Set "cheesecake" with greengage compote
The cake mix for this deconstructed cheesecake needs to set for 24 hours before serving, so you'll need to plan ahead. While you're at it, you may as well make the compote and crumble mix ahead of time, too, so all you'll need to do on the day is plate and serve.
8 people
Serving size
Ingredients
400g cream cheese
200g mascarpone
125g caster sugar
200ml double cream
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Long strips of skin from ½ an orange (take care there's no white pith)
500g greengages (or other plums), stoned and cut into small cubes
1 tbsp lemon juice
For the crumble
60g wholemeal flour
30g soft light brown sugar
Flaky sea salt
50g unsalted butter, cut into small dice
50g skinless hazelnuts, lightly crushed
20g black sesame seeds
Method
- Put the cream cheese, mascarpone and 100g of the sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat on a medium speed until soft and smooth. In another bowl, whisk the cream to soft peaks, then gently fold the whisked cream into the cheese mix, together with the lemon zest, until well incorporated. Transfer to a glass bowl (or even leave it in the mixer bowl), cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Put the oil and orange skin in a small saucepan and place on a medium heat. When the orange starts to sizzle, remove the pan from the heat and leave the oil to cool with the orange skin immersed.
- Put the plums, the remaining sugar and the lemon juice in a medium saucepan and cook on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until it takes on the consistency of a compote (ie, not too thick; you want it a bit runnier than jam). Set aside to cool.
- Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3. For the crumble, put the flour, sugar and half a teaspoon of sea salt in a small bowl and, using your fingers, rub in the butter until the mix resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the hazelnuts and sesame seeds, lay out the crumble on a oven tray in a thin layer and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and leave to cool, then break up, again with your fingers.
- To assemble the cake, put a large mound of the cream cheese mix on eight serving plates. Place a big dollop of fruit to the side of the cheese mix, then scatter the crumble over the top and to one side, so it cascades down the side of the cheese mound a bit like a waterfall. Drizzle half a teaspoon of oil over each "cheesecake" and serve at once.