Quickly knead all the crust ingredients into a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Then, roll it out and use it to line the bottom and sides of a 24 cm springform pan.
Käsekuchen (German Cheesecake)
- Total time - 2 hours (including chilling)
- Prep time - 25 minutes
- Baking time - 60 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Country: Germany
For authentic Käsekuchen, full-fat Quark is best. If you can't find it, you can use a smooth ricotta or a combination of plain Greek yogurt and ricotta, but the texture may differ slightly. It's important not to open the oven door while baking to prevent the filling from collapsing, and to let the cake cool slowly in the oven with the door ajar.
Ingredients
For the Shortcrust Pastry (Mürbeteig)
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 100 g cold butter, cubed
- 75 g sugar
- 1 piece egg
- a pinch of salt
For the Quark Filling (Quark-Füllung)
- 750 g full-fat Quark cheese
- 150 g sugar
- 3 pieces eggs
- 50 g butter, melted
- 30 g cornstarch
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Step 1: Preparing the Crust
Step 2: Preparing the Filling
In a bowl, mix the Quark with sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Finally, add the melted butter and cornstarch, and mix everything well until you have a smooth cream. (Tip: For maximum fluffiness, you can beat the egg whites separately and gently fold them in, but it's not strictly necessary.)
Step 3: Baking and Cooling
Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350°F). Pour the Quark filling into the pan with the prepared crust. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the edges of the cake are golden and the center is still slightly soft (the cake will jiggle gently when shaken).
Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar, and let the cake cool completely inside to prevent cracking. Then, remove it and chill it in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Step 4: Serving
Remove the cake from the pan, dust it with powdered sugar, and serve, preferably chilled. You can also garnish it with fresh fruit.