This rustic pressed cottage cheese cheesecake is an old-fashioned cheese cake. With smooth texture and thick buttery cookie crust. Perfect for Sunday’s coffee afternoons or any special occasion. For all cheesecake lovers this is one of the best traditional old-fashioned cheesecake with cottage cheese
I have fallen in love with this rustic and old-fashioned cheesecake the first time I have tried it. It has the perfect texture, not too sweet and the buttery cookie crust is melting in your mouth. I love having a slice with my Sunday afternoon coffee.
What is Pressed Dry Cottage Cheese
Have you heard of pressed dry cottage cheese? If not, I will explain. Cottage cheese can come in two different textures. Dry pressed cottage cheese and classic cottage cheese, which has more milky runny texture. You may find this cottage cheese in the tubs, in any grocery store.
The pressed dry cottage cheese, or dry-curd cottage cheese is a soft, crumbly unripened cheese with white & dry curds. Pressed dry cottage cheese is made from fresh skim milk, and it curdled by adding an acid or rennet. Regular cottage cheese has milk added to it after the curd has been formed. This cottage cheese is left without adding any milk. The moisture content in cottage cheese stays at a maximum of 80%.
Where to buy pressed dry cottage cheese
Pressed dry cottage cheese is sold in plastic bags or tubs. You can find two brands in Canada, who produce this rare kind of cottage cheese. In Costco store; brand MC Dairy, they sell it in the plastic bags 2 × 500 g of pressed dry cottage cheese. And Western (Gay Lea) company sells the same type of pressed dry cottage cheese.
What is used the Pressed Dry Cottage Cheese For?
Pressed Dry Cottage Cheese is mostly used in baking, particularly in European sweet recipes. But it is also used in low-fat recipes or low calories diet. For example, it’s used as a substitute for rich and fat Ricotta. And how does it taste? Less bitter and tart than usual cottage cheese. Ricotta cheese might be one to be compared to dry pressed cottage cheese, but it’s less creamy and heavy.
How to make Rustic Pressed Dry Cottage cheese cheesecake
Buttery cookie crust. Rustic Pressed Cottage Cheesecake recipe is done in two steps. First we will have to prepare the buttery cookie crust. The base of this cheesecake is similar in taste to sugar cookie dough. And I enhanced the flavour with two little adds-on. One is spiced dark rum and the second is zest from lemon.
Creamy pressed dry cottage cheese filling. Second step is creamy cottage cheese filling, made out of mixed pressed dry cottage cheese, vanilla pudding, egg yolks and few spoons of sugar. The texture will be creamy, and with whisked egg whites, the filling will be lighter and fluffier.
How to make the butter cookie crust
Before I start with the base of this cheesecake, I usually get ready 9″ inch spring form. Butter the bottom of the spring form and also the sides. Run fine sugar over the spring form, so it will be easier to release the cake. The whole recipe calls for a total of 5 eggs. For the butter cookie crust use only 2 egg yolks and reserve the 2 egg whites for later use. Which we will use in the cottage cheese filling.
In the bowl of stand mixer, mix the egg yolks with sugar on high speed for 10 minutes. Until the texture is fluffy and white. Then slowly add soft butter, milk in room temperature, spiced dark rum and zest from one lemon. Once all these ingredients are combined, we can slowly add spoon by spoon a mixture of dry ingredients. Flour and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients and mix until a ball of dough is formed.
Remove the ball of dough and knead gently 2-3 times on the well floured surface, until it is smooth and the dough holds well together. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle it with a few teaspoons of all- purpose flour. If the dough is very dry and falls apart, add melted butter spoon by spoon.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160 C / 320 F. Take a 9″ spring pan lined with butter and fine sugar and press the ball of dough inside. With a help of your hands, press the dough on the bottom and sides of the pan. Try to push it all the way to the top of the side of the pan. Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. While the crust is chilling in the refrigerator, let’s make the filling.
How to achieve creamy filling
Pressed dry cottage cheese is crumbly, unlike it’s modern form cream cheese. But you can very easily achieve smooth texture with cottage cheese as well.
In a large bowl of standing mixer combine pressed dry cheese with sugar, 3 egg yolks (save the 3 egg whites altogether with the other 2 egg whites left from the butter cookie crust). Add also 1 vanilla pudding and soft (room temperature) unsalted butter. Mix all these ingredients until smooths.
Pressed cheese has curds, so the texture is crumbly. If you prefer smoother texture, you can blend all the above ingredients in the blender. Once this cream cheese mixture is ready, set it aside and whisk the leftover 5 egg whites, previously reserved. Whisk with whisk attachment, in the stand mixer, until stiff peaks are formed. Fold the whisked egg whites gently into pressed dry cheese mixture. Don’t have cooking Vanilla pudding? Read more down.
