Redcurrant cheesecake

This wonderful baked cheesecake combines a buttery cocoa shortcrust pastry with a smooth vanilla cheesecake filling and vibrant redcurrants. It’s similar to the classic royal cheesecake (sernik królewski), but much easier to make, as the filling doesn’t require whipped egg whites. As a result, the cheesecake bakes evenly without rising dramatically or sinking afterwards. The juicy redcurrants, like little ruby jewels, cut through the sweetness beautifully. I think you’ll fall in love with this cheesecake!

Ingredients for chocolate shortcrust pastry:

• 125 g cold butter, diced
• 120 g icing sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 300 g plain flour
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2–3 tablespoons sour cream, chilled

Place all the pastry ingredients into a food processor and process until a smooth dough forms. Alternatively, sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, then add the remaining ingredients and quickly knead into a smooth dough.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, flatten each into a disc, wrap in cling film, and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Ingredients for cheesecake filling:

• 750 g full-fat or half-fat curd cheese, finely ground three times
• 160 g sour cream
• 3 large eggs
• 1 sachet vanilla-flavoured custard powder (35–40 g)
• 200 g caster sugar
• 16 g vanillin sugar

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Place all the filling ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix only until combined. Avoid overmixing, as incorporating too much air can affect the texture of the finished cheesecake. Set aside.

Additionally:

• 500 g fresh redcurrants, removed from the stalks

Assemble:

Grease and line a 22 × 32 cm baking tin with baking paper. Coarsely grate one portion of the chilled chocolate pastry directly into the tin and spread it evenly over the base. Bake at 175°C for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the cheesecake filling over the partially baked base, smoothing the surface. Scatter the redcurrants evenly over the filling. Coarsely grate the remaining pastry over the top.

Bake for about 1 hour at 175°C. Leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Unless the weather is particularly hot, this cheesecake does not need to be stored in the refrigerator. Dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.

Enjoy!