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Classics, Cakes

German Cheesecake

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Classic German cheesecake made with quark

4.7 (17)out of 5, 17 ratings

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Prep
30 min
Bake
30 min
Total
1 hr
Makes
10

A classic German cheesecake, known in Germany as Käsekuchen, the way I learned to make it at Café Eigel in Cologne.

Ingredients

Makes 10

  • 4large eggs
  • 4 ¼ cups1000 gquarkFull-fat quark works best. German quark is a fresh, mild and slightly tangy cheese with a spoonable texture, used in German cheesecakes, doughs and creams. In the US use full-fat Greek yogurt strained overnight, or farmer's cheese; in the UK, quark from the supermarket chiller (choose a full-fat one if you can find it).
  • 4 ½ tbspvanilla pudding powder1 packet = about 4 ½ tbsp (37 g). German vanilla pudding powder is an unsweetened, vanilla-flavored starch powder for cooking pudding.
  • 1 ¼ cups250 ggranulated sugar
  • vanilla bean seeds from 1 vanilla beanThe tiny seeds scraped from a vanilla bean. In the US use the seeds from a vanilla bean, or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste; in the UK, the seeds from a vanilla pod, or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste.
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • zest of 1 organic lemon

Method

  1. Shortcrust pastry for the base, if you like.

  2. Bake at about 350°F (170°C) for 40 to 50 minutes.