Which Vanilla Pudding to use
I used Dr. Oetker brand, which is sold in my grocery store, and it is a cooking version of pudding. It has 43 g of pudding powder in the bag. If you can’t find in your store cooking version of vanilla pudding (Dr. Oetker), you can substitute vanilla pudding for the corn starch. Use the same quantity 43 g (3.5 tbsp) and add vanilla extract or vanilla sugar. And there you have vanilla pudding base. When your cottage cheese mixture is ready, assemble the cake.
Assemble the rustic cheese cake
Finally, let’s assemble the cake. Take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and pour the pressed dry cottage cheese mixture inside the spring pan with cookie dough. With the spatula, I move the cheese mixture towards the edges, so I don’t have a bump in the middle of the pan. Bake on 160 C/ 320 F for 40 minutes or until the sides of the dough will start to golden.
Take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it chill for 1 hour. Still keeping it inside the spring form. Then cover the cake with food wrap foil and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Cottage cheesecake is best served when chilled. Slice 2″ inch large slices with a thick knife and serve the rustic cottage cheese cheesecake with fresh fruit, fruit coolies or salty caramel sauce.
You might like more pressed cottage cheese recipes like STRAWBERRY DUMPLINGS WITH COTTAGE CHEESE.
More recipes
- Key Lime Cheesecake Tart
- Mini Banana Cheesecakes
- Nutella Swirl Cheesecake No Bake
- thanksgiving Pumpkin Bundt Cake With Cream Cheese Glaze
- Best Lemon Cheesecake
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RUSTIC PRESSED COTTAGE CHEESE CHEESECAKE
Equipment
- 9 inch round spring form pan
Ingredients
Buttery cookie crust
- 2 1/4 cup (450 g) all- purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup (300 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 tbsp fine sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp milk room temperature
- 2 tbsp rum dark spiced
- 1 tsp zest from lemon
Pressed cottage cheese filling
- 2 cups (500 g) pressed cottage cheese
- 5 tbsp fine sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3.5 tbsp (43 g) vanilla pudding powder or corn starch Dr. Oetker pudding recommended
- 3 1/2 tbsp (50 g) soft butter (room temperature)
- 5 large egg whites
Instructions
For the crust
- Preheat oven to 320 F / 160 C, middle rack position. Cut out 9" round parchment paper and place it in 9" round spring form pan.
- For the crust, in medium kitchen bowl, mix together flour and baking powder and set aside.
- In a large bowl of standing mixer (paddle attachment), start mixing (with medium speed) soft unsalted butter with sugar, until well combined and creamy (about 10 minutes). Reduce the speed to low and add egg yolks one by one to get well incorporated. Keep the speed on low and add liquid ingredients one by one. Start with room temperature milk, rum and at the end add the zest from one lemon.
- Once the milk and rum are well incorporated, add spoon by spoon mixed flour+baking powder, we kept aside. Mix on low speed, until it creates a ball of dough. Remove the ball of dough and knead gently with your hands (2-3 times) on well floured surface. The dough has to come easily together and should be soft.
- Take the dough ball and flatten it with your hand (on floured surface), then place the dough inside the 9″ spring pan, layered with parchment paper. Spread the dough on the bottom of the pan with your hands and on the sides. Use your fingers or bottom of measuring cup to press on the dough to create even surface on the bottom and on the sides of the spring pan. Set in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
For the creamy filling
- In large bowl of standing mixer, mix on medium speed pressed cottage cheese with sugar until well combined. About 2-3 minutes. Do not over beat the mixture (the mixture will be crumbly, it's ok). Add to the same mixing bowl egg yolks one by one and mix until well incorporated.
- Add vanilla pudding powder or corn starch powder (if you are using corn starch, you can add 1 tsp of vanilla extract or 2 tsp of vanilla sugar for the aroma) plus soft butter to the same mixing bowl. Mix until well combined. If you prefer smoother texture, use hand blender and blend until desired consistency.
- In another medium bowl whisk 5 egg whites until stiff peaks. With spatula fold gently the egg whites in the creamy filling mixture. Pour the creamy filling into the spring pan and tap twice with the spring pan on the counter to even the filling and release bubbles inside the filling.
- Bake in preheated oven 320 F/160 C for 35-40 minutes or until golden colour starts to appear on the surface of the cottage cheese filling.
- Let cool the cake for 1 hour on the counter, then 3 hours in the refrigerator. Slice 2″ large slices and serve it as is or with fruit coolies or salty caramel sauce.
Notes
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Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.”
I just want to gobble up a few spoons right now 😋😋
I am so happy this cheesecake makes your taste buds go crazy😄😍
yumm… love cheese cake:)
So glad you do😄 hoping you will try this recipe one day👍
Love this cheesecake recipe. Never tried it this way. Looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing
Thank you Kushigalu:) It’s never late to try it out, I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised how good is it!
Wow! Wonderful cheesecake recipe! Love this delicious guilt-free cheesecake, I always feel guilty to use cream cheese.
