Description
A classic German cheesecake featuring a tender shortcrust pastry base, a creamy quark and sour cream filling, and topped with juicy mandarin oranges. This authentic recipe combines the fresh citrus aroma with rich vanilla pudding and a moist texture thanks to baking with a water bath, resulting in a crack-free, luscious dessert perfect year-round.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortcrust Pastry Base
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 60 g sugar (¼ cup)
- 200 g flour (1 ¼ cups)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 80 g cold butter (⅓ cup)
- 1 egg
Filling
- 500 g low-fat quark (2 ½ cups)
- 400 g sour cream (1 ¾ cups)
- 70 ml vegetable oil (just under ½ cup, e.g. canola oil)
- 2 eggs
- Zest of half a tangerine or Meyer lemon
- 120 g sugar (½ cup)
- 4 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vanilla paste
- 1 can mandarin oranges (well drained)
Instructions
- Prepare the lemon sugar: Grate the lemon zest directly into the sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers thoroughly to release the lemon oils and aroma, infusing the sugar with citrus flavor for the pastry base.
- Make the shortcrust pastry: Cut or grate the cold butter and place it in a bowl with flour, salt, baking powder, lemon sugar, and egg. Using a dough hook, knead into a crumbly dough, then bring it together with your hands on a floured surface. Roll out or press the dough directly into a springform pan, pushing the dough up the sides, and prick the base with a fork several times for even baking. Chill the prepared base in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
- Prepare the filling mixture: In a mixing bowl, whisk the quark, sour cream, vegetable oil, and eggs with a hand mixer until smooth. Similarly, grate the zest of the tangerine or Meyer lemon into the sugar and rub to infuse. Mix this citrus sugar with cornstarch, then blend it into the cheese mixture along with the vanilla paste until homogeneous.
- Preheat the oven and prepare a water bath: Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F). To prevent cracking, place a bowl of water in the oven as it heats to create moisture during baking.
- Assemble the cheesecake: Drain the mandarin oranges thoroughly. Pour the cheese filling onto the chilled pastry base, smoothing it out evenly. Arrange the mandarin oranges on top, optionally layering a few on the pastry before adding the filling for extra fruit bursts.
- Bake the cheesecake: Bake the assembled cheesecake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. After baking, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside with the door slightly ajar to cool gradually, preventing cracks.
- Cool and chill: Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature inside the oven, then refrigerate overnight to set fully and develop flavor.
Notes
- Store the cheesecake in the refrigerator until serving to keep it fresh and moist.
- Remove the cheesecake from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving to allow it to warm slightly and enhance its aroma and texture.
- This recipe works well with other fruits such as apricots, red currants, raspberries, blueberries, or peaches instead of mandarin oranges.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: German
Keywords: cheesecake with mandarin oranges, German Cheesecake recipe, German cheesecake with quark
