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Chèvre Cheesecake with Black Pepper–Graham Crust
Angie Mar, chef/owner of Beatrice Inn in New York City, may be best known for her artistry with all things meat, but we’re smitten with her chèvre cheesecake, the recipe for which is found her book “Butcher + Beast.” Made with equal parts chèvre (fresh goat cheese) and cream cheese plus a generous measure of crème fraîche, the cake has the perfect amount of savoriness and tanginess—and a surprisingly light texture despite its richness. In addition to scaling Mar’s recipe to fit into a standard 9-inch springform, we mixed lemon zest into the filling to lift the flavor and add citrusy notes that play off the black pepper in the crust. The best way to gauge doneness of the cake is with an instant thermometer inserted through the side (in the area where the filling has risen above the pan), with the probe angled slightly down and to the center; 145°F to 150°F is the finished temperature. To cut clean slices, warm the knife blade by dipping it into a pitcher of hot water; wipe the blade dry before and after each cut and rewarm it as needed. Covered tightly with foil and refrigerated, the cheesecake keeps well for up to four days, though the crust softens over time.
12 to 16
Servings
Tip
Don’t forget to allow the cheeses to warm to cool room temperature before mixing. If they’re refrigerator-cold, the filling is more likely to wind up with lumps. Note that this recipe involves multiple oven settings: 300°F, 450°F, off (with the cake still inside and the door propped open) and 250°F. Don’t forget to run a knife around the cheesecake after the cake has cooled for 10 minutes—this helps prevent cracking.
2½ hours
40 minutes active, plus cooling and refrigerating
Ingredients
-
7
tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled slightly, divided
-
195
grams (1¾ cups) graham cracker crumbs
Directions
-
01Heat the oven to 300°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. Brush the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with 1½ teaspoons of melted butter; reserve the brush. In a large bowl, stir together the cracker crumbs, pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Add 6 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Transfer to the prepared pan and use the bottom of a ramekin or dry measuring cup to firmly press into an even layer. Bake until the crust is fragrant and golden, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack until barely warm, 15 to 20 minutes.
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July 24, 2023
Best cheesecake ever with a few mods to the recipe
First off, let me say this was a fabulous cheesecake. I made one change, which was to leave out the black pepper in the crust; it just didn't sound appealing to me. As far as preparing and baking, everything went according to the recipe, except that I found I had to bake it for much longer to achieve the internal temp of 145 to 150. I do have a digital oven thermometer, so I know my oven temp was spot on. Loved the end product, but I think I'm going to use unsalted butter for the crust next time, and maybe cut back on the amount of butter just a bit. It was a good crust but a tad rich for me. All in all, a definitely keeper!
July 1, 2022
The Best Cheesecake
So delicious! Great for special occasions. Serve either on its own or with a dollop of jam.
June 10, 2022
Great cake
It was fun having an excuse to get a spring form pan... You can use this as a template, and modify it to suit your tastes. More or different cheese (the type of goat cheese, but I wouldn't mess with the cream cheese amount), sugar, etc.
February 4, 2024
surprise!
I like surprising ingredients, so I definitely made the crust with fresh cracked pepper as written, and I was surprised that I didn't taste it haha! I was also surprised that I didn't taste any goaty-ness with equal parts goat cheese & cream cheese, nor sourness with goat cheese & creme fraiche. Also, when I added the eggs, the mixture looked curdled or broken. Not sure why I had that result, but it was easily fixed with a stick blender. It didn't rise over the edge of the pan which was also a surprise, probably because I whipped out all the air with the stick blender. Regardless, with all those surprises it was a big hit with my friends and neighbors. Served it with a passion fruit sauce.
This recipe was so so good. Very decadent. Despite the seemingly complicated process with the different temperatures, it's not a hard recipe to follow as long as you set some timers! I handed out slices to at least 8 friends and they all loved it. Even the goat cheese hater (though she still prefers a classic one)! I found that the goat cheese flavor was more prominent - far from overpowering but definitely striking enough to appreciate if you love it - toward the center of the cake as opposed to the edges (likely because the center is slightly less cooked). Wouldn't attempt this without a thermometer, though! Will be making again for special occasions (it's a pricey cake!).
There seems to be 1½ teaspoons of butter unaccounted for: In step 1, we brush the bottom of the springform pan 1½ teaspoons of melted butter, and add 6 tablespoons to the graham cracker mixture. In step 2, brush the inside walls of the springform pan (another) 1½ teaspoons of melted butter. That's 1½ teaspoons, plus 6 tablespoons, plus 1½ teaspoons (7 tablespoons total), yet the ingredients list calls for 7½ tablespoons of butter. I realize that this is a minor difference, but calling for that extra ½ tablespoon (1½ teaspoons) of butter seems odd.
Dear Milk Street team, I can’t wait to try this recipe, but I’m having trouble finding creme fraiche where I live. I’ve done a bit of research and found that it can be made by mixing heavy whipping cream and buttermilk, I’ve also read that in some cases it could be substituted with sour cream. Anyhow, I’m wondering if you could share with us what would be the best option if we can’t find creme fraiche please? Thank you so much.
Hi Ana Lourdes -
We would not recommend substituting sour cream for this recipe. Sour cream has less fat and more protein than crème fraîche and, because of this, sour cream curdles when it's heated. It's also more acidic and tangier than crème fraîche, which has a milder, creamier flavor. Although we haven't tested it with homemade crème fraîche, we would probably prefer this route for substitution.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Excellent recipe. I expected it to be weirder than it was, given the goat cheese and the amount of black pepper in the crust, but it just came off as a delicious cheesecake. I usually cut the sugar (in half) in recipes but didn't this time and it was perfect as written. I used a 7" spring form pan and made half the recipe since there are just two of us. The top got too brown and it took much less time to cook than the recipe said, but both may be because it was a half recipe. After 2 hours on the counter and 2 hours in the refrigerator, it was ready to eat (but again, maybe cooled faster because smaller). Thanks!
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This has been on my to- make list since it showed up here and, wow, it is delicious. Followed everything exactly as directed and it came out perfectly. Wish I could post a pic. It does have a goat cheese flavor, of course and which I love, but it isn't overpowering and seems more subtle the closer to the edge you get. So, still may be a hit with people who dislike goat cheese. Really wonderful recipe.