Sernik (Polish cheesecake)
Poland’s baked cheesecake made with twaróg, a fresh curd cheese, giving a lighter, slightly tangy texture than New York style.
- 100 min30 prep · 70 cook
- MediumDifficulty
- 380 kcalper serving
Ingredients
- Butter biscuits200 g
- Butter, melted60 g
- Twaróg or quark, well drained1 kg
- Butter, softened100 g
- Sugar200 g
- Eggs5
- Potato starch30 g
- Vanilla extract1 tsp
- Grated lemon zest1 tsp
- Raisins50 g
Missing something? Ingredients with × can be left out.
Steps
- 1
Heat the oven to 170 °C. Crush the biscuits, mix with the melted butter and press into a 24 cm springform tin. Chill.
- 2
Blend or sieve the cheese until completely smooth. Separate the eggs.
- 3
Beat the soft butter with the sugar, add the yolks one by one, then the cheese, potato starch, vanilla, zest and raisins.
- 4
Whisk the whites to stiff peaks and fold them gently into the cheese mixture.
- 5
Pour onto the base and bake until set but still with a slight wobble in the centre.
- 6
Turn the oven off and leave the cake inside with the door ajar so it doesn’t crack.
- 7
Chill for at least 4 hours before slicing.
Tips and questions
- What can I use instead of twaróg?
- Well-drained quark or a mix of ricotta and cream cheese work well. The cheese must be smooth and not watery.
- Why did my cheesecake crack?
- Usually from overbaking or cooling too fast. Take it out while the centre still wobbles and let it cool slowly in the switched-off oven.
- How long does it keep?
- Up to 4 days covered in the fridge; it slices best the day after baking.
Enjoy your meal!
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