Mother’s Day has just passed, and my dear Ma’s birthday was a few days later, so I created a celebratory dessert that was composed of a few of her favourite things. Remember those extra figs I froze when I made my Honey Roasted Fig, Dark Chocolate and Mascarpone Tart? I couldn’t ignore them anymore, so out they came and the result was this creamy, fragrant, frankly irresistible cheesecake. If you truly love me, you’ll make me a cheesecake. That’s really my only ask. I’m very easy to please and I’ll think you’re the bee’s knees forever and ever. This one is a particularly special cheesecake; a slightly salty almond and pistachio base sets the stage, goats curd offsets the rich cream cheese and gives the filling a soft, crumbly texture, and a baklava-inspired honey, lemon and rosewater syrup drizzled over roasted figs, pistachios and rose petals leaves you sobbing with confusion when you realise you ate your slice before you could truly appreciate what was happening.
I wrangled up half of my family and we sat up late on a Wednesday night sharing this cake for Mama’s birthday, after she flew home on a late flight from Sydney. I don’t reveal much about my life on this sneaky blog, but I think the world should know how spectacular my mother is. She is fiercely passionate, graciously kind, infinitely forgiving and completely committed to her family. She taught me how to braid my hair, whip egg whites, play midwife to a birthing sheep, speak in front of a crowd, and live fearlessly and lovingly. This cheesecake was all the more special because I shared it with her, and then I fed the leftovers to hungry friends! So I hope that when you bake it, your enjoy it with your own brilliant people. Side note; there’s definitely no shame in standing in the kitchen alone with a fork eating ‘just a bite’ of the leftovers. That’s completely OK.
Roasted Fig and Goats Curd Cheesecake with Honey and Pistachios
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours + 2 hours/overnight refrigeration
INGREDIENTS
Pistachio Base
- 150 g plain flour
- 30 g almond meal
- 30 g raw unsalted pistachio nuts, finely chopped or ground
- 75 g raw caster sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond essence
- 135 g unsalted butter
Cheesecake Filling, modified from this Gourmet Traveller Recipe
- 500 g cream cheese
- 250 g soft goats curd/cheese
- 75 g unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
- 55 g raw caster sugar
- 40 g honey
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
Honey Syrup
- 50 mL water
- 130 g honey
- 50 mL lemon juice (1 medium lemon, squeezed)
- peel of 1 lemon
- 40 g raw caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon rosewater essence
- 1 cinnamon quill
To Decorate
- 4 large, fresh figs
- 30 g raw unsalted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
- handful of dried rose petals (purchase from specialty food shops, e.g. gourmet deli)
METHOD
Pistachio Base
- Preheat oven to 170°C/340°F fan-forced. Grease and line a 26 cm/10 inch (or similar) springform cake tin.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Melt the butter.
- Pour butter into the dry ingredients and mix well to combine, using your fingers if you need to. Press mixture firmly and evenly into the base of the tin.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until slightly golden. Set aside on a wire cooling rack to cool.
Cheesecake Filling
- Beat cream cheese, goats curd and butter on medium speed for 2 minutes to soften and combine. Add the sugar, honey, lemon zest and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until creamy and light.
- Add the eggs one by one, scraping the bowl down with a spatula and beating well between each addition. Once all the eggs have been added, scrape the bowl down again and continue beating on medium speed for another 2 minutes until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the base and bake on the oven’s centre rack for 30-35 minutes, until lightly golden and firm. To test the cheesecake, give it a wobble and ensure it has set. A metal skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean but with a few moist crumbs. If in doubt, it’s better for the cake to be slightly underdone than slightly overdone.
- Allow to cool for half an hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
Honey Syrup
- While the cheesecake is baking, combine all syrup ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the syrup just comes to the boil. Turn the heat down to low, and leave to simmer for half an hour.
- Cover and leave to infuse off the heat overnight. Store refrigerated, and warm just before serving.
To Decorate
- Slice the figs into quarters, and place on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with a little of the syrup, about 1/2 teaspoon per fig quarter. Roast in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, until soft and caramelised.
- Before serving the cheesecake, arrange the figs in the centre, then sprinkle generously with chopped pistachios and rose petals. Pour the remaining syrup over the cake, and slice with a sharp knife.
Store cake covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days. Best served the day after baking.
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one perfect mess 
This is such a beautiful dessert! The rose petals look amazing with the pistachio nuts and figs – so exotic.
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Thank you! I couldn’t resist just scattering them all over the place!
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