So happy you like it Megala, I love the taste of pressed cottage cheese 🙂
Cheese cake is my favourite desert. Yours is a different recipe that is worth trying. Hope I can make it look as good as yours.
Thank you so much for your sweet comment. I am sure it will come out fabulous, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it 🙂 Julia.
Looks delicious! Question…am I supposed to add 1/4 of vanilla pudding powder? Or use the powder to make pudding and add 1/4 cup of pudding?
I have a pkg of pressed cottage cheese and hope to try this tomorrow!
Hi Lisa, so happy to see you to stop by. You have an excellent question. Yes it’s the vanilla pudding powder, that needs to be added directly to the pressed cottage cheese filling. No pudding needs to be cooked here. It helps to thicken up the filling. I have adjusted this specific direction on the recipe. Thank you for letting me know. Happy baking! If you have an Instagram, follow me @juliarecipes and share with me your baking adventures. Either way, would love to know, how did you like it:) All the best, Julia.
I have been trying to find a cheesecake made with the dry cottage cheese like my mom used to bake! She has been gone for many years and sadly, did not leave her recipes 🙁
I was thrilled to find this recipe and it is baking right now!!
Only thing, I put in an 8×11 baking dish like she used to…..then covered with pineapple
I will let you know how it turns out!! So excited to taste!!!
Aww, you just made my day 🙂 I am always so happy to read such a wonderful comment. I am so sorry for the loss of your mom, hopefully this recipe will bring many joyful memories of your beloved mom. Let me know how it turns out, I am very curious because of that pineapple, it sounds like an amazing addition. Julia.
I have been trying to find a cheesecake made with the dry cottage cheese like my mom used to bake! She has been gone for many years and sadly, did not leave her recipes 🙁
I was thrilled to find this recipe and it is baking right now!!
Only thing, I put in an 8×11 baking dish like she used to…..then covered with pineapple
I will let you know how it turns out!! So excited to taste!!!
Aww, you just made my day 🙂 I am always so happy to read such a wonderful comment. I am so sorry for the loss of your mom, hopefully this recipe will bring many joyful memories of your beloved mom. Let me know how it turns out, I am very curious because of that pineapple, it sounds like an amazing addition. Julia.
Hallo everybody,
I live in Calif, USA…..Where can I get Pressed Cottage Cheese ?? Yes, we do have COSTO all over nowadays…..
Is it any other cheese that I can substitute ?
THanks…
Mira
Hallo everybody,
I live in Calif, USA…..Where can I get Pressed Cottage Cheese ?? Yes, we do have COSTO all over nowadays…..
Is it any other cheese that I can substitute ?
THanks…
Mira
Let me check Mira with other social media communities….
I don’t think I’ve ever had a cheesecake made with cottage cheese – this looks fantastic!
Thank you Shashi, it’s very pleasable taste and cottage cheese has fewer calories:)
Thank you Shashi! It’s a very pleasant and creamy taste and cottage cheese has less calories than classic cream cheese:)
WOW! This was a huge hit with my friends and family over weekend. The filling was so creamy and the crust was flakey.
So glad to hear it was a hit! Thank you for letting me know Caitlyn:)
Soft, moist and delicious. Love the creamy texture too. Your presentation is picture perfect and this cheese cake is surely a treat,
I am so happy to hear you loved this rustic cheesecake:)
Thank you!
Thank you so much!
Soft, moist and delicious. Love the creamy texture too. Your presentation is picture perfect.
Thank you so much! Happy you love it!
I’m so glad I know what pressed cottage cheese is now! I love how silky and smooth this cheesecake looks. I ‘m definitely going to make this for my husband soon!
Thank you Kathryn 🙂 I am happy I could share this old rustic recipe! Let me know how your hubby liked it!
Thank you Kathryn! So happy I could introduce you to pressed cottage cheese:) It’s really silky and smooth texture with fewer calories!
This is such an amazing post. Thanks for all the details on how to make this rustic cottage cheese cheesecake.
I’ve made it 3 times already and every time it turns out great. Delicious!
Thank you so much Lizet for your lovely comment, I am so happy to hear you love this cottage cheese cheesecake 🙂
Cheese cakes are my favorite, got to try this one soon!!!
It’s very delicious, worth to try it out Aparna 🙂
My daughter and I are going to love this recipe! So excited to show this to her! Looks great and so yummy!
Let me know how you like it, if you will ever give it a try:)
Cheese Cake prepared at home, sounds so interesting and exiting. This is surely a tea time treat planning. My weekend can get special too.
It’s a little different from classic cheesecake, but totally delicious and less caloric. It’s a great weekend project 🙂
Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts ever. This looks and sounds amazing! I haven’t seen pressed cottage cheese in my area but will be looking for it because I need to try this.
You would definitely love it Valerie! And if I tell you, it contains fewer calories than classic cheesecake, you surely must find this cottage cheese 🙂
never heard of pressed cream cheese – interesting! looks tasty!
You would definitely love it Heather! Something new to discover 🙂