German cheesecake recipe

German Cheesecake recipe

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About this recipe

In this blog post I will guide you thru the steps and ingredients needed to craft this recipe. Grab your favorite apron and let's start.
Looking for a delightful dessert that will transport your taste buds to Germany? Look no further than this authentic German cheesecake recipe. This classic dessert is known for its creamy and smooth texture, coupled with a buttery crust that melts in your mouth. Made with simple ingredients like cream cheese, eggs, and a hint of lemon zest, this cheesecake is a true crowd-pleaser. Whether you're hosting a gathering or simply craving a sweet treat, this German cheesecake will surely satisfy your dessert cravings.

Keywords: German cheesecake, authentic recipe, creamy texture, buttery crust, lemon zest.

German cheesecake recipe details

German cheesecake recipe, recipe Rating: 4.5
Number of votes:103 

Ingredients

	For the Crust:
175 g	plain flour
1 tsp	baking powder
1 pinch(es)	salt
2 tsp	vanilla sugar
1 tsp	lemon zest
1 medium	egg, beaten
60 g	granulated sugar
100 g	unsalted butter, chilled
	For the Filling:
3 medium	eggs, separated
85 g	caster sugar
2 tsp	vanilla sugar
100 g	unsalted butter, softened
175 ml	double cream
500 g	Quark (German type), curd cheese
1 ½ tbsp	cornflour
1 pinch(es)	salt

Instructions

For the crust:
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, add the salt, vanilla sugar, sugar and lemon zest and mix well together. Cu in the butter with a knife and finish rubbing in with the fingertips. Knead in the egg until smooth. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for about an hour.

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 2, 150°C, 300°F.

Roughly roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Form into a ball and roll out again to a size suited to fill the bottom and about 3/4 of the sides of a 9-9½, 22-23cm springform tin. Set aside.

To prepare the filling:
Beat the yolks with the sugar until foamy. Add in the butter and beat well. Add the cream and beat again. Add the cheese and stir until smooth and well combined.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt and vanilla sugar until very stiff and fold into the cheese mixture. Add the cornflour a little at a time to stabilise and thicken.

Pour the mixture into the tin and shake it gently to settle and level the mixture. Trim the dough to about ½-inch or 12mm above the level of the filling. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until well risen and golden. It will rise dramatically during baking and settle back and probably sink in the centre while cooling. Turn off the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Refrigerate for several hours before sliding a knife around the sides of the tin to release, removing the tin outer and serving, either with a fruit coulis or fresh berries.

Refrigerate unused portion and keep covered if possible.

Will serve 10-12.

Option:
In the event that you are unable to obtain German-type quark, a light yoghurt-like cream cheese, you may use either 500g cottage cheese blended with a little cream OR 425-450g ricotta and 50-75ml sour cream.

About this recipe:
I was given this recipe some years ago by a work colleague. Her boyfriend, and I think later husband, worked worldwide servicing electronic flight systems in fighter aircraft. He was in Germany at the time and she spent a two week holiday with him. I believe the recipe came from the German wife of one of his colleagues.

I made it using British-made Quark, a totally different and considerably more solid product than the German one of the same name as I later learned. British Quark was derived from some sort of mushroom. The cake was a total disaster!

Some weeks later, she visited Germany for a few days and returned with a pack of German Quark. I was also given a ‘bottle of wine’ – which I discovered was brandy only after pouring a large glass. I made the cake again and it was successful. I took a couple of slices to work and she was very happy with it. I hadn’t made it since as I could not find the right Quark. I only recently found the suggested alternatives in another recipe.

Preparation time:
ca. 45 min
Resting time:
ca. 6 hrs
Grade of difficulty:
medium
Calories per portion:
n/a