This creation is so unlike what we know as cheesecake in America that I hesitate to use the name for fear of misleading you. Unlike just about everything in the American cheesecake family, the tourteau is not soft, creamy, moist, or even rich. Instead, it's a fairly dry cake (it's most like a sponge cake) that you cut into wedges and eat out of hand. It turns out that a tourteau de chevre is easily within the grasp of us ordinary mortals. We can't get the spherical shape, and the noir top doesn't seem possible in our ovens, but what we can make is so good, and the joy of making it at home so great, that the others stuff seems unimportant. I offer it here as a dessert, but I'm urging you to also give it a try with drinks before dinner. About the goat cheese. You want to use a soft goat cheese without a crust. If you've got a very fresh cheese with a lot of moisture, it's best to put it in a strainer and allow it to drain for a few hours before you start making the tourteau.
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a circle that's about 10 1/2 inches in diameter. Fit the dough into the springform pan, pressing it against the bottom and up the sides. It will pleat and fold in on itself as it climbs the sides - do the best you can to straighten it out, but don't worry about it, since perfection is impossible here and not really important. If the dough is uneven, you can trim it, but again, that's not crucial. (Once baked, the crust seems to melt into the cake, so you never really see the edges.) Put the springform in the fridge while you make the filling.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites with the salt until they start to form soft peaks. Still whipping, gradually add 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and beat until the whites hold firm but still glossy peaks. If the whites are in the bowl of your stand mixer, transfer them gingerly to another bowl.
With the mixer - use the paddle attachment now, if you've got one - beat the egg yolks, goat cheese, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and flavoring, if you're using any, until very smooth and creamy, about a minute or two. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir one quarter of the whites into the mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest of the whites. Scrape the batter into the crust and put the springform pan on the lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 350°F. Continue to bake for about 35 minutes more, or until the top, which will have cracked, is dark brown and firm; a thin knife inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the tourteau rest for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the sides of the springform. Cool the cake to room temperature before serving. The cake will deflate as it cools.
HA
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