September 29, 2017

Russian Chocolate Cheesecake/ Russischer Zupfkuchen

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Entertaining becomes so much more fun when you have gorgeous recipes to flaunt. This particular cheesecake was a first for me and am so happy with the way it turned out so beautiful. Don’t you agree? So, living close to the borders of South Denmark has its benefits – we get to enjoy some of the best bakes from both Denmark and Germany. And I had my eye on this Cheesecake since I had seen in so many bakeries in Germany. To my surprise, it is named Russian even though the origin of this cake has not been traced to the Russian land.  It is called Russischer Zupfkuchen. Russian Chocolate Cheesecake or curd cake as closely translated from German is a combination of chocolate cake and cheesecake. Zupfkuchen means “plucked” in German and named hence because the bits of chocolate cake that adorn the top resemble rooftops of Russian churches in Moscow. I don’t really see the resemblance and strongly disagree because my chocolate dough sunk when I placed them on the cake. I guess, the first few chunks were too heavy for the filling and it sank. Hence you see one side of the cheesecake without the chocolate dough. However, it lent a beautiful marbled effect on the inside – so no complaints there. 😊


The cake itself is rich yet light and very indulgent. Traditionally the recipe uses ‘Curd cheese’ or ‘Quark’, similar to ricotta/cottage cheese. Since I did not have it on hand, I used cream cheese and greek yogurt instead. The results didn’t disappoint in fact the cream cheese lends the cake a delightful creaminess and works wonderfully. In other words, total bliss or heaven. Do give it a try and hope you love this as much I loved making and serving it to my guests.

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INGREDIENTS

For the dough:

2 cups or 250g all-purpose flour

1 cup or 225g granulated sugar

1 cup or 225g butter, melted

1/3 cup or 35g cocoa powder

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

For the filling:

1 cup or 225g butter, melted

2 packages or 450g curd cheese or cream cheese

2 tbsp  Greek Yogurt ( skip if you have curd cheese )

1 cup or 225g granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup or 40g cornstarch

3 eggs

Russischer Zupfkuchen stepbystep

METHOD:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C and grease an 9-inch square or springform pan.

  2. For the dough, sift together flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder.
  3. Add sugar, vanilla, eggs, and melted butter and mix with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined.
  4. Once the dough has come together, use about 2/3 of the dough and press into the prepared pan to make a flat base and ensure it goes at least an inch up the sides. (refer the photo)
  5. For the filling: Mix together the butter, cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and cornstarch with an electric mixer until well combined. Pour into the springform pan when ready
  6. With the remaining dough, make small flat lumps and drop them evenly on the top of the cake.
  7. Bake until cake is set and golden yellow on the top, approx. 60 to 65 minutes. If you notice too much browning on the top, cover with an aluminium foil and continue baking.
  8. Allow the cake to cool before serving. Enjoy!

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I am sharing with Angie cohosted by Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju.com and  Antonia @ Zoale.com and the rest of the gang at Fiesta Friday #191. Enjoy all the yummy goodness!

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Have a good weekend!
Love & hugs,

Trupti

 

Author:
Filed Under: Cheesecakes, Desserts

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