We love cheesecakes in Israel, but ours use a very different cheese than their American counterparts. Simply called gvina levana, or “white cheese”, it’s low-fat, soft, and acidic, similar to German quark. Since gvina levana is difficult to find abroad, I use cream cheese combined with sour cream for this cake, then top it with tangy labneh to balance the rich, sweet filling.
Recipe adapted from Shuk, (Artisan Books)
- Make the crust: Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease a 23 cm springform pan with butter up the sides.
- Pulse the biscuits food processor to fine crumbs. Add the sugar, salt, and melted butter and pulse until the mixture is fully combined and resembles wet sand. Press evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until lightly golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 165°C.
- Make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy. Add 200g of the caster sugar and beat until incorporated.
- Scrape down the bowl and add the sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla, and corn flour. Beat again until the mixture is smooth and thick. With the motor running on low, add the egg yolks one at a time, stopping to scrape down the bowl after each addition. Transfer the mixture to a separate large bowl and clean and dry the mixer bowl thoroughly.
- In the clean mixer bowl using the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. With the motor running, gradually add the remaining 100g caster sugar and whip until firm peaks form.
- Add about 120ml of the egg whites to the cream cheese mixture and stir to combine — this will lighten up the texture. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites in two or three batches until fully combined.
- Pour the filling into the crust and gently tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, checking halfway to make sure the top isn’t getting too brown; if it is, cover it loosely with foil to prevent further browning.
- The cake is ready when the filling is set but still jiggles slightly in the center. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Run a knife between the cheesecake and the side of the pan to make it easier to remove the cake later, and let it cool completely in the pan. The texture is much better if you properly cool the cheesecake before refrigerating. Cover with cling film or foil and refrigerate overnight.
- Make the topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the labneh until fluffy. Add 2 teaspoons of the icing sugar and the salt and beat until combined.
- Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until very finely chopped. Remove and mix with the remaining 2 tsp icing sugar and cardamom.
- With the cake still in the tin, spread the topping evenly over. It’s possible that the center of the cake will have sunk slightly—the labneh topping will cover this. Wrap the cheesecake tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days before serving.
- Just before serving, sprinkle with the pistachios, release the sides of the springform pan, set the cake on a serving plate, and serve cold.
