European Cheesecake?

Question

Had a slice of the most amazing cheesecake in Germany a few weeks ago. It was much lighter than the North American version and has less crust. I'm pretty sure that they used ricotta instead of cream-cheese, is that how they get the light texture? Does anyone have a recipe for this type of cheesecake? Hoping to serve it during the holidays. Cheers!!

Answer 1

They whip the egg whites and fold into the cake batter/ This makes a very light cake. Yes they may have used riccota but you have to put it through a sieve. This recipe calls for cottage cheese

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 cups unbleached flour, sifted
4 tabelspoons butter (no margarine)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking powder

Filling:
3 cups cottage cheese (1-1/2 lbs.)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon lemon rind, grated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (real only)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup raisins

Directions:
Crust:
In a large mixing bowl, blend all the ingredients, cutting in the buter and working the mixture with your hands until it is well mixed and workable.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Use one half to line the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan, the other half to line the sides of the pan. Either roll out the dough or press it in with your fingers.

Chill before filling.

Cheesecake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Press the cottage cheese through a sieve. Combine the cornstarch and the baking powder and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese with the sugar, egg yolks, lemon rind and vanilla. Beat until very smooth. Add the dry mixture to the cheese and blend well. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the batter

Stir in the sour cream and raisins. Pour the cheese mixture into the prepared crust and bake for one hour, or until done.

The center will remain soft. Turn off the oven and prop the door open. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature as well. Serves 10.

Answer 2

GERMAN CHEESE CAKE
Ingriedents
For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla-sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 stick (7 tbsp/3 1/2 oz/100g) butter

For the Filling:
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla-sugar
3/4 stick (7 tbsp/3 1/2 oz/100g) butter, very soft and at room temperature
6 oz. heavy cream
17 oz. (500g) Quark - A light yogurt type cream cheese* (see note below for Quark substitutions, if needed)
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt

Instructions:
For the Crust:
Sift the flour, stir in the baking powder, salt, vanilla-sugar, lemon peel and sugar, then rub in the butter and knead to a smooth consistency with the egg. Place dough in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 C). You will need a 9 or 9 1/2-inch springform pan.

Roll out the dough on a well-floured work surface, then form it into a ball again and roll it out a second time. (This dough is the worst behaved of any I have ever had to deal with, but the double rolling helps tame it, and the end result IS worth the hassle). Place dough in bottom of a 9 or 9 1/2-inch springform pan, pressing it up the sides almost to the top. Set aside.

For the Filling:
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla-sugar until pale and foamy. Add the softened butter and beat well, then add the heavy cream and beat again. Add the quark and stir until the mixture is smooth and throughly combined.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt until very stiff, then very gently fold in the quark mixture, also adding the sifted cornstarch a little at a time. Pour the filling into the crust shell and gently wobble the pan back and forth until the surface is smooth. Trim the dough, leaving about 1 inch (2 1/2 cm). Bake in preheated 300 degrees F (150 C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes (longer if necessary) until well risen and golden - it resembles a souffle at this point (It will sink in the middle quite dramatically - don't worry, it's supposed to do this). Turn the oven off, and let the cheesecake rest in the oven for 15 minutes; then remove it from the oven, cool for an hour or so at room temperature, and refrigerate for several hours before releasing sides of pan and serving. (I make mine the day before I need it). This cheesecake is very nice served with sliced strawberries, or a raspberry sauce. Keep cheesecake stored in the refrigerator, covered.

*Note:
There are 3 substitutions that can be used for the Quark in this recipe if Quark is not available. One is to use farmer’s cheese, another is to purée cottage cheese in a blender or food processor, and the third is to purée eight parts of ricotta cheese with 1 part of sour cream in a food processor.

Makes 12 servings.

Answer 3

I am from Sweden, and this is a typical Swedish Cheesecake recipe:

Cheesecake witch chocolate and lime

200 g chocolate cookies
75 g butter (unsalted)
759 Cream cheese, as Philadelphia
2 1/4 dl sugar
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
4 lime

- mix the cookies with butter, till its a good pie dough. Put the pie dough in the bottom of the form you will use in the oven for the cake. Put it in the refriderator, so that it gets cold and hard.

- stirr the cheese so that it gets smooth. Add sugar. Stirr in egg and egg yolks, and also the juice of the limes.

- add the cheese mix on top of the cookie dough. Put the form in a bigger pan of hot water....

- bake the cake in the water pan about 1 hour in 180 C.

- enjoy the cake, when its cold enough, and when its been in the refridgerator for a while after baking.

This is a Delicious cake!!!

Answer 4

One bite of this dense, yet light-textured cheesecake with its perfect balance of flavor and you'll know the hunt for the light and airy cheesecake is over. ;)


The Cheesecake Lover's Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling:
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar - divided use
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)

For Crust: Stir together all crust ingredients in medium bowl. Press onto bottom and 1-inch up side of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

For Filling: In a large mixing bowl, beat 8 ounces of the cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, and the cornstarch with an electric mixer on low speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Then beat in the remaining cream cheese.

Increase the mixer speed to high and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups of the sugar, then beat in the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating the batter well after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low and blend in the heavy cream until just blended, being careful not to over mix the batter.

Gently spoon the cheese filling on top of the cooled graham cracker crust. Place the springform pan in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the cheesecake until the center barely jiggles when you shake the pan, about 1 hour.

Cool the cake on a wire rack for 1 hour. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or better yet, overnight. Remove the sides of the springform pan. Slide the cake off the bottom of the pan onto a serving plate. Or, simply leave the cake on the removable bottom of the pan and place it on a serving plate. Store, covered, in refrigerator.
Makes 16 servings.

Cook's Tips: Serve this scrumptious cheesecake with your favorite fresh fruit sauce, Or combine 1 1/2 cups sour cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and carefully spread over top of cheesecake during the last 5 minutes of baking time.