Käsekuchen
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, ⅓ cup sugar, 1 packet vanilla sugar, 1 egg, 1½ cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, ¾ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt, for the shortcrust
- 8 tbsp (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 packets vanilla sugar (or 2 tsp vanilla extract plus 2 tbsp sugar)
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 500 g quark
- ¾ cup full-fat sour cream
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
German Käsekuchen is nothing like the dense New York kind. Its base is a Mürbeteig — a sweet shortcrust of butter, sugar, egg and flour pressed into a springform and up its sides — and its filling is built on quark, the fresh, mildly sour curd cheese found in every German fridge. The quark is beaten with butter, sugar, eggs, cornstarch, sour cream and lemon, then whipped cream is folded through so the filling bakes light and slightly soufflé-like. It is cooled slowly in the switched-off oven so the top does not crack, and served at room temperature.
Method
Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) with a rack in the lower third. For the crust, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla sugar until creamy, mix in the egg, then the flour, baking powder and salt until a dough forms.
Press the dough over the base of a buttered 26 cm springform and about 2.5 cm up the sides. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, eggs, cornstarch and salt until smooth. Add the quark, sour cream, lemon zest and juice and beat again until smooth.
Whip the cream to stiff peaks in a separate bowl and fold it into the quark mixture.
Pour the filling into the crust and bake for about 1 hour until puffed and golden, with a slight wobble in the centre.
Turn off the oven, prop the door open and leave the cake inside to cool completely before removing the ring.
Refrigerate for up to 3-4 days and serve at room temperature.
