I think there are only a few cakes that seem to please everyone. A popular German cake called »Russischer Zupfkuchen« aka. Chocolate Cheesecake is definitely one of those cakes. I never met anyone (personally) who did not like this cake. What can I say – I love it too because it’s so damn delicious! Creamy, chocolaty, absolutely great! Today, I made a version of this cake that is a bit different – a Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberries and little chocolate hearts on top. Great for Mother’s Day… don’t you think? ;)
If you did not grow up in Germany you probably don’t have a real connection to this type of cake, more likely never even heard of it. This type of cake is not really known all over the world. Not like our »Black Forest Cake« ;P The name might suggest it’s coming from Russia, but that is not the case. Not at all. If you want to know more about the origins of this cake you might want to check out my article about the classic version of this cake.
If you take a look at the original version of the »Russischer Zupfkuchen« you will see that they are normally round. This one here is not ;P The most common shape is round, but you can also turn this into a (flat) tray bake – in case you expect a lot of guests. This one here has a rectangular shape, so you get a lot of chocolate crust with every slice… something I like a lot about this one here. It’s not like other cakes where you might leave the crust on the plate because it’s dry and not really nice. The crust of this chocolate cheesecake is so good you want a lot of it – hence the rectangular shape ;P
I added some frozen raspberries into the cheesecake filling as well for some extra flavor. Fresh raspberries work just as well here. The filling is not overly sweet, I have to add. I used xylitol instead of regular sugar… and much less than you would normally use for this type of cake. If you have a sweet tooth you might want to add a bit more xylitol or sugar – whatever you prefer to use for this recipe. Even though the raspberries add some sweetness this might not be enough for everyone ;P Other recipes would ask you to add a whole cup of sugar (or xylitol) instead of the 1/4 cup I used… so feel free to adjust somewhere between those measurements to your liking ;)
If you want to try a more »classic« version of this cake but with fewer calories you can try my (other) sugar-free version. The sugar-free Chocolate Cheesecake is much more similar to the original version. Actually, I haven’t met anybody that could tell the difference between the sugar-loaded version ;P
When you make this recipe you should really let the cake set and cool down properly in the fridge. It is tempting to cut into the still warm cake – with the regular version you could actually do that – but here you need the time in the fridge, so the cake can firm up properly. Otherwise, you will not be able to cut clean slices… they will fall apart. I learned that the hard way. It’s all about stability in your life ;P
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the dough:
7 oz. (200g) spelt flour
1/4 cup (50g) xylitol (or sugar)
1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder
1 pinch of salt
3.5 oz. (100g) butter
1 medium egg
For the filling:
18 oz. (500g) low-fat quark (curd)
3.5 oz. (100g) sour cream
1/4 cup (50g) xylitol (or sugar)
1.4 oz. (40g) cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
2 medium eggs
5.3 oz. (150g) frozen raspberries
Für den Teig:
200g Dinkelmehl (Type 630)
50g Xylit (oder Zucker)
30g Kakaopulver
1 Prise Salz
100g Butter
1 Ei (M)
Für die Füllung:
500g Magerquark
100g Schmand
50g Xylit (oder Zucker)
40g Speisestärke
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
1 Prise Salz
2 Eier (M)
150g Himbeeren (gefroren)
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt. Add the butter in small pieces and cut into pea-sized pieces with a pastry cutter* or a knife. Add the egg and mix everything, then knead to get a smooth dough. Try not to knead for too long, so the butter doesn’t get unnecessarily warm. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, place it in the fridge, and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
2. While the dough is sitting in the fridge you can already prepare the filling by mixing the curd cheese (quark) with sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl. Add the eggs and mix everything until well combined (working with a whisk only is fine here). Cover and set aside until needed.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a loaf pan* (approx. 9×5.5 inches) and line with a piece of baking parchment. Roll out about 3/4 of the dough on a floured surface (preferably rectangular), then place that dough inside the pan and press down on the bottom and the sides. Cut off overlapping dough and press scraps to the bottom and side, wherever needed, to get an evenly thick dough layer all around. Roll out the remaining dough (not too thin) and cut out hearts in different sizes. Set aside.
4. Add a small amount of the filling to the pan and spread. Sprinkle the frozen raspberries on top and cover with the remaining filling. Smooth out the top and decorate with the dough hearts. Bake for about 55-60 minutes. The filling should have set but can still jiggle slightly in the center if you move the pan. Take out of the oven and let cool down on a wire rack. Lift the completely cooled cake out of the pan with the help of the baking parchment, place on a serving plate, and serve.
Tip: I normally let the cake rest some additional time in the fridge before serving. Makes it easier and safer to cut into slices.
