You will love this German Strawberry Cheesecake – a delightful combination of a tender shortcrust base, a creamy quark filling and ripe strawberries on top. Use fully ripe berries for the best flavor. This cake is perfect for a summer afternoon with a cup of coffee. Happy baking!
Ingredients – German Strawberry Cheesecake
150 g flour
50 g sugar
1 egg
100 g butter, cold
1 tsp baking powder
1 package vanilla sugar (or homemade vanilla sugar)
1 dash salt
Filling
125 g butter, room temperature
125 g sugar
250 g quark (20%) – alternatively use a 50/50 blend of Greek yogurt and sour cream
2 eggs
100 g cream cheese
½ package vanilla pudding powder (dry instant pudding mix)
Juice and zest of ½ lemon
Topping
500 g strawberries, hulled and halved
Sugar to taste
Glaze
1 package red cake glaze (ready-mix)
250 ml liquid (half water, half apple juice)
Baking Instructions
Prepare the Base
– Grease a 10-inch (about 26 cm) springform pan with butter.
– Mix flour and baking powder, then sift into a bowl.
– Add sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, cubed cold butter and the egg.
– Knead by hand until a smooth dough forms and you can shape it into a ball.
– Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
– Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) or 160°C for convection ovens.
– Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
Make the Filling
– With a hand mixer, beat the room-temperature butter until smooth.
– Add the eggs and sugar, mixing until combined.
– Add the quark, cream cheese, vanilla pudding powder and lemon juice and zest.
– Mix until the filling is smooth and homogeneous.
– Spread the filling evenly over the prepared crust.
– Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the filling is set and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan.
Assemble the Cake
– Arrange the halved strawberries on top of the cooled cake in an even layer. Sprinkle strawberries with a little sugar if you prefer them sweeter.
– Prepare the glaze by combining the liquid and the red glaze mix in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and cook according to the glaze package instructions until thickened.
– Carefully spoon or pour the warm glaze over the strawberries, spreading it evenly to cover them.
Chill the cake until the glaze firms, about 1–2 hours. Release the springform ring, transfer the cake to a serving plate, slice and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Recipe/photo source: Original recipe inspiration.