This traditional German cheesecake is made with a buttery pastry crust & brightened with lemon zest & juice. Quark (or ricotta) and whipped eggs whites keep it light & fluffy, with no water bath needed!
Recreating the Cheesecake of My Childhood
My grandpa's all-time favorite dessert is New York cheesecake, so this dessert has always had a special place in my kitchen. But growing up in Germany, the version I knew looked nothing like his. Käsekuchen is lighter, airier, made with quark instead of cream cheese, and built on a buttery pastry crust instead of crumbly graham crackers. This recipe is my love letter to that nostalgic cheesecake from childhood, but I made it approachable for any home kitchen without the need for a water bath or fancy tools.
The inspiration came from Dr. Oetker's German Baking Today cookbook (a gift from my mom) but I've tested and tweaked this until it felt like truly mine. And if you've only tried cream-cheese-based cheesecake before, I think you'll love the lighter yet still tangy flavor of this one (ditto my ricotta birthday cake cheesecake!)
German cheesecake's signature flavor comes from quark, which is a fresh, unaged soft cheese, falling somewhere between yogurt and cheese. It's a beloved staple in German baking, but I've had a hard time getting it in the U.S. Sometimes I can find it at specialty or European grocery stores, but I once drove to seven different stores & still came up empty, so I've thoroughly tested this recipe with ricotta as a great substitute.
Let's Bake German Cheesecake Together!
1. Beat the softened butter until it's creamy.
2. Add the vanilla sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Mix in the egg.
5. Press the dough into a pan.
7. Mix the quark, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla & lemon.
9. Mix in the Greek yogurt.
11. Fold in the whipped egg whites.
13. Bake for at least an hour, until the outer edge is set.
4. Add in the flour.
6. Bake just until it's golden.
8. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing after each one.
10. Whisk the egg whites.
12. Spread the mixture into the pan.
14. Slowly cool the cheesecake, then chill overnight.
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
If your Käsekuchen cracks as it cools, just cover it with fresh or canned fruit, whipped cream, or powdered sugar. No one will know, and I won't tell!
My Tips for Baked Cheesecake
- Use a springform pan to get the cheesecake out of the pan more easily, since this type of pan releases the sides from the bottom.
- In addition to greasing my springform pan, I find it helpful to also line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Make sure all your ingredients for the cheesecake are at room temperature. Set out the quark, eggs, and Greek yogurt at least 20 minutes ahead of time to warm up. This helps them whip up creamy and smooth.
Authentic German Cheesecake
developed & tested by:
Equipment
Ingredients
Pastry Crust
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (1 stick; ½ cup)
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
German Cheesecake
- 26 ounces quark, at room temperature (3¼ cups) (or substitute ricotta)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed (from one large lemon)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from one large lemon)
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 12 ounces plain Greek yogurt (1½ cups), at room temperature
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric hand whisk or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened stick of butter until it's pale smooth and creamy, after 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat again until it's smooth and fluffy, after 1 minute.
- Add the egg and beat again until it's incorporated, after 1 minute.
- Add the flour mix on a low speed until it forms a crumbly mixture, after 1 minute.
- Press the dough in an even layer in your greased springform pan. Poke the dough a dozen times with a fork.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until it's golden on top. Set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
Make the Cheesecake
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the quark, cornstarch, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest until it's creamy, after 2 to 3 minutes on low speed.
- Add the room-temperature egg yolks, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
- Add the Greek yogurt and mix again until it's well combined. Set aside.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (after about 8 to 10 minutes).
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the quark mixture. Spread the cheesecake mixture into the springform pan.
- Bake for 70 minutes, then begin checking the cheesecake to see if it's done. Give the pan a gentle jiggle. The cheesecake is done once only the middle is jiggly, and the outer edge is set and doesn't move. If it's still too jiggly, bake for another 10 minutes and check it again.
- Once the cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and place a wooden spoon in the oven door to keep it open just a little so the cheesecake can start cooling slowly in the oven for 1 hour.Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it continue to cool to room temperature in the pan for at least another hour or two.
- Loosely cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil and chill in the fridge to fully set it for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Run a knife around the edge of the springform pan to loosen it. Release the sides of the pan. Slice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Eggs: Once you separate your eggs, let the egg yolks come to room temperature so they incorporate into the batter evenly, and put the egg whites in a bowl in the fridge for at least 15 minutes so they whip up better.
- Quark: If you can't find quark, substitute whole milk ricotta cheese. In a pinch you could also substitute cottage cheese that's been pureed in a blender until it's smooth.
- Storing: Store in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Gudrun says
Grew up in Germany, have made many cheese cakes here in the US, with different combination ingredients, Cream cheese, Mascarpone, sour cream, Yoghurt etc...even tried it with cottage cheese, when I came to America, since I could not find Quark....will try your recipe, but need to know, whether a 26-28 cm springform would be correct for the 2x recipe. Thank you for your reply.
Carissa Erzen says
Hi Gudrun, so true! I have even considered making my own Quark, since it's so hard to find anywhere here in the US. I use a 9-inch of 23 cm springform pan for this recipe. I haven't ever doubled it before, so I don't know how it'll turn out, but let me know how yours goes!
ally b. says
never heard of quark but my store actually had it this was way easier to make than another cheesecake i tried (and ruined) and the flavor was really good! planning to make it again for my mom's birthday
Gundven says
sehr gut!!
Carissa Erzen says
Danke!!
Lina says
I love your blog! so many recipes that remind me of home <3 Thank you for sharing this
Carissa Erzen says
Aww that means so much to hear! Thank you!