This Heart Strawberry Cheesecake is a type of German »Käsesahnetorte« and one of many classic cakes in Germany that is loved and hated at the same time ;P Back in the day, when I was young, this type of cake was the »hot shit« everybody loved. There was no family gathering without one of these (or something very similar) on the table. Nowadays, you see cakes like that a little less often and some say they are »old-fashioned«… like cakes you would only serve grandma and grandpa. I think it’s time for an »cake intervention«! ;P Let’s make these cakes great again! Who’s in?! Probably only people 45 and older ;)
Let’s make Käsesahnetorte great again! Don’t worry, I’m not going to hand out red baseball caps with stupid slogans… I’ll leave that to the older gentleman from Florida who had one too many self-tanners sessions. Nevertheless, this type of cheesecake deserve a little revival, don’t you think? Somehow, it all comes back at regular intervals. Bell-bottoms, neon colors, macramé, cupcakes… ;P
Well. Did you know that this type of cheesecake is not only popular in Germany? In our neighboring countries Austria and Switzerland you can find them as well in bakeries and coffee shops everywhere. Which begs the question – who invented it? I can’t really answer that, unfortunately. It could be someone from Austria, perhaps, because many recipes for »Käsesahnetorte« ask for a Viennese sponge cake as the base (and top layer) of the cake. The internet, including Wikipedia, is unexpectedly sparse when it comes to information about these cakes. Wiki actually shows regular cheesecakes when you look specifically for »Käsesahnetorte«…
Anyway. The cheesecake here is made with a delicious strawberry quark cream filling (something you will find a lot) and shaped like a heart (which is not often used). Andrea from Zimtkeks & Apfeltarte and I celebrate our »Bake Together – The Baking Surprise« once a month and this time we decided to go for popular classic cakes you can make in a heart shape. Something sweet for Mother’s Day so to speak ;P
We normally pick a topic that fits to the season we are in at the moment. Fruits, berries or veggies that are available from farmers close by, for example. Since Mother’s Day is around the corner this time we decided to use that as our topic to create recipes. Well… and what is the easiest way to show something is for Mother’s Day? Right – a cake in the shape of a heart! Mommy (dearest) should be able to see right away how much we love her ;P
I had to think for a while to come up with an idea for this cake here. There are many classic cakes you can make and turn into a heart. The first one I thought about was a Black Forest Cake – probably the most known German cake there is. Unfortunately, I got that one already in its »regular round shape« here on the blog for many years. So that one was out of the picture immediately. What else? Well, you can see it here. I also got already a recipe for Käsesahnetorte with Mandarin Oranges here as well… but that one is totally different from this one here with strawberries. I mean… a bit different at least ;P
Anyway. Regarding the heart shape – I guess I have to be honest with you here. My way to get the cake heart-shaped was probably not the most clever way to do it. I used a heart cake ring that can be used for baking. Great if you want to bake something in a heart shape and then decorate it… but definitely not the best option for this cake here.
As you might know – sponge cakes tend to shrink a bit when cooling down. They not only get flatter, they also shrink in size. This means there will be a gap between the cake and the heart cake ring used, eventually, after the cake has cooled down. If your plan was to place a cake foil between the cake and the cake ring that is sitting tight around the cake… well, not really happening ;) I had to fill some gaps with aluminum foil in order to have a cake foil that was sitting tight around the cake – the heart cake ring was not adjustable in a way that would have worked. The drama could have been avoided if I had baked a regular round sponge cake and then cut out the heart shape with the heart cake ring… would have been easier. No gaps, no possible spill. U guess you never stop learning new things ;P
In case you want to use the technique I used – go for it! It’s not impossible to get a nice result, as you can see on the pictures… but there are definitely more elegant ways. Just wanted to mention that, so nobody can complain later on ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the sponge cake:
3 large eggs, separated
3.5 oz. (100g) sugar (or xylitol)
2.6 oz. (75g) all-purpose flour
0.9 oz. (25g) cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch of salt
For the cream filling:
10 gelatin leaves
10.5 oz. (300g) fresh strawberries, puréed
17.6 oz. (500g) quark (40% fat), at room temperature
3.5 oz. (100g) sugar (or xylitol)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
14 oz. (400g) heavy cream, cold
5.3 oz. (150g) strawberries, in small pieces
For the decoration:
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
about 3.5 oz. (100g) heavy cream, whipped (optional)
some halved strawberries (optional)
Für den Biskuit:
3 Eier (L), getrennt
100g Zucker (oder Xylit)
75g Mehl (Type 405)
25g Speisestärke
1 TL Backpulver
1 Prise Salz
Für die Quark-Creme:
10 Blatt Gelatine
300g Erdbeeren, püriert
500g Speisequark (40% Fett), Zimmertemperatur
100g Zucker (oder Xylit)
2 TL Vanille Extrakt
400g Schlagsahne, kalt
150g Erdbeeren, in kleinen Stücken
Für die Dekoration:
Puderzucker zum Bestäuben
etwa 100g Schlagsahne, aufgeschlagen (optional)
einige halbierte Erdbeeren (optional)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) convection heat. Line a heart springform tin* or a heart cake ring* with baking parchment and grease lightly. If using a heart cake ring, make sure it sits well on a baking sheet with no gaps where batter could spill – secure with clamps or something similar if necessary (see photo).
