 2 8 oz packages
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup orange juice
- ¾ cup pomegranate juice
- 2 tablespoon liquid honey
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 mandarin orange peeled and divided into segments
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a bowl, combine graham crumbs with melted butter.
- Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a non stick, 9 inch square baking pan
- Bake for 8 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool
- Using a mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth
- Add egg, pomegranate juice, and vanilla, and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute
- Add flour and beat until combined.
- Pour mixture onto graham crust, spreading evenly
- Bake in center of oven for 20 minutes
- Remove from heat and allow to cool completely
- Meanwhile, whisk together orange and pomegranate juice with honey in a small saucepan
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat
- Combine cornstarch with 2 tablespoon water and whisk into the simmering juice mixture, whisking until smooth and thickened
- Remove from heat and allow to cool
- Top cooled cake with mandarin slices
- Pour topping over cake, spreading evenly by tipping the pan
- Scatter pomegranate seeds over cake.
- Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate 1-2 hours until topping is set.
- To serve, transfer cake from pan to a cutting board and cut into squares
Notes
Nutrition
Roxanne Poole
It was exactly what I hoped. I used up my frozen pomegranate seeds.
Colleen
Hi Roxanne! I'm so happy this recipe is what you were hoping for! Thank you for letting me know and enjoy!
Teresa
That's an absolutely gorgeous dessert! I love the flavours you chose for it, too. Perfect for the holidays and perfect for winter meals any time.
Colleen
Thanks so much, Teresa!
Vicky Chin
Lovely recipe, I never thought to put pomegranate in a cheesecake! Love the colours too! Happy Holidays! ?
Colleen
Thanks Vicky! Enjoy your holidays, too!
Isabelle @ Crumb
What a gorgeous cheesecake! I'm so glad you shared, despite the lack of photos of the sliced cheesecake, because that glossy, luscious topping more than makes up for it. I love me a good cheesecake any time of year, but this combination sounds perfect for the holidays.
Colleen
Thanks Isabelle! Geez, I need to remember to get that final shot, tho.....
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices
I had to pin it and yum it too, I couldn't resist! 🙂 It looks beautiful and I can taste the creaminess of the cheesecake blending with the delightful topping. I love mandarins and pomegranate, and together they are a lovely match. There were few dessert recipes I wasn't going to post because they missed the final picture of the cut piece, but then I did. 'Cause if it's a great recipe it would be a shame not to. So glad you decided to post it!
Colleen
Nicoletta, thanks so much! I'm glad I posted it, too. Merry Christmas!