Classic German Cheesecake with Shortcrust Base

Ingredients

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• 250 g (2 cup) all-purpose flour
• 90 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 125 g (1/2 cup) butter cold, cut into pieces
• 1 egg large
• 1 tbsp butter softened, for the pan
• 750 g (1.7 lb) quark, low-fat at room temperature; if you cannot find quark, use plain Greek yogurt strained overnight
• 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 packet vanilla sugar about 8 g, or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 eggs large, at room temperature
• 1 packet vanilla pudding mix about 37 g (cook-type); or 4 tbsp cornstarch plus 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100 g (1/2 cup) butter softened
• 200 ml (3/4 cup) milk
• 0.5 lemon juice and finely grated zest

Method

1. Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the cold butter pieces and the egg and quickly knead into a smooth dough; if it crumbles, work in a tablespoon of cold water. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) conventional or 300 °F (155 °C) convection, with the rack on the lowest level. Line the bottom of a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with the butter for the pan.
3. With floured fingers, press the dough about 1/6 inch (4 mm) thick into the pan and shape a rim about 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) high. Prick the bottom several times with a fork and chill the pan while you make the filling.
4. Whisk the quark, sugar, vanilla sugar, eggs, pudding mix, softened butter, milk, lemon juice and zest until completely smooth with no lumps. Do not whip it frothy; trapped air makes the filling puff up and crack later.
5. Pour the filling onto the dough and smooth the top. Bake on the lowest rack for about 65 minutes, until the surface is golden. The center should still wobble slightly like pudding, and a skewer inserted near the edge should come out without liquid batter. If the top browns too much after 40 minutes, cover it loosely with foil.
6. Turn the oven off, prop the door open a crack with a wooden spoon and let the cake rest inside for 30 minutes. Then take it out and run a knife around the edge, but keep the springform ring closed.
7. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight in the refrigerator. Only then open the ring and cut into 12 slices with a knife dipped in hot water.

Tip: Quark and eggs should be at room temperature, otherwise the filling stays lumpy. If the quark is very wet, let it drain for 30 minutes in a sieve lined with a kitchen towel first.

Tip: The dough and the filling contain raw eggs: do not taste either one raw, and bake the cake all the way through. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.