Highlight
Get ready for a dreamy cherry cheesecake with a crumbly golden topping, smooth quark filling, and sweet cherries. It's one of those cakes that just vanishes at family get-togethers. If you want something that's easy to slice, fun for a crowd, and has a good mix of soft and crunchy, this dessert never lets you down.
Something about cherries with quark is just magic in German cake baking. This one brings back so many cheerful memories—perfect for laid-back afternoons and big celebrations alike.
Luscious Ingredients
- Cold butter for dough: keeps the crumb topping light and crispy try to use top-notch unsalted butter for best flavor
- Sugar: sweetens things up and helps the base stay together stick with fine sugar so it mixes in smoothly
- Salt: just need a pinch to make all the other flavors pop
- All-purpose flour type 405: gives the cake structure and tenderness fresher flour works best
- Baking powder: helps the base rise gently double-check it’s still fresh for reliable results
- Egg: binds the base so everything holds and adds some richness
- Jarred sour cherries: for bright flavor and zingy color choose good quality ones with nothing weird added in
- Cornstarch: thickens up the cherry mixture so your slices aren’t runny make sure it’s fully blended before heating
- Soft butter for cream: melts in for a silky texture grab your fanciest one if you can
- Vanilla sugar: brings some warmth and sweetness to both the dough and the filling
- Eggs for filling: make the creamy layer rich and help it all set up
- Quark: the heart of German cheesecake—smooth, creamy, a little tangy always check the date for top flavor
- Schmand: adds a lovely gentle richness swap in crème fraîche or sour cream if needed
- Vanilla pudding powder: helps thicken the filling and adds more vanilla flavor make sure it’s the type you cook
Simple Steps
- Chill the Crumble Mix:
- Pop cold, chopped butter in a big bowl with sugar, salt, flour, baking powder, and an egg. Squish with your fingertips until lumpy bits form. Save a third in the fridge for the topping, then squish the rest into a lined baking tin for your base. Let both cool while you move on.
- Make the Cherry Mix:
- Tip the cherries into a strainer, catch a bit of juice, and whisk it with cornstarch and sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently while stirring till it bubbles and gets thick, then toss in the drained cherries. Let it sit for a bit—it’ll thicken as it cools.
- Blend the Creamy Layer:
- Whip soft butter, sugar, and vanilla sugar until it’s light. Mix eggs in, one at a time. Next, add quark, schmand, and pudding powder. Keep mixing till it’s creamy and all blended. You want no lumps!
- Layer It All Together:
- Heat your oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Spread the cherry mix over the cold dough base, cover it with the creamy quark blend, and smooth it out. Sprinkle chilled crumbles all over the top for that thick golden crust.
- Bake and Let It Rest:
- Bake about 50 minutes—look for a golden top and a slight wobble in the middle. Cool fully in the tin. This’ll help with slicing and big flavor later.
Highlight
We always fight over that buttery crumbly topper—sometimes I make a double batch just for extra crunch! When my kid was little, she'd sneak bits off the cake before it was even cool, so now I bake a few extra crumbles just for her.
Keeping It Fresh
Keep your cheesecake wrapped and chilled in the fridge so it stays soft and the taste gets even better. Eat within three days for best results. Set it out about 30 minutes before serving so slices are perfectly soft and packed with flavor.
Easy Swaps
If quark is tricky to find, try mixing drained cottage cheese and Greek yogurt or some mild ricotta. Schmand can be replaced with crème fraîche or a rich sour cream. You can swap in frozen or canned sour cherries if you don’t have jarred ones.
Fun Ways to Serve
Tastes awesome with fresh whipped cream or just with strong coffee. For something special, give it a shake of powdered sugar before serving. I sometimes save myself the last slice to eat with milky tea in the morning.
How It All Started
German cheesecake is different from the New York version—quark keeps it lighter, a bit tangy, and not crazy sweet. Cherries and other fruit give a nice pop of color and fresh taste. A thick crumbly topping shows up on lots of central European cakes and always adds a cozy, homemade vibe.
Recipe FAQs
- → Wie bleibt der Käsekuchen extra saftig?
Wenn du Quark und Schmand mischst, wird die Füllung richtig fluffig. Rühr den Quark bloß nicht zu lange, sonst wird’s fest.
- → Kann ich auch andere Kirschen nehmen?
Klar, frische oder tiefgekühlte Kirschen gehen auch super. Den Kirschsaft vielleicht etwas mit Stärke abbinden.
- → Worauf kommt's bei crunchy Streuseln an?
Kalte Butter ist das Zauberwort. Ab damit in den Teig und die Streusel vorm Backen kurz in den Kühlschrank schieben.
- → Soll ich warten, bis der Kuchen ausgekühlt ist?
Lass den Kuchen in der Form abkühlen, so wird er schön fest und du kannst viel besser Stücke schneiden.
- → Welche Form nehme ich am besten?
Mit einem Backrahmen auf 20 x 26 cm oder einer rechteckigen Form passt die Menge super.