Quark Cheesecake
Quark is a fresh, soft cheese traditionally popular in Central and Northern Europe - most notably Germany. Unlike firmer, aged cheeses, Quark is typically made by fermenting cow’s milk with lactic acid bacteria—creating a clean, mild flavor and smooth consistency. It’smost well recognized for its mild, creamy, slightly acidic taste that’s equally subtle and versatile. Its texture is thick, spreadable and denser (and perhaps slightly drier) than Greek yogurt, but much smoother than cottage cheese. In fact, it’s often described as silky and creamy, and it’s perfectly applicable in both sweet and savory dishes, either as a primary ingredient or as a refreshing finish
We get our Quark from a family farm in North Dakota and we think it’s perfect for cheesecake in particular. With much less granularity than Ricotta, a more approachable lightness than Mascarpone, and so much more complexity than cream cheese (not to mention less stabilizers), we’re huge fans.
Check out this recipe for your own gatherings. Quark may be just that perfect element.
Quark Cheesecake
serves 8
Required tools: 9” Springform Pan; Bowls, Fork and Whisk (or a Food Processor and a StandMixed with a Paddle Blade)
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/2 cups [180g] flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 cup (50g) plus 2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp natural vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean scraped
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
6 TBSP [85g] COLD butter, cut into TBSP size pieces
1 egg (beaten)
Filling
3 egg yolks
3/4 Cup [150g] granulated sugar
1 tsp natural vanilla extract (or 1/2tsp vanilla paste)
6 TBSP [85g] butter (room temp)
3/4 cup [170ml] heavy cream
2 Cups [450g] plain Quark
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
METHOD
Crust
Combine sifted flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, and sugar in a food processor.
Use the pulse option to cut in the cold butter and vanilla. Be sure not to over mix - you’ll want to stop the moment the butter is in pea-shaped clumps. Add the beaten egg, blend very briefly, then transfer to a cool, sanitized surface, Use your hands to form into a dough.
Wrap dough in plastic, smush into a disk shape, and chill in the fridge for an hour.
After the dough has chilled, roll it out on a floured surface. If your dough is crumbly shape dough into a disc again, sprinkle with a hint of water and roll it out once more to roughly 12-15 inch round.
Transfer to a buttered 9-inch springform pan. Use your fingers to press the dough so that it evenly covers the bottom and all the way up the sides of the pan. Transfer the springform pan into the fridge to cool until the filling is ready.
Filling
Beat the egg yolks, sugar, sugar and vanilla by hand or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until pale. Add softened butter and continue beating until well combined. Add the heavy cream and beat again. Add Quark and beat one more time until everything is thoroughly combined.
Beat egg whites and salt to stiff peaks in a separate bowl. Gently fold the egg whites and sifted cornstarch into cheesecake batter.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan and bake at 300F for about 60-70 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the edges are browned and a toothpick comes out clean. The center of the cheesecake will be a bit wiggly and it will fall as it cools - that's normal.
Let the cheesecake cool on the counter for an hour and then several hours in the fridge. Top with Marmalade, fresh fruit tossed with lemon juice and sugar, or sprinkle with sugar and caramelize with a kitchen blow torch.