German cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Crustless Lemon Quark Cake

A light cheesecake without a pastry base, made with lemon zest, vanilla and semolina, baked in a springform pan.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 1 kg quark (curd cheese)
• 5 eggs
• 200 g sugar
• 100 g butter
• 60 g fine semolina
• 1 packet vanilla pudding powder
• 2 organic lemons
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Melt the butter and let it cool, wash the lemons in hot water, finely grate the zest and squeeze 4 tbsp of juice; grease a 26 cm springform pan and dust the sides with semolina.
2. Separate the eggs and whip the egg whites with the pinch of salt until stiff, glossy peaks form that no longer slide in the bowl.
3. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar for 3 min. until pale and creamy, then stir in the melted butter, lemon zest and lemon juice.
4. Add the quark, semolina, pudding powder and baking powder and stir until smooth, then gently fold in the beaten egg whites in three additions until no more white streaks remain.
5. Pour the mixture into the pan, smooth the top and bake in a preheated oven at 170 °C top/bottom heat for 55–60 min. until golden brown on top and the center still wobbles slightly.
6. Let the cake cool for 1 hour with the oven door slightly ajar so it doesn't collapse, then dust with powdered sugar and slice.