Mango Cheesecake Tart

This mango cheesecake tart, is perfectly sweet, tart and fruity, Made with a sweet crust, easy cheesecake filling, perfectly ripe mangos and a light lemon glaze this tart is perfect for any occasion.

Mango is a tropical fruit that reaches its peak in the winter and spring months. It’s tangy, sweet, and perfect in this mango tart.

The Tart Shell

This tart shell, is sweet, delicious, and tastes just like a sugar cookie. My Pâte Sucrée shell is adapted from Tartine’s Baking Book. (Literally the best baking book ever!!!) This is a very forgiving crust which may be why it is one of my favorites. Although you do not want to roll it out over and over again, this dough can withstand being rolled out 4-5 times before the gluten in the dough gets too developed.

When you make the dough it is important that the butter and sugar are completely mixed together. This helps them not be super clumpy in the dough, but you do not want them to mix more than they need to otherwise there will be little air pockets in the dough.

It is also very important that the dough is not over-worked. If the dough is overworked it will become tough and not as flaky, but thankfully this dough holds up really well for the first couple of rolls so if you mess up and the dough falls apart- it’s totally okay to try again.

Many people wonder why this dough is chilled twice before it is baked. The first chill is to allow the gluten structures to relax and the butter to firm up a little bit. This helps the dough roll out easier and have a better texture. The second chill time allows the dough to harden so that it keeps it’s shape better in the oven and helps the sides of the tart shell not to shrink while it bakes.

Why does this dough make two tart shells instead of one? This occurred because I can’t divide one egg in half. The good news is that Pâte Sucrée freezes really well and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for a month, so you will have time to use the other tart shell if you do not make two at the same time.

How to Cut a Mango

One of the trickiest things about mangos is cutting them. PLEASE be careful because I have heard that some people have got nasty cuts while cutting a mango. (Sliced ligaments, arteries, etc.) This can happen if you are not cautious while cutting peeled mango which is very slippery.

For this recipe, start by peeling the mango with a vegetable peeler. I have some friends that eat the skin on mangos but I personally think it is stringy and gross, also your tart will not look very pretty if you leave the skins on.

Cut the mango in rough thirds down the long, skinniest side. Remove the middle section, this contains the seed. Take the two sides and slice the long way into thin strips. Voila! You have sliced mango perfectly prepared for your tart.

The Cheesecake Filling

The good news is, this filling is super easy to make. Using only 4 ingredients, all you have to do is beat them together!

The cheesecake filling has an addition of sour cream because it helps the filling be a little less dense without taking away from the rich texture of the cream cheese.

While vanilla bean paste costs an arm and a leg, (in my opinion) it’s totally worth the investment because it delivers a better vanilla flavor to the final product than vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste also gives your desserts the gourmet flecks found only in vanilla bean desserts, without the hassle of using actual beans.

If you do not own vanilla bean paste, it is completely okay to substitute vanilla extract, preferably pure vanilla extract over imitation.

Lemon Glaze- The Secretly Important Ingredient

You might want to save time and skip the glaze, please don’t. Secretly the glaze is the key to this amazing tart because without everything else would dry out. The mango will dry out and turn brown if it is not covered with a glaze. While skipping the glaze would be okay if you are planning on eating the entire tart immediately, if it is going to sit for more than 2 hours the glaze is a must.

Thankfully this glaze is gelatin free making this dessert completely vegetarian. Cornstarch is used as the thickening agent instead. All that needs to occur to pull of a perfect glaze is throw it all on the stove until it is thick and bubbly making sure to stir it consistently.