2. For the cake batter, separate the eggs, add the egg whites to a large bowl and the yolks to a smaller bowl. Whisk the egg whites while slowly adding the sugar until you get a very airy and glossy meringue consistency. Whisk the egg yolks, add to the whisked egg whites and fold in. Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, sift into the bowl and also fold in very gently. Pour the batter into the prepared tin/cake ring, smooth out the top and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, carefully loosen it from the tin/cake ring and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
3. Cut the cooled cake in half horizontally to get a top and bottom layer. Place the cleaned edge of the heart springform tin or heart cake ring on a serving platter, then place the bottom cake layer inside. Place a cake foil* (4 inches) between the cake and the springform tin/cake ring. If possible, there should be no gaps between the cake and the foil. I had to help here and there with a small piece of aluminum foil to press the foil to the edge of the cake. Set aside.
4. For the cream filling, let the gelatin leaves soak in cold water for about 5-7 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the puréed strawberries with the quark, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk the heavy cream in a second bowl until stiff peaks form. Heat up a small saucepan on the stove, gently squeeze the gelatin leaves to remove excess water and gently warm them in the saucepan until completely dissolved. Add a small amount of the cream filling to the saucepan as well and mix with the dissolved gelatin, then add this mixture to the large bowl and mix until well combined. Let sit for a few minutes until the cream filling has thickened slightly thanks to the gelatin. In the meantime, clean and dry the extra strawberries and cut into small pieces. When the cream filling has thickened slightly, gently fold in the whisked heavy cream, then add the strawberry pieces and fold in as well. Pour the cream filling into the prepared mold on top of the cake layer, spread evenly then place the second cake layer on top and press down lightly. Place the cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
5. Remove the cooled cake from the mold and remove the foil. To finish, you can simply dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and/or decorate with some whipped cream and strawberries.
1. Den Ofen auf 150°C (300°F) Umluft vorheizen. Eine Herz-Springform* bzw. einen Herz-Tortenring* mit Backpapier auslegen und leicht einfetten. Bei der Verwendung eines Tortenrings sollte man sicherstellen, dass die Form eben auf einem Backblech steht, damit der Teig nirgends auslaufen kann – ggf. mit Klammern o.ä. befestigen (s. Foto).
2. Für den Biskuit die Eier trennen, das Eiweiß in eine große Schüssel geben und das Eigelb in eine kleinere Schüssel. Das Eiweiß aufschlagen und dabei langsam den Zucker einrieseln lassen – zu einer luftigen, glänzenden Baisermasse aufschlagen. Die Eigelbe verquirlen, zum aufgeschlagenen Eiweiß dazugeben und unterheben. Mehl, Stärke, Backpulver und Salz vermischen, in die Schüssel sieben und ebenfalls vorsichtig unterheben. Den Teig in die vorbereitete Form füllen, glatt streichen und dann für etwa 20-25 Minuten backen. Den Biskuit aus dem Ofen holen, vorsichtig aus der Form lösen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett abkühlen lassen.
3. Wenn der Kuchen komplett abgekühlt ist, einmal horizontal halbieren, damit man eine Ober- und Unterseite bekommt. Den gesäuberten Rand der Herz-Springform bzw. den Herz-Tortenring auf eine Servierplatte setzen und dann die untere Kuchenschicht hineinlegen. Eine Tortenrandfolie* (10cm) zwischen Kuchen und Springform/Tortenring einfügen – nach Möglichkeit sollten keine Lücken zwischen Kuchen und Folie entstehen. Ich musste hier und da mit einem kleinen Stück Alufolie nachhelfen, um die Folie an den Kuchenrand zu drücken. Zur Seite stellen.
