There are many different types of cheese cake — New York style, British style, Basque Style, non bake, water bath, flavored, straight up. My favorite style, not surprisingly, is German-style, which is light and fluffy, made with a dairy product called quark (see note) and can be plain or flavored. I wanted to make one for annual cake day that was winter-inspired and originally had planned for this cake to have a cranberry compote, but even so soon after the holidays, there were no more fresh cranberries to be had. Surprisingly, there were currants, so I went with them as they are a similar sweet-and-tart flavor profile that balances the creaminess of the cheese cake. Definitely a winner.
Ingredients
for the compote
6 ounces fresh currants
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup orange juice
for the sugared currants
1 cup water
1 cup fresh currants
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup superfine (put not powdered) sugar
for the crust
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup butter, cold
for the filling
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups Quark, see note
1 package instant pudding vanilla powder
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream
You will also need a 9-inch spring form pan
Directions
First make your sugared currants and compote as these can be made a few days in advance. Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat. Combine the sugar syrup and currants in a small bowl for just a few minutes. Drain the currants in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid for another use, if desired. Place the superfine sugar in a shallow dish or rimmed plate. Add the currants, a few at a time, rolling to coat. Spread the sugared currants in a single layer on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or until dry. They should look like they are covered in snow.
For the compote, dissolve sugar in the orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the currants and cook until they start to pop, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. The compote will thicken as it cools.
Make your dough, as it will need to chill before you fill and bake it. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into a medium-sized bowl and give everything a stir with a spoon. Cut up the cold butter into small cubes and add them into the bowl. Also, add the vanilla extract and the egg into the bowl. Mix everything with together with a stand mixer or your hands until the dough is well combined and forms a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 20 minutes, then line the bottom of your 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. Press in the dough in with your fingers or the back of a greased glass (no need to roll out). You should have a crust of approximately 2 inches going up the sides of the pan. Place back into the fridge for an hour.
In a separate large bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar using the normal beaters of your stand mixer until you have a creamy mixture. Add the pudding powder, vanilla extract and lemon zest, and mix again until everything is well combined. Add in the Quark and thoroughly combine. In another bowl, whip the cream using the whisk attachment. Fold the whipped cream into the quark/egg mixture little by little using a spatula or large spoon. Make sure everything is well combined and there are no lumps.
Preheat oven to 330F. First, place some of the compote in the bottom of the crust, about 1/2 inch thick (you won’t use all of it). Then, fill the quark-cream-and-egg filling into the crust, on top of the compote. Bake the cake in the oven for 70-75 minutes. Turn off the oven, crack the door open, but leave the cake in for a few more minutes. Then remove the cake from the oven and let it cool fully before removing the ring of the spring form pan. Garnish with the sugared currants. You can also dust the cheesecake with powdered sugar before serving (optional).
Note: quark is a German dairy product akin to a very very thick yogurt. It is very difficult to find, but check your cheese deli case – sometimes you can find it where you find the imported cheese. I make my own. If you can’t find it, I would combine 1 cup cream cheese and 1 cup mascarpone or even greek yogurt. Whip these two ingredients before adding to the egg mixture.
