German Cheese Cake

I am not really a great fan of American cheese cake.  It is alright every once in a while, but a bit too rich for my liking.  I have been trying a couple of recipes to find a good replica of the cheese cake I ate in Germany.  The problem is, they use a soft cheese name Quark and it is not available in Canada.  I tried to use cottage cheese and then ricotta cheese combining both with sour cream.  Okay, but not the right consistency.  I finally came across this recipe and hit the jackpot.  The flavor is a subtle lemon and the consistency is beautifully smooth and light.

I found the cake took longer than 60 minutes to bake before it was firm enough.

I found this recipe online at DianasDesserts.com

Ingredients
For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 stick butter

For the filling:
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 stick butter, very soft and at room temperature
6 ounces mascarpone cheese
500 g 1% cottage cheese
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
3 egg whites
pinch of salt

Directions
For the crust:
Sift the flour, stir in the baking powder, salt, lemon peel and sugar, then rub in the butter and knead to a smooth consistency with the egg and vanilla.  Place dough n a plastic dough in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  You will need a 9 or 91/2 inch springform pan.

Roll out the dough on a well-floured work surface, then form it into a ball again and roll it out a second time.  This dough is difficult to work with and the double rolling helps to work with it.  Place dough in bottom of the springform pan, pressing it up the sides almost to the top.  Set aside.

For the filling:
Puree the cottage cheese in a blender.  Set aside.

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla until pale and foamy.  Add the softened butter and beat well, then add the mascarpone and beat again.  Add the cottage cheese and stir until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt until very stiff, then very gently fold into the cheese mixture, also adding the sifted cornstarch a little at a time.  Pour the filling into the crust shell and gently wobble the pan back and forth until the surface is smooth.  Trim the dough, leaving about 1 inch.  Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for  60 minutes ( longer if necessary) until well risen and golden.  It resembles a souffle at this point and will sink in the middle so do not worry it is supposed to do this.

Turn the oven off, and let the cheesecake rest in the oven  for 15 minutes, then remove it from the oven, cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for several hours before releasing the sides of the pan and serving.  It is best when made the day before you need it.