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Benihana Mandarin Orange Cheesecake Recipe
Benihana Mandarin Orange Cheesecake
By Todd Wilbur

Recipe Type: Dessert
Calories: 691
Cook Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Recipe Rating: 5.0 (5 reviews)
 
This Top Secret Recipe comes as a special tribute to the man who introduced Americans to Japanese teppanyaki cuisine and pioneered exhibition cookery 44 years ago. On July 10, 2008, Benihana founder Rocky Aoki died from complications of cancer at the age of 69. We honor Rocky with my version of his unique dessert from my book Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2.

This charismatic cheesecake is a specialty at the world's largest Benihana restaurant located in the Hilton hotel and casino in Las Vegas. But don't expect to find this amazing dessert on the menu at any of the other 69 Benihana eateries, since it's custom-made just for the Sin City location and probably unlike any cheesecake you've had. Check it out: The lightly orange-flavored, fluffed-up cream cheese sits on layer of soft white cake, the edge is frosted and coated with crunchy hazelnut crumbs, and the top is covered with wedges of mandarin oranges in an orange-flavored gelatin. Every element of this top secret kitchen clone - published here for the first time - is made from scratch, and the finished product is well worth the work you put in. For the cake layer, we whip up just enough of a simple white cake batter to fit into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. The cheese layer in our clone is created with a special custom combination of gelatin, Dream Whip and cream cheese so that no baking is required to firm it up. You could, of course, use a store-bought white frosting for the edge of the cake, but since you only need a small amount of frosting, the clone recipe here makes it cheaper. The hazelnuts are candied with sugar and reduced to crumbs in a food processor you can find a 1/2-cup bag of chopped hazelnuts in most supermarkets that is perfect for this. And two 15-ounce cans of mandarin orange wedges is just the right amount for garnishing the top. Just be sure to save 1/2-cup of the liquid from the cans of orange wedges to create the gel that holds the topping in place.
Cake
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
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lelisa watkins  
Submitted on 04/27/11

I made this recipe over the Easter Holiday and it was FABULOUS! Very refreshing, light and worth every minute put into preparing it. I give it 5 stars!
LT  
Submitted on 08/25/08

I made this for a party and everyone loved it. I brought the last piece home to enjoy it the next day and my husband didn't give me the chance! I'll definitely make it again.
Anita Barker  
Submitted on 08/19/08

I made this cheesecake at the cottage for a group of friends. We all absolutely loved it. I'm making it again tonight for a birthday at work. It's well work the extra effort.
carrie6632  
Submitted on 07/24/07

Took this to a fancy dinner party complete with escargo. The wine expert matched it with Nivole Moscato D'Asti. It was the hit of the party. A professional chef offered me a job!
em_baker  
Submitted on 07/21/05

Every time I make this cake, I get rave reviews and recipe requests. It is a knockout. Make sure the cake is very cold for best taste!