RUSTIC PRESSED COTTAGE CHEESE CHEESECAKE
This rustic pressed cottage cheese cheesecake is an old-fashioned cheesecake. With smooth texture and thick butter sugar pastry crust. Perfect for Sunday's coffee afternoons or any occasion.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 321kcal
Equipment
- 9 inch round spring form pan
Ingredients
Sugar pastry crust
- 2 1/4 cup (320 g) all- purpose flour plus extra flour for rolling the dough
- 1 1/2 cup (300 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 tbsp (44 g) fine sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp milk room temperature
- 2 tbsp rum dark spiced
- 1 tsp zest from lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt
Cottage cheese filling
- 4 cups (1 kg) pressed cottage cheese
- 1 cup (200 g) fine sugar
- 3 large egg yolks
- 7 tbsp (86 g) vanilla pudding powder or corn starch Dr. Oetker Vanilla pudding recommended
- 7 tbsp (100 g) soft butter (room temperature)
- 5 large egg whites
Instructions
Sugar pastry crust
- Cut out 9" round parchment paper. Place the parchment paper inside the in 9" round spring form pan and butter the sides. Run fine sugar on the sides of the pan.
- In a large kitchen bowl, mix together all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, zest from lemon, stir and set aside.
- In another large bowl of a standing mixer (with paddle attachment), soften unsalted butter by beating it on medium speed (approximately 2 minutes). Reduce the speed to low and add egg yolks one at a time. Mix until eggs yolks are incorporated (it should take around another 2 minutes.) Don't over mix, the dough would be tough.
- Take the sugar and stir it into the warm milk with rum in a cup. Keep the speed on low and pour this onto the softened butter in a thin stream, mixing on low speed constantly.
- Gradually mix in the flour into the butter mixture. Mix on low speed, until it creates a ball of dough. Don't over mix, this should take 2 minutes maximum. Remove the ball of dough and knead gently on the floured surface, with hand until the dough is soft. Give the dough just a few kneads, so it comes easily together. The pastry dough should be soft.
- Take the dough ball and wrap it in plastic food wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough evenly on floured surface to 15" inch large circle. Slip the metal spatula underneath to prevent the pastry from sticking. Drape the pastry over the rolling pin and roll up halfway, so you can lift it.
- Unroll the pastry over the spring form pan. Press the pastry dough gently into the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan. Cut off the excess pastry dough with food scissors. Using fingertips, press the pastry dough into and up the sides of the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cottage cheese filling
- Preheat oven to 320 F / 160 C, middle rack position.
- In a large bowl of standing mixer, mix on medium speed pressed cottage cheese until smooth, about 1 minute. Add sugar mix until combined. Do not over beat the mixture (the mixture might be a little crumbly, it's ok). Add now egg yolks, one by one and mix until well incorporated. Scrape the sides with spatula.
- Stir in 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). Add softened butter and mix until well combined.
- In another large bowl whisk 5 egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. With spatula, fold in gently the egg whites in the cottage cheese mixture. Pour the creamy filling into the spring pan and run the spatula on the top to even the filling.
- Bake in preheated oven 325 F/160 C for 45 minutes or until the crust starts to be golden brown and the cottage cheese filling starts also show signs of very light browning on top.
- Let cool the cheesecake for 1 hour on the counter inside the spring form pan. Then cover it with plastic food wrap and chill for another 2-3 hours in the refrigerator. Slice 2″ large slices and serve it as is or with fruit coolies or salty caramel sauce.
Notes
Storing: Store the rustic cottage cheesecake in the refrigerator (in airtight container or well wrapped in plastic food wrap) and consume it within 5 days. You can also freeze the cake in an airtight container and keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To defrost, leave it in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Eggs count: Don't get confused with the count of eggs. In total the recipe needs 5 large eggs. Two (2) egg yolks are used in the pastry crust and the rest of three (3) egg yolks and five (5) egg whites are used for the cottage cheese filling.
Rum & lemon zest: These two ingredients will enhance the taste of the cheesecake. But if you don't like to use alcohol in the recipe, you can substitute for rum aroma. On the other hand lemon zest is one ingredient, you can't really substitute. It gives unforgettable aroma and flavour to sugar pastry dough.
Sugar pastry dough: Do not over mix the pastry dough, you risk having the dough tough. The whole process of making dough shouldn't take more than 6-8 minutes.