Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.
This recipe for German Pumpkin Cheesecake came from my podcast guest, Heidrun Metzler. Make sure you listen to her episode while you make this Pumpkin Cheesecake with Shortcrust!
This pumpkin cheesecake is the perfect dessert for the fall season.
A lightly spiced rich and creamy filling is paired with a perfectly crumbly but durable Mürbeteig (German shortcrust) base.
The gorgeous orange color will fit right in on any Thanksgiving table - perfectly at home next to a classic pumpkin pie (or maybe possibly upstaging it).
Looking for more international pumpkin recipes to make this fall? Check out this recipe roundup that showcasing 22 pumpkin recipes from around the world!
Heidrun's Memories of Making Pumpkin Cheesecake
My Oma always made her own quark with milk from a dairy farm, and it fascinated me from the time I was a child. Long before I understood the details, I sensed there was something magical about turning fresh milk into something entirely new. I grew up surrounded by the quiet rhythms of a kitchen where nothing went to waste.
As I got older, maybe around eight or ten, I began noticing the small transformations happening around me: how milk thickened, how dough rose, how aromas wafted throughthe kitchen.
By twelve or fourteen, my curiosity had grown. I've always been a bit scientifically oriented, so I was drawn to the idea that you could take one ingredient, treat it a certain way, and something completely different would emerge.
I had to know how she made this? Why did it thicken?
-Heidrun Metzler, guest of The Storied Recipe Podcast
Top Tip from Becky
Don't fear the quark!!
This recipe uses a cornerstone of German sweet and savory dishes: rich, creamy homemade quark.
At first, I thought this was far too intimidating to make, so I made the recipe with Heidrun's substitutions.
But after my interview with Heidrun, I felt so confident and empowered, I went ahead and tried making my own quark -
And it was no problem!! Actually, it was a very fun experiment and the cheesecake was even *better* with the quark included.
I've listed all of Heidrun's tips for making quark below!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Tips from Heidrun
Adding lime: Add about 1.5 Tbsps of lime juice in the cheesecake filling gives a little lightness and brightness while you never taste the lime itself.
Cream cheese: Make sure to bring the cream cheese to room temperature or you will be left with flecks in your cheesecake (like I did in mine!).
Use a blender: Heidrun suggests using a blender to make sure the cream cheese is super smooth. If you are using quark, you can skip this step.
What is Quark?
Quark is a soft, creamy cheese that is thicker than yogurt, but with a more mellow flavor that is ideal to make cheesecakes.
The flavor is very mild and rich, just barely sweet nudging towards the flavor of cream, just barely tangy, nudging towards the flavor of Greek yogurt.
Quark is very high in protein, higher even than Greek yogurt, and has less sodium than cottage cheese. It is very popular in Europe, specifically in Germany, and often used in cheesecakes, other baked goods, and for creamy dips and spreads.
More Quark Information
For a comprehensive breakdown on the comparisons between quark vs. yogurt vs. ricotta, download this detailed guide from Heidrun.
In the meantime, here is a summary in her exact words:
Short Conclusions Bakers Should Know
- Quark is the correct dairy for German cheesecake. It bakes firm, smooth, and stable.
- Yogurt cannot replace quark because yogurt becomes runny and unstable with heat.
- Ricotta is not similar to Quark; ricotta is made from whey and has a grainy structure.
If someone wants to describe quark, the closest comparison is ONLY texture: it is somewhat like thick Greek yogurt, but quark is milder in flavor, less sour, and significantly more stable in baking.
Making Quark
I recommend watching Heidrun's vimeos on making quark before you start
But really, the steps are simple.
- Make sure you have Mesophilic cultures and calcium chloride on hand. These are essential. (Note: Heidrun tells me the buttermilk method popular on social media will not result in a sufficiently firm quark.)
- Warm a gallon of milk (homogenized and pasteurized is fine, just not ultra-pasteurized) to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. (Note: If you accidentally go a little higher, wait until it cools back down to 85. You don't want to risk killing the cultures.)
- Sprinkle the cultures on top.
- Mix ⅛ teaspoon of the calcium chloride with ¼ cup of water. Pour into the milk.
- Let it sit undisturbed for at least 12 hours. The total length of time will depend on how cool your kitchen is. (Mine took about 20 hours). At this stage, the quark should be cuttable, with a texture like thick custard. The entire mass will move as one, like a bowl of milk jello 🙂 It may also begin gathering some whey around the rim.
- Pour all the contents into a muslin or cheesecloth-lined strainer, which is set into a large pot. Pour slowly as a LOT of whey will drain off initially. The entire contents may not fit into the strainer until the first flush of whey is drained into the pot.
