Golden Cake

This is a classic Central European style cheesecake (Topfentorte in Austria, twarogowiec in Poland) with a pastry base rather than the American graham cracker crust. Ground almonds worked into the sweet shortcrust dough give the base a tender, nutty character that plays beautifully against the cool cheese filling.

Curd cheese is the defining ingredient. Also called quark or farmer’s cheese, it’s lower in fat than cream cheese and has a mild, slightly tangy flavor that makes the filling read as refined rather than cloyingly rich. Pushing it through a sieve is worth the three minutes of effort, smooth curd gives a silky, lump-free bake.

The other trick is folding in stiffly whipped egg whites at the end. That cloud of meringue is what makes the filling almost souffle-like, rising gently in the oven and staying airy as it cools.

Served cold with a bright fruit puree poured over each slice, the cake becomes a proper old-world dessert course.

Pro Tips

• Chill the pastry dough the full hour or longer, warm pastry shrinks and slumps during blind baking
• Blind bake the shell with pie weights or dried beans for crisp, even bottom browning
• Don’t overbeat the egg whites past stiff peaks, dry whites deflate when folded and give you a flat filling
• Tent with foil if the top browns before the center is set, this is the most common mistake
• Cool completely in the pan before unmolding, a warm cheesecake is structurally fragile and will crack

Variations

• Stir in a handful of golden raisins soaked in rum for a traditional Austrian touch
• Skip the fruit puree and serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh berries for a cleaner presentation
• Swap ground almonds for ground hazelnuts in the pastry for a more pronounced nutty edge