Classic Viennese cheesecake

Classic Viennese cheesecake is one of the most famous, beloved and distinctive Polish cheesecakes. Tall, elegant and wonderfully light, it’s made with whipped egg whites and, if you like, dried fruit. It has a deeply golden crust and is traditionally dusted with icing sugar after baking. This cheesecake is baked without a pastry base and contains a generous amount of eggs. Perfect for Easter or Christmas, but also for any family celebration. Even though it’s not called “royal”, it truly is the king of cheesecakes.

The cheesecake rises a lot during baking and then settles, so a tall tin is recommended. I bake it in a 23 cm tin that is 8 cm high – the cheesecake rises about 2 cm above the rim. If you only have a standard-height tin, use a 25 cm tin and create a baking paper collar extending above the rim to prevent the cheesecake from overflowing.

Ingredients for classic Viennese cheesecake:

• 1 kg full-fat or semi-fat curd cheese (twaróg), ground three times*
• 250 g butter
• 300 g icing sugar
• 8 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 2 heaped tablespoons potato starch (or cornflour)
• 2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
• 1 teaspoon orange extract or flavouring
• optional: raisins (soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes) and candied orange peel

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place the butter and icing sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the curd cheese in three batches, mixing thoroughly each time until a smooth cheesecake mixture forms. Add the orange extract, potato starch and flour and mix until combined. Stir in the dried fruit if using.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the cheesecake mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Line a 23 cm springform tin (8 cm high) with baking paper (or a 25 cm tin with a baking paper collar extending above the rim). Pour in the cheesecake mixture and level the surface.

Bake the classic Viennese cheesecake at 180°C for about 70 minutes. The cheesecake will rise significantly, brown deeply and may crack. Towards the end it will settle slightly and the cracks will even out. Allow it to cool in the switched-off oven with the door slightly ajar. While it is cooling, gently run a knife around the edges of the tin to loosen the cheesecake from the sides (this helps it settle evenly). Once completely cooled, chill in the refrigerator for several hours.

Enjoy!