Oma's Easy Cheesecake Recipe

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This easy cheesecake recipe, aka einfacher Käsekuchen, will certainly WOW your family! They'll love the moist and delicious flavor of this German cheesecake. Most recipes for cheesecakes in a German cookbook use QUARK as the main ingredient. This, unfortunately, is often not available outside of Germany. It's a type of cultured cheese, similar to cottage cheese, but different. (Check below for how to make quark at home.)

This recipe uses ricotta,  your mixer, and blender and you'll find this a great way how to make a cheesecake ... the easy way!

Oma's Easy Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients:

PASTRY

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup butter
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

FILLING

• 2 lb ricotta
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ½ cup whipping cream
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Instructions:

PASTRY

• Using mixer, beat together all pastry ingredients.
• Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in fridge to chill.
• Preheat oven to 350° F.
• Grease 10-inch springform pan.
• Roll out chilled dough (on a lightly floured surface) and place in bottom and up sides of pan.
• Prick dough in several places with a fork.

FILLING

• Place all the filling ingredients in either a blender or food processor (fitted with a metal chopping blade) and pulse about 10 times. Scrap down sides. Process a further 30 seconds until creamy.
• Pour into pastry shell. Smooth top.
• Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden toothpick, inserted about 2 inches from edge, comes out clean.
• To minimize the top of the cake from 'cracking', let the cake cool in the oven with the door slightly opened.
• When cooled, remove side of springform pan. For best flavor, place cake in fridge for several hours before serving.

Easier Bottom Crust?

There are three options for the crust:

1. Use the recipe above
2. Mix together 1¼ cups graham wafer crumbs and ⅛ cup melted butter. Press into bottom and a bit up the sides of the pan.
3. Crush about 7 oz butter cookies (Mr. Christie's Social Tea Biscuits) and mix in ⅓ cup melted butter.  Press into bottom and a bit up the sides of the pan.

For the photo above, I used the graham wafers. :)

Want a traditional German Cheesecake?

Well, the traditional one has quark in it. Outside of Germany it is difficult to buy quark. However, it is easy to make at home. Then, you can make your cheesecake the way you're used to. Click here to learn how to make quark!

As well, making quark is actually quite inexpensive, and it's great to have for so many recipes.

More Special German Desserts ...

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