Pennsylvania Dutch Cheesecake

This is a featherweight Pennsylvania Dutch take on cheesecake that puts low-fat cottage cheese and whipped egg whites where most American cheesecakes use cream cheese and heavy cream. The result tastes more like a soft baked custard than a New York cheesecake, but at a fraction of the fat.

The key trick is engineered into the recipe: the cake intentionally sinks in the middle as it cools, creating a built-in well for piling fresh fruit. No graham cracker crust, no springform pan, no water bath. Just blender, fold, bake, chill, and dress with berries.

Folding the blended cheese mixture into stiffly beaten egg whites is what gives this cake its airy structure. The whites act like the leavening you’d get from baking powder in a normal cake, while the cottage cheese provides the dairy backbone. Buttermilk and lemon juice keep things tangy without needing actual cream cheese.

Kitchen Tips

• Beat the egg whites in a clean, dry, grease-free bowl. Any fat or yolk residue will keep them from whipping to stiff peaks.
• Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth. Lumpy curds turn up in the finished cake and ruin the texture.
• Don’t open the oven during the first 30 minutes. Drafts cause the delicate cake to deflate prematurely.
• Chill at least 4 hours before serving. This cake firms up dramatically as it cools.

Variations

• Top with sliced strawberries, raspberries, or fresh peaches in the depression.
• Add a teaspoon of grated lemon zest to the batter for a sharper citrus flavor.
• Substitute Greek yogurt for buttermilk for a thicker, tangier finish.