Russischer Zupfkuchen
Chocolate shortcrust cheesecake
Chocolate shortcrust cheesecake with torn dough on top
Despite the name, Russischer Zupfkuchen is a West German invention, a 1990s café-counter hit that spread from a baking-powder company's recipe card into every coffee-and-cake afternoon from Hamburg to Munich. A crisp cocoa shortcrust holds a pale, creamy quark cheesecake, and torn pieces ('gezupft', plucked) of the same dark dough are scattered on top, where they bake into crunchy chocolate islands. Serve it cold, in tall wedges, with filter coffee. Cutting it warm is the common mistake: the filling slumps and the base cracks, so chill it for several hours first. Chef's tip: keep a third of the dough frozen for 15 minutes before tearing it; firm pieces hold their rough shape and don't sink into the filling.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the chocolate dough
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 1 oz cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 5 ½ oz buttercold, diced
For the filling
- 1 ⅛ lb quarkfull-fat
- 5 ½ oz caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 4 ½ oz buttermelted and cooled
- 1 ⅜ oz cornflour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 1 oz cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder and 5 ½ oz caster sugar. Add 1 egg and 5 ½ oz butter and work quickly into a smooth dough with your hands or a mixer.
Step 2: Take off a third of the dough, wrap it and put it in the freezer. Wrap the rest and chill for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan). Grease a 26 cm springform tin.
Step 4: Press the chilled dough over the base and about 4 cm up the sides of the tin in an even layer.
Step 5: Whisk 1 ⅛ lb quark, 5 ½ oz caster sugar, 3 eggs, 4 ½ oz butter, 1 ⅜ oz cornflour, 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp lemon zest until smooth, and pour into the case.
Step 6: Tear the frozen dough into small rough pieces, about the size of a hazelnut, and scatter them over the filling.
Step 7: Bake for 60–65 minutes, until the filling has risen slightly and is set at the edges with only a slight wobble in the centre.
63 minStep 8: Turn off the oven, open the door a crack and leave the cake inside for 15 minutes to stop it cracking. Then cool in the tin and chill for at least 4 hours.
240 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 47 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does russischer Zupfkuchen take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 65 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cocoa powder?
- Drinking chocolate, same amount (sweeter, so cut the sugar).
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