Three Cheese Cake

Submitted by swirlycinnacakes

"Adapted from Alastair Hendy’s Cooking For Friends (p 166)"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 15mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 1 cake
• Serves: 1

ingredients

• Pastry Base

• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon orange zest or 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 1⁄4 cups flour, sifted

• Cheesecake Filling

• 2⁄3 cup low-fat cream cheese
• 2⁄3 cup Quark, drained
• 1⁄3 cup goat cheese (fresh)
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon orange zest or 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour

directions

1. Butter a spring form pan and line it with a circle of parchment or waxed paper cut to fit just the bottom. It’s a bit easier to cut it a bit larger and then set it in place and use a knife to trim off any excess.
2. Prepare the crust by mixing together the sugar, butter, egg yolk and zest in a bowl until it is a bit creamy. You can do this is a stand mixer, or by hand. Next add the flour and work until you get a smooth dough, dusting with a bit more flour if it seems too sticky. Roll it into a ball, flatten slightly and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 300°F.
3. Roll out the dough (you have to pre-bake it) to 1/8 inch. Get it close to the size of the bottom of your tin, and then trim it in place. You just want it on the bottom… it shouldn’t come up the sides. Bake for 20 minutes until it is about 1/2 cooked. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temp to 275°F.
4. Mix the cheese, egg yolk and lemon zest in a bowl until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff, then slowly add the sugar and the flour to the egg whites. Fold half of the egg whites into the cheese mixture to lighten it some. Then, fold the cheese mixture into the egg white mixture. Spoon over the crust until the pan is about 3/4 full. You need a little bit of room, because the cake will puff up during baking. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 1 hour, or until it is firm. Allow to cool. It will sink during this time… that’s what the fruit topping is for.
5. Serve topped with fresh berries, orange slices, etc… anything that is not too heavy as you don’t want the cake to compress even more.