Cheese Cake

This German Cheese Cake is served regularly during tea-time in my in-laws' homes.  It was originally called "Tränekuchen" which is literally translated as "Crying Cake" due to the appearance of "teardrops" in between the soft peaks topping of the cake.

Crust Ingredients:

200g flour

100g sugar

100g butter

1 egg

Filling Ingredients:

500g Magerquark (available from german supermarkets outside Europe - ask for Quark 20% fat)

150g sugar

1 egg (whole)

2 egg yolks

½ cup cooking oil

1 packet pudding powder (vanilla flavour)

½ litre milk

Topping:

2 egg whites

3 tbsp sugar

Method:

Knead all the crust ingredients together and form into dough on flat surface.  Line a lightly buttered 26 cm diameter cake tin (with loose bottom) with dough with the edges halfway up the sides.

Mix all filling ingredients together except the milk.  Lastly, add the milk so that the fluid consistency is reached.  Do not cook the filling.  Pour filling into form and bake in a preheated fan oven at 160ºC for 50 minutes.

Beat egg whites and sugar until stiff.  Once cake is done, remove from oven and pour topping onto cake.  Then, form soft peaks on topping with the back of a tablespoon.  Make sure that the spoon is wet.  Ensure that the topping does not touch the sides of the cake form.  If it does, clean it properly with a wet knife.  Also, ensure that the peaks are high enough in order that the sugar crystals (golden brown color) can appear in between the peaks on the surface when the cake is cooled.  Bake the cake for another 10 minutes.

Bon Appetit!