4. Für die Sahnecreme die Gelatine für etwa 5-7 Minuten in kaltem Wasser einweichen. Die pürierten Erdbeeren mit Speisequark, Zucker und Vanille Extrakt in einer großen Schüssel verrühren. Die Sahne in einer zweiten Schüssel steif schlagen. Einen kleinen Topf auf dem Herd erwärmen, die Gelatineblätter leicht ausdrücken und im Topf vorsichtig erwärmen und komplett auflösen. Etwas von der Quarkmasse in den Topf dazugeben und mit der Gelatine verrühren, dann diese Mischung zurück zur großen Schüssel dazugeben und gut unterrühren. Die Mischung einige Minuten stehen lassen, bis sie durch die Gelatine etwas angedickt hat. In der Zwischenzeit die zusätzlichen Erdbeeren säubern und in kleine Stücke schneiden. Wenn die Quarkmasse etwas angedickt hat, die steif geschlagene Sahne vorsichtig unterheben, dann die Erdbeerstücke dazugeben und ebenfalls unterheben. Die Quark-Sahne-Creme auf dem vorbereiteten Boden in der Form verteilen, die zweite Kuchenschicht auflegen und leicht andrücken. Die Sahnetorte für mindestens 4 Stunden (oder über Nacht) in den Kühlschrank stellen.
5. Die gut durchgekühlte Torte aus der Form lösen und die Folie entfernen. Zum Abschluss kann man die Torte jetzt einfach mit Puderzucker bestäuben und/oder nach Belieben mit etwas Schlagsahne und einigen Erdbeeren dekorieren.
Craving more? Keep in touch on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for new post updates and more. You can also contact me with any questions or inquiries!
Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Heart Strawberry Cheesecake (German Käsesahnetorte)
- Prep Time: 00:35
- Cook Time: 00:25
- Total Time: 06:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cheesecake
- Cuisine: Germany
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A classic German cake you will find in many bakeries and coffee shops, normally just not in a heart shape ;) Strawberry Cheesecake aka. German Käsesahnetorte.
Ingredients
For the sponge cake:
3 large eggs, separated
3.5 oz. (100g) sugar (or xylitol)
2.6 oz. (75g) all-purpose flour
0.9 oz. (25g) cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch of salt
For the cream filling:
10 gelatin leaves
10.5 oz. (300g) fresh strawberries, puréed
17.6 oz. (500g) quark (40% fat), at room temperature
3.5 oz. (100g) sugar (or xylitol)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
14 oz. (400g) heavy cream, cold
5.3 oz. (150g) strawberries, in small pieces
For the decoration:
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
about 3.5 oz. (100g) heavy cream, whipped (optional)
some halved strawberries (optional)
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) convection heat. Line a heart springform tin* or a heart cake ring* with baking parchment and grease lightly. If using a heart cake ring, make sure it sits well on a baking sheet with no gaps where batter could spill – secure with clamps or something similar if necessary (see photo).
2. For the cake batter, separate the eggs, add the egg whites to a large bowl and the yolks to a smaller bowl. Whisk the egg whites while slowly adding the sugar until you get a very airy and glossy meringue consistency. Whisk the egg yolks, add to the whisked egg whites and fold in. Mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, sift into the bowl and also fold in very gently. Pour the batter into the prepared tin/cake ring, smooth out the top and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, carefully loosen it from the tin/cake ring and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
3. Cut the cooled cake in half horizontally to get a top and bottom layer. Place the cleaned edge of the heart springform tin or heart cake ring on a serving platter, then place the bottom cake layer inside. Place a cake foil* (4 inches) between the cake and the springform tin/cake ring. If possible, there should be no gaps between the cake and the foil. I had to help here and there with a small piece of aluminum foil to press the foil to the edge of the cake. Set aside.
4. For the cream filling, let the gelatin leaves soak in cold water for about 5-7 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the puréed strawberries with the quark, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk the heavy cream in a second bowl until stiff peaks form. Heat up a small saucepan on the stove, gently squeeze the gelatin leaves to remove excess water and gently warm them in the saucepan until completely dissolved. Add a small amount of the cream filling to the saucepan as well and mix with the dissolved gelatin, then add this mixture to the large bowl and mix until well combined. Let sit for a few minutes until the cream filling has thickened slightly thanks to the gelatin. In the meantime, clean and dry the extra strawberries and cut into small pieces. When the cream filling has thickened slightly, gently fold in the whisked heavy cream, then add the strawberry pieces and fold in as well. Pour the cream filling into the prepared mold on top of the cake layer, spread evenly then place the second cake layer on top and press down lightly. Place the cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight).
5. Remove the cooled cake from the mold and remove the foil. To finish, you can simply dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and/or decorate with some whipped cream and strawberries.
Notes
Happy Baking!
Links marked with an asterisk (*) are affiliate links (advertising/Werbung) to Amazon Germany. If you click on one of those links and buy something via this link, I will get a commission for that sale. The price of whatever you buy is not affected in any way by this.
I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
