This Valentine’s-ready German cheesecake dessert has layers of coffee flavored cheesecake topped with a simple, white chocolate mousse. It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for a homemade Valentine’s or Galentine’s meal.
About this Recipe
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After my first, Zoë, was born, I started craving sweets. I never really have before and think it was the raging hunger during breastfeeding times that made me crave sugar. Don’t get me wrong. I have always loved my occasional sweets, but there is no thinking them away now. And Zoë has that same sweet tooth for sure, giving me something to smirk about when she asks for chocolate after she’s just finished a scoop of ice cream. Valentine’s Day to me is a fabulous excuse to make something sweet and share it with others, such as these little German cheesecakes, layered in German Weck jars, ready to be gifted; the jars come with lids and I’ve reused them about 100 times for just about everything from cucumber salads to jams and homemade spice mixes.
For today’s cupid-approved creation, I started with a layer of coffee-flavored German cheesecake on the bottom, baked in the glass in your oven. And since this cheesecake does not rock a crust on the bottom, I finished it with with a light and fluffy white chocolate mousse using only the best white chocolate with fresh, chopped raspberries folded in! I love this rockstar combination of white chocolate, raspberry and coffee and could eat this all day long for sure!
The coffee flavoring is subtle and is achieved by using coffee-flavored Wünder creamery quark in the cheesecake batter. In case you are not yet familiar with quark, it is the dairy that Germans use in Käsekuchen in lieu of cream cheese, creating a fluffier version of this oh so popular dessert or afternoon treat. I love Wünder because the consistency of their quark is closest to what I am used to eating in Germany and always having it in the fridge allows me to create all sorts of protein-packed breakfasts and snacks that otherwise I wouldn’t be inspired to make. If you’d like to give their delicious quark a try (the super versatile plain as well as the flavored coffee quark I used in this recipe are my favorite), use code SOPHIE15 at checkout for 15 percent off your quark order!
Scroll on down for the recipe, now in printable version.
Schicht-Käsekuchen Essentials
Apfelkuchen
Schicht-Käsekuchen: German Layered Cheesecake
Ingredients
- butter for glasses
- 120 g butter
- 100 g sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 pinch salt
- 420 g Wünder creamery coffee quark 3 small tubs of coffee quark
- 3 eggs
- 20 g cornstarch
- 20 g flour
White Chocolate Mousse
- 100 g white chocolate
- 200 ml heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
- fresh raspberries to fold into the mousse, optional
Garnishes
- fresh raspberries
- chocolate covered espresso beans
- fresh mint
Instructions
Make Cheesecakes
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Butter the Weck glasses using a pastry brush. You can of course also use other jars or even mugs.
- Whisk together either by hand or with the help of a mixer the butter, sugar, lemon peel and salt until the batter reaches a smooth consistency, but don’t overwork it.
- Gradually whisk in the egg, making sure it stays a smooth consistency. If the eggs are too cold, it can easily become grainy.
- Mix together the corn starch and flour, then whisk into the butter-egg mixture until smooth. Lastly, whisk in the quark.
- Divide the cheesecake mixture evenly between the 6 jars. The cleanest way to achieve this is by using a decorating bag. You don't need to use a decorating tip. Simply cut off a fairly large hole at the tip of the bag.
- Place the glasses on a metal rack and bake in preheated oven (convection setting) for about 20 to 25 minutes at 320 degrees Fahrenheit or 160 degrees Celsius.
- Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature (2 to 3 hours), then transfer to a fridge .
Make the White Chocolate Mousse
- Using your microwace, in 30 second increments, melt together the white chocolate and about 1/3 of the whipping cream. You want to heat until barely melted, or else the chocolate can easily burn. Allow to bring to room temperature. If the chocolate is warm still, it will melt your whipped cream.
- Beat the remaining, cold whipping cream with 1 Tbsp of powdered sugar. Keep cool until ready to fold together with the chocolate.
- Once the chocolate has cooled, carelfully fold into half of the whipped cream and finally fold in the remaining whipped cream.
- Divide between the cooled cheesecakes (you can also chop up a few fresh raspberries and fold them in as well!). Allow to set up in the fridge for 2 hours or longer.
- One hour before you're ready to eat your cheesecake, remove from the fridge. Garnish with some chocolate covered espresso beans, fresh raspberries and fresh mint.
Nutrition
I received compensation from Wünder Creamery in exchange for writing this post. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions, thoughts and recipes are my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may be compensated if you click certain links.
