It is no secret that I love all birthdays – including my own! My friends and family know that, so everyone made sure to pamper me on my special day. I haven’t anywhere close to my family for my past ten birthdays, so this year I invited my mum, dad and sisters over to celebrate.
Among others, the birthday brunch consisted of this goat’s cheesecake with caramelised peaches and pistachio brittle. It is a typical baked German cheesecake with a biscuit base, and in case you are scared of the goat’s cheese: Do not worry, you can barely taste the “goat flavour“. The cake rather tastes sweet and aromatic thanks to honey, lemon zest and real vanilla.
The quantities given below will make a thick crust, which is just how I like my cheesecake. I made one 18-cm- and one 6-cm cake, so you could simply bake one 22- or 24-cm cake. When going for the latter, make sure to check on the cake after 35 minutes of baking or so, it is likely to be done after 45 minutes max. (Whereas an 18-cm cake will take 55-60 minutes as it is much thicker).
Have fun baking and treating yourself and others!
Love,
Lea Lou
Goat’s cheesecake with caramelised peaches and pistachio brittle
For one 22-cm cake tin (or one 18-cm and one 6-cm tin).
For the salty pistachio brittle:
50 g roasted, salted pistachios (unpeeled)
1 tsp butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
For the biscuit base:
175 g wholemeal butter biscuits, e.g. Leibniz
50 g pistachios, peeled
125 g butter, melted
1 pinch ground cinnamon
For the cheesecake filling:
3 eggs, organic preferably
1 pinch sea salt
300 g goat’s cream cheese
350 g cream cheese
Zest of 1 organic lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 heaped tbsp honey
Pulp of 1 vanilla pod (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
For the caramelised peaches:
1–2 ripe peaches
2–3 cardamom capsules
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (upper and lower heat). Line a 22-cm cake tin with baking paper and grease it.
For the pistachio brittle line a baking tray with baking paper. Peel the pistachios. Heat butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan until the butter is melted. Spread the pistachios on the baking tray, mix with the butter mixture and roast for 10 minutes in the oven. Transfer the pistachios to a dry slice of parchment paper and allow to cool. Once cooled, cut the brittle into pieces with a knife, or break it to pieces with your hands.
For the cake base pulse cookies, pistachios, melted butter and cinnamon in a food processor until a crumbly mixture resembles. Transfer the mixture to the baking tin and firmly press it down into the tin.
For the cheesecake filling, separate the eggs. Whisk the egg whits and salt until stiff.
Whisk the egg yolks, goat’s cream cheese, cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey and vanilla pulp with the paddle attachment of a hand mixer until all ingredients are incorporated. Carefully fold in the egg whites.
Transfer the filling to the cake tin, smash the tin onto your working surface a few times to make any bubbles burst. Bake the cake in the hot oven for 45 minutes (remember it will take approx. 60 minutes for an 18-cm cake and just 35 minutes for a 6-cm cake. Regularly check on your cake and cover it with kitchen paper if required). The cake should be lightly brown and still a bit wobbly in the centre.
Allow the cake to cool in the oven (door half open, oven turned off) for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven allow to cool entirely.
For the caramelised peaches wash and core the fruits and cut them into thin slices. Crush the cardamom capsules in a pestle and mortar, remove the shell and mix the cardamom with the peaches. Heat the butter in a small pan, sauté the peaches for a few minutes from both sides, then add the honey and caramelise the peaches from both sides for 3–4 minutes until they’re cooked.
Arrange the peaches on the goat’s cheesecake, and garnish it with the pistachio brittle. Alternatively, cool the cake until served, then top it with the warm peaches just before serving.
The cake can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days.