1. Das Dinkelmehl für den Teig mit Zucker, Kakao und Salz in einer großen Schüssel vermischen. Die Butter in kleinen Stücken dazugeben und mit einem Teigmischer* oder Messer in etwa erbsengroße Stücke zerteilen. Das Ei dazugeben und alles vermengen, dann zu einem glatten Teig verkneten. Versucht hier nicht zu lange zu kneten, damit die Butter nicht unnötig warm wird. Den Teig in Klarsichtfolie einschlagen und dann für etwa 30 Minuten in den Kühlschrank legen.
2. In der Zeit, in der der Teig ruht, die Füllung zubereiten und dafür den Quark mit Schmand, Zucker, Stärke, Vanille Extrakt und Salz in einer Schüssel verrühren. Die Eier dazugeben und alles zu einer homogenen Masse verrühren (Schneebesen reicht hier vollkommen). Abdecken und bis zur weiteren Verwendung zur Seite stellen.
3. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Eine Kastenform* (ca.23x11cm) leicht einfetten und mit einem Stück Backpapier auslegen. Etwa 3/4 des Teiges auf einer bemehlten Arbeitsfläche (möglichst rechteckig) ausrollen und dann in die Form legen und am Boden und den Seiten festdrücken. Was übersteht abschneiden und an anderen Stellen am Rand festdrücken. Den verbliebenen Teig ebenfalls (nicht zu dünn) ausrollen und Herzen in unterschiedlichen Größen ausstechen. Zur Seite stellen.
4. Eine dünne Schicht der Quarkmasse in die Form füllen, die gefrorenen Himbeeren darauf verteilen, dann den Rest der Quarkmasse darüber geben und glatt streichen. Die Teigherzen kreuz und quer auf der Füllung verteilen und den Kuchen dann für etwa 55-60 Minuten backen. Die Füllung darf noch ein ganz klein wenig wackeln, wenn man an der Form rüttelt. Aus dem Ofen nehmen und auf einem Kuchengitter komplett abkühlen lassen. Den ausgekühlten Kuchen mithilfe des Backpapiers aus der Form heben, auf eine Kuchenplatte setzen und servieren.
Tipp: Normalerweise stelle ich den Kuchen vor dem Servieren noch einige Zeit in den Kühlschrank – das macht es einfacher und sicherer, den Kuchen in Scheiben zu schneiden.
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Mother’s Day Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberries
- Prep Time: 00:25
- Cook Time: 00:55
- Total Time: 04:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cheesecakes
- Cuisine: Germany
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple and easy chocolate cheesecake that is quite popular in Germany – Russischer Zupfkuchen – with a layer of raspberries. So good!
Ingredients
For the dough:
7 oz. (200g) spelt flour
1/4 cup (50g) xylitol (or sugar)
1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder
1 pinch of salt
3.5 oz. (100g) butter
1 medium egg
For the filling:
18 oz. (500g) low-fat quark (curd)
3.5 oz. (100g) sour cream
1/4 cup (50g) xylitol (or sugar)
1.4 oz. (40g) cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
2 medium eggs
5.3 oz. (150g) frozen raspberries
Instructions
1. In a large bowl mix flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt. Add the butter in small pieces and cut into pea-sized pieces with a pastry cutter* or a knife. Add the egg and mix everything, then knead to get a smooth dough. Try not to knead for too long, so the butter doesn’t get unnecessarily warm. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, place it in the fridge, and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
2. While the dough is sitting in the fridge you can already prepare the filling by mixing the curd cheese (quark) with sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl. Add the eggs and mix everything until well combined (working with a whisk only is fine here). Cover and set aside until needed.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a loaf pan* (approx. 9×5.5 inches) and line with a piece of baking parchment. Roll out about 3/4 of the dough on a floured surface (preferably rectangular), then place that dough inside the pan and press down on the bottom and the sides. Cut off overlapping dough and press scraps to the bottom and side, wherever needed, to get an evenly thick dough layer all around. Roll out the remaining dough (not too thin) and cut out hearts in different sizes. Set aside.
4. Add a small amount of the filling to the pan and spread. Sprinkle the frozen raspberries on top and cover with the remaining filling. Smooth out the top and decorate with the dough hearts. Bake for about 55-60 minutes. The filling should have set but can still jiggle slightly in the center if you move the pan. Take out of the oven and let cool down on a wire rack. Lift the completely cooled cake out of the pan with the help of the baking parchment, place on a serving plate, and serve.
Notes
I normally let the cake rest some additional time in the fridge before serving. Makes it easier and safer to cut into slices.
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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 ;) 
I’ll try it! I live in Argentina and there isn’t quark but instead I’ll use ricotta, hope it works or I’ll try with a blend of cream and ricotta cheese