Who said cheesecake can’t be savoury? Goat’s cheese cheesecake with beetroot chutney is just as delicious as its sweet counterparts. This makes a great starter, or a delicious savoury snack at a picnic or high tea. A delicious combination of salty, creamy cheese and fresh chutney.
Goat's cheese cheesecake with beetroot chutney
Ingredients
Base
- 200g digestive biscuits
- 50g butter
Filling
- 150g butter, at room temperature
- 5 large eggs, beaten
- 60ml (¼ cup) cake flour
- 300g soft cream cheese, at room temperature
- 375g soft goat’s cheese, at room temperature
- 60ml (¼ cup) milk
Chutney
- 500g beetroot, stalks removed but
- 12,5cm of stem left (see Cook’s Tips below)
- 100g onions, peeled and finely chopped (see Cook’s Tips below)
- 100g Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped (see Cook’s Tips below)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 200ml white or cider vinegar
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) ground ginger
- 2,5ml (½ tsp) allspice
- 10ml (2 tsp) salt
- 500g sugar (see Cook’s Tips below)
Instructions
For the base, lightly grease a 30cm wide and 10cm deep cake tin.
Blend the biscuits in a food processor until crumbs form. Alternatively, place the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the crumbs. Spread the mixture over the base of the cake tin and press down with your fingers. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
For the filling, beat the butter with an electric mixer until soft and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the flour.
Gradually beat in the cream cheese and then the goat’s cheese, until a smooth mixture forms.
Beat in the milk and pour the filling into the cake tin. Bake until firm, about 1 hour. Let it cool in the cake tin, then remove and refrigerate for 1 hour.
For the chutney, place the beetroot in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and cook until the beetroot is tender. The cooking time will vary according to the size of the beetroot, so test with a skewer to check that it is cooked. Drain and leave until it is cool enough to handle. Peel, cut off the stem and grate coarsely.
Place the onions, apples, lemon juice, vinegar, ginger, allspice and salt in a pot, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the beetroot and sugar, and bring back to the boil, stirring continuously. Cook until the mixture thickens to a chutney-like consistency, about 45 minutes. Drizzle some chutney over the cake. Serve the cake with the remaining chutney on the side.
Notes
Cook's tips: • You can also use ready-cooked beetroot to save time. • Weigh the onions and apples after peeling and coring. • If you prefer a less sweet chutney, reduce the sugar to 380g.
