Apricot Quark Cake With Almond Streusel

German Cheesecake with Fresh Apricot and Almond Streusel

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What's there not to love about apricots? It's my favorite jam to go on croissants and buttered toast, and they make for an amazing, standout ingredient in cakes. While they're fresh and in season, please grab a bunch and enjoy them! One great way to eat them is in the German quark cheesecake that this post is all about. If you're unfamiliar with quark, it's a low-fat, German dairy that I would describe as as a mixture between Greek yoghurt and cream cheese (if I had to), and it's typically eaten on its own with some fruit, or with herbs mixed in spread on bread.

Quark & Cheesecake

One other way to eat quark however is in a German cheesecake. Today's version of cheesecake uses a mixture of sour cream and quark, making it just a little creamier than your typical German cheesecake that has a more grainy consistency. A cheese store can probably sell you a good, local quark (like the one I bought by the Missouri-based Hemme Brothers). Another great company producing quark is Vermont Creamery, and it's typically available at Whole Foods. German Käsekuchen is traditionally served in the afternoon for Kaffee und Kuchen or "cake and coffee time," but can also make a great dessert or brunch item.

Apricot & Echte Kroatzbeere Cocktail

Sparkling wine, fresh apricot and German, wild blackberry liqueur? You can definitely have it all in this delicious cocktail. Echte Kroatzbeere is a staple German blackberry liqueur to add to your collection to enjoy on its own, for mixed drinks and desserts. To find out availability in your area, please complete this contact form.

• 1 oz Echte Kroatzbeere blackberry liqueur
• 1 oz fresh apricot purée
• sparkling wine
• ice
• apricot slices and mint for garnish

Stir together Echte Kroatzbeere and apricot purée. Pour sparkling wine over ice into a copper mug, top with blackberry-apricot mixture, give it a quick stir, then garnish with fresh mint and apricot slices. Prost!

Up Next: Kansas City "Grüne Soße"

Grüne Soße is German for "green sauce" and is a sauce made from a mixture of herbs and dairy. Coming up, I will post a recipe for a "Kansas City style" Grüne Soße since some of the herbs typically used aren't very easily obtained in the US. To not miss this next post, please subscribe to receive weekly emails with new recipes!   Please also leave a comment below letting me know how much you love German cheesecake!

Ingredients for about 16 slices:

For the Dough:

• 350 g flour
• 100 g sugar
• 170 g butter (cold and cut into small pieces)
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 medium-sized eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt

For the Quark Filling:

• 140 g soft butter
• 170 g sugar
• 4 medium-sized eggs
• 1 kg quark (I used 500 g quark and 500 g sour cream for a more budget-friendly (you can use light sour cream, American version! Quark is expensive!)
• 40 g corn starch
• zest and juice of 1 organic lemon

For the Streusel Topping:

• 120 g flour
• 80 g butter, cold and cut into pieces
• 60 g sugar
• 60 g sliced almonds
• 750 g fresh apricots (can also use canned if fresh is not available)

Method:

1. For the crust, knead together all dough ingredients until you achieve a dough with smooth consistency. Form into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover a rimmed baking sheet (I used a 17 by 11 inch sheet) with parchment paper, then roll out the dough onto the baking sheet. Poke holes into the dough using a fork and par-bake for 10 minutes.
3. In the meantime (for the quark filling), beat together soft butter and sugar until foamy. Add in the eggs one at a time. Add in the quark, corn starch, lemon zest and juice and beat until incorporated. Using a spatula, spread onto the par-baked crust and bake for 30 more minutes.
4. For the topping, prep your apricots by washing, cutting them in half and removing the stones. Then cut apricots into slices.
5. For the streusel, first start by beating together flour, almonds, butter and sugar using an electric mixer, then briefly work the dough with your hands, forming your streusel. Keep in a cool place until ready to use.
6. After the second stage of baking is finished, remove cake from the oven, and evenly distribute the apricots first, and then the streusel topping next. Bake for another 25 minutes (you may also turn on your broiler for a couple of minutes towards the end to add an extra tan to the streusel). Guten Appetit!