German Cheesecake

The use of quark here is typical of German cooking. If you cannot find any,substitute it with
 low-fat cottage cheese puréed until smooth.

 

 

Chilling time

30 mins

Special equipment 
9in (22cm) springform cake pan,
ideally 11⁄2in (4cm) deep
food processor with blade attachment
baking beans (optional)

Ingredients 
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
11 tbsp unsalted butter, diced
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
 

For the filling 
1lb 10oz (750g) quark, or fat-free cottage cheese
processed until smooth
½ cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

 Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line the
bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
To make the pastry, combine the flour,
sugar, and butter in a food processor until
they form fine bread crumbs. Add the egg
yolk and 2 tablespoons of water and bring
together to form a dough. If it is dry add
water, 1 tbsp at a time. Roll into a smooth
ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate
for 30 minutes to allow the pastry to relax.

2 Once the dough has rested, roll it out
to about 1⁄4in (5mm) thick and line the cake
pan with it. The pastry should be large
enough to hang over the edge. Place
another disk of parchment paper inside
the pastry and weigh it down with baking
beans, or raw rice. Chill for 30 minutes
to allow the pastry to rest. Bake for 20
minutes, then remove the beans and paper
and bake for another 5 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, blend the quark or processed
cottage cheese, sugar, egg yolks, lemon
zest and juice, and vanilla together until
smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg
whites to soft peaks. Fold the egg whites
gently into the cream cheese mixture until
thoroughly blended. Pour the filling into the
baked pastry crust.

4 Bake for another 60–70 minutes. The
cake is ready when golden brown and
puffed up, often with a slight cracking of
the surface. Turn the oven off and, leaving
the door open, let the cheesecake cool
in the oven for at least 30 minutes before
allowing it to cool fully at room
temperature for 1 hour. It will sink a little.
Use a sharp knife to trim any excess pastry
for an even finish. Serve slightly chilled or
at room temperature, plain or with cream.
 

PREPARE AHEAD 

The pastry shell can be
blind baked the day before and stored in
an airtight container. The cheesecake can
be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days,
although the pastry will soften.

BAKER’S TIP
The whisked egg whites in this cheesecake
make the filling puff up during baking. It
always collapses down slightly as it cools,
which can sometimes lead to a cracking of
the surface of the cheesecake. Leaving it to
cool in the oven helps prevent this.