Author Notes
I love the idea of taking sweet dessert recipes and making them savory. Creating something unexpected. That’s where the idea of a Savory Goat Cheese Cake came from.
Once I made it, I thought why not go further and turn it into a layer cake, and this is the result. Your guests will rave, it’s easy and you can make the cake in advance and freeze it in the springform pan.
I use two different types of pestos. I love the vibrancy of the colors and combination of flavors. Serve it with crackers, slice baguette or Belgian endive spears. Your friends will love this one! —At Home with Friends
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Ingredients
- FOR THE CHEESE CAKE:
-
11 ounces
cream cheese, room temperature
-
6 ounces
whole milk ricotta cheese, room temperature
-
8 ounces
goat cheese, room temperature
-
3
large eggs, room temperature
-
1/2 cup
sour cream
- FOR THE SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO AND WALNUT PESTO (YOU'LL NEED 3/4 CUP OF EACH)
-
1 1/2 cups
sun dried tomatoes
-
2 cups
warm water
-
1 1/3 cups
Parmesan cheese, divided into two 2/3 cups
-
2
cloves garlic
-
1/8 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
-
1 cup
olive oil, divided into two 1/2 cups
-
2 cups
packed basil leaves
-
1 cup
chopped walnuts
-
Salt to taste
Directions
-
MAKE THE SAVORY GOAT CHEESE CAKE:
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-
Butter or line 7” springform pan. I use super parchment baking liner. (I cut a circle to fit bottom and wide strips to fit around the sides of the pan.)
-
Using a hand-held or free-standing mixer, mix cream cheese, ricotta and goat cheese until well blended. Add in eggs and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add in sour cream and mix until thoroughly blended.
-
Pour into springform pan. Bake 45-55 minutes until top is puffed.
-
Remove from oven. Cool completely on rack. Leaving the cake in pan, when cool, place in refrigerator at least 24 hours. (Cake without pesto can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen. Defrost in refrigerator. Remove sides of pan and spread pesto close to serving time.)
-
MAKE SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO:
-
Soak sun dried tomatoes in bowl with warm water approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove tomatoes from water and drain. Reserve water.
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In a food processor fitted with metal blade, process the garlic until smooth. Add dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes. Process until smooth. Slowly add olive oil and process to a thick paste.
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Taste and add up to 1/4 teaspoon of reserved water if pesto is too thick. I like this pesto to be a little thicker than the walnut basil pesto. I use this for the filling in the cake.
-
MAKE WALNUT PESTO:
-
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the garlic until smooth. Add basil, Parmesan cheese and walnuts. Process until ground. Add olive oil and process to a thick paste.
-
ASSEMBLE THE SAVORY GOAT CHEESE CAKE:
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Remove sides of pan from the Goat Cheese Cake. Carefully, using a serrated knife, slice through middle of the cake horizontally, making two layers.
-
Remove top layer. Spread one flavor of pesto on bottom layer. Put top layer over bottom. Spread second flavor of pesto on top of the cake.
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Keep refrigerated. Remove approximately 30 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers, sliced baguette and spears of Belgian endive.
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