Creamy Tangy Goat Cheesecake
SCRAPS #30: a decadent raspberry pomegranate chèvre cheesecake
I’m sure this is no news to anyone, but I love a good sale. My local Kroger had a crazy sale on all-things-dairy, and I went a liiitle overboard. I ended up with a fridge drawer full of cheese, I’m talking $2 mascarpone, $1 fresh mozzarella, $2 10 oz logs of goat cheese, and so on and so forth.
Long story short, I’ve had 7 blocks of goat cheese in my fridge for a little too long. I’ve been meaning to develop a chèvre cheesecake for a while now and this was my sign to do so. That’s how I ended up with the most lush, silky smooth, decadent goat cheesecake recipe I’m sharing with you today.
The goat cheese is subtle, yet the perfect twist to elevate the flavor of a classic cheesecake: it’s tangy, and has a fresh, vibrant taste that pairs so well with the pomegranate raspberry topping.
If you’ve ever been intimidated by making a baked cheesecake I hope this recipe will make the process friendlier and more inviting. With the right steps and direction, cheesecake can be such an easy dessert to make.
Crust: super easy, crush some crackers, mix them with butter, sugar, a little salt and water, press the mixture on the bottom of a pan and bake. While you’re doing that, make the cheesecake mixture: if you feel like using a mixer, go for it, I find it easier to mix everything by hand. The whole mixture comes together in a bowl, you whisk it all together until smooth, there’s no whipping or gentle folding involved, just mix until combined.
Time to bake: a water bath will always lead you to a smoother, silkier texture. If you’ve ever had a curdy, overly-chewy cheesecake before, it’s probably because it was baked in the oven without a water bath. The cheesecake bakes from the outside in, so by the time the middle of the cheesecake is cooked, the outer part of the cheesecake tends to be overcooked. The water bath is a little extra step, but the process is ideal for a perfectly cooked cheesecake. The thought of adding the cheesecake in another pan, filling that with water, then moving everything in and out the oven might seem a little frightening, but you’ll see it’s not as hard as it seems.
Watch me make this cheesecake here: CHEESECAKE VIDEO.
If you’re looking for other delicious recipes to make this week, here are some recent ones:
homemade Nutella crepês - the ultimate dessert for breakfast, so easy to make, yet so luxurious and elegant.
a comforting dal - this dish feels like a warm hug, it’s everything you’ll need this winter.
mushroom stew with cheesy polenta - hearty, comforting, so good! Make sure you don’t skip the polenta, it’s absolutely delicious.
chocolate chip olive oil cookies - chewy, soft, citrusy and floral, if you love olive oil as much as I do, you’ll fall in love with this fun twist on the classic chocolate chip cookies.
RECIPE
Makes: a 10-inch (25-cm) cheesecake, serves about 12 to 16
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Chill Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Printable recipe down below:
INGREDIENTS
Crust
248 g (8.5 oz) graham crackers or petit beurre biscuits
50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
113 g (1 stick) butter, melted
30 g (2 tablespoons) water
A tiny pinch or 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Cheesecake
518 g (18 oz) goat cheese
100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
226 g (8 oz) sour cream or creme fraîche
3 eggs
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
A small pinch or about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Sour Cream Topping (optional)
125 g (1/2 cup) sour cream
15 g (1 tablespoon) sugar
Pomegranate Raspberry Sauce
1 cup freshly squeezed pomegranate juice (the juice of 2 medium pomegranates)
283 g (10 oz) frozen (or fresh) raspberries, plus more for topping
30 g to 50 g (2 to 4 tablespoons) granulated sugar, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Video tutorial here: CHEESECAKE VIDEO
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 10-inch (25-cm) well-sealed spring form round pan with parchment paper, all over the bottom and edge of the pan. Make sure there is no room for liquid to escape out the pan. Wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil.
Add the graham crackers to a ziplock bag and crush until fine using a rolling pin. You could also use a food processor for this step. Add the crushed graham crackers, small pinch of salt and sugar to a medium bowl and stir until combined. Stir in the melted butter and water until the mixture is uniformly moist. Evenly spread the mixture over the bottom of the baking pan. Press down the mixture using your fingers or a flat-bottomed glass into an even layer (no need to go up the sides, simply stick to covering the bottom of the pan).
Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
Combine the goat cheese and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Vigorously mix using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until combined. Add the sour cream, and mix until incorporated. Add the eggs, a small pinch of salt and whisk until smooth. Mix in the lemon juice. Pour the cheese mixture over the baked graham cracker crust. If the cheese mixture is clumpy, pour it over the crust through a mesh sieve to get rid of the clumps.
To remove any air bubbles, slam the cheesecake (not from a crazy hight, think 2 inches or 5 cm high) on your work surface or kitchen counter a few times.
Bring a few cups of water to a boil (on the stove top or using a kettle). Place the cheesecake pan in a 2 to 3 inch (5 to 8 cm) deep oven-safe dish. Fill the dish with boiling water halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. The water bath will make for an even cooking and smoother texture. Carefully place the whole thing in the oven.
Bake for 1 hour, up to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until slightly jiggly in the middle, but set on top. If the top of the cheesecake browns too fast, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and continue baking.
While the cheesecake is baking, make the sour cream topping by combining the sour cream and sugar in a small bowl.
To make the raspberry topping, combine the pomegranate juice, raspberries, and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 to 13 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Boil it longer for a thicker sauce, or less for a thinner sauce. Blend until smooth, then strain the sauce using a mesh strainer. Allow the sauce to cool before serving.
Once the cheesecake is baked, gently pull it out the oven and evenly spread the sour cream topping all over the cheesecake, making sure not to dollop the all sour cream in the middle (it might cause the cheesecake to sink). Add small dollops throughout the surface of the cheesecake and gently spread using a spatula. Return to the oven and bake for 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove from oven and refrigerate the cheesecake overnight.
Slice and serve with drizzled sauce on top, and (optionally) fresh berries.