- Allow the quark to continue to drain into the pot EITHER by sitting in the strainer, or (faster) by tying the muslin together and hanging it over the pot. This can take anywhere from 6-24 hours, depending on the porosity of your cloth, the temperature in your kitchen, and how thick you want your quark.
- For a consistency optimal for cheesecke, drain until very little whey is accumulating in the pot and the quark is holding its shape on a spoon.
Mürbeteig Crust
"Mürbeteig" is not exactly translateable into English as the best definition is self-referential - until you've had this short, crumbly, brittle yet sturdy crust, you won't know what it is 🙂
The closest approximate translation is "shortcrust".
For me (Becky), this classic European pastry dough, used in dozens of pies, tarts, and other desserts, was a revelation. It was the easiest pastry crust I've ever worked with!
Mürbeteig "shortcrust" has no liquid because the fat from the butter coat the flour molecules, rendering it unable to absorb liquid.
Equipment
- Springform pan - 9" or 10"
- Electric hand mixer OR food processor
- Mixing bowls
- Dough scraper (optional)
- Cookie sheet
- Pie crust shield OR aluminum foil
- Wire rack
- Kuchenretter (cake lifter, optional)
- Mesophilic cultures
- Calcium chloride
Storage
- You can store your cheesecake in refrigerator for up to 5 days, and you can freeze it up to 3 months, but be sure to wrap and store it properly so it doesn't develop freezer burn.
Connect with Heidrun Metzler and Her Work
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Listen to Heidrun's Episode
PrintRecipe
German Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Total Time: 4 hours
Description
German Pumpkin Cheesecake is rich, creamy, and warmly spiced with a tender, buttery crust. A cozy fall German dessert.
Ingredients
Shortcrust
- 1 ⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for working dough
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar, or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 16 ounces quark *See Note 1
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tablespoons lime juice
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- Dash of ground cloves (less than ⅛ teaspoon)
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Recipe
Prepare the Crust
- Set aside ¼ cup of the measured flour to use as needed while working the dough and pressing it into the form.
- Sift the remaining flour and baking powder onto a large marble or wooden board. Form a well in the middle and sprinkle the salt around the edge. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla into the well.
- Cut the butter into small pieces, approximately ¼ to ½ inch. Distribute the pieces over and around the flour.
- Using the tip of a metal dough scraper, stir the egg as if gently scrambling. Begin carefully pushing the dry ingredients into the well's center. Work to combine all ingredients, first with the dough scraper and then with your hands, until a ball of dough forms.
- Add flour sparingly or chill as necessary if the dough becomes too sticky.
- Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
Prepare and Preheat Oven
- Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Place a heavy cookie sheet on bottom rung.
- Butter and flour the pan in preparation for assembly. Set aside.
Mix the Filling
- Using an electric hand mixer or food processor, blend the cream cheese, quark, eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla, and lime juice until smooth.
- Sift the cornstarch over the mixture. Blend again.
- Add the pumpkin purée, cloves, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon. Blend briefly until an even, light-orange color is achieved. The consistency will be like heavy cream.
Mold Dough into Pan
- Slice the chilled dough horizontally into four discs.
- Lay the discs into the bottom of the prepared pan so they lean partially against the sides. The pieces may overlap.
- With flour-dipped fingers, push the dough out, rather than pressing it down, to cover the pan evenly. Pull the dough about two-thirds of the way up the pan's sides.
- Even out any thin spots for a fairly consistent thickness.
Assemble the Cheesecake:
- Pour the filling into the crust and check the rim. The filling needs room to rise during baking. Keep crust ¼ inch above the filling. Push it down gently if it is higher.
Bake the Cheesecake
- Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes.
- Cover the rim with a pie crust shield for the last 25 minutes if the edges get too dark.
- The cake is ready when the middle is level with the sides and is of a toasted orange color. The crust will have deepened in color. Use these methods to check if your cheesecake is done:
- Insert a wooden skewer gently between the crust and rim to check doneness.
- The crust should be firm and lift away from the rim without leaving dough on the skewer.
- Also insert the skewer through the cake's center. There may be a few kernels of filling on it, but it should not present underbaked dough.
- The filling may jiggle a little when the pan is moved, but it should be mostly set.
- Allow cake to cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before removing the pan's metal rim.
- Use a kuchenretter (cake lifter) to lift cake from the pan's base, and continue cooling on a wire rack to room temperature before serving, or refrigerate to cool further.
Notes
Note 1: If quark is hard to find, substitute 1 ½ cups ricotta and ⅓ cup sour cream.
How to Make Quark:
- Make sure you have Mesophilic cultures and calcium chloride on hand. These are essential. (Note: Heidrun tells me the buttermilk method popular on social media will not result in a sufficiently firm quark.)
- Warm a gallon of milk (homogenized and pasteurized is fine, just not ultra-pasteurized) to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. (Note: If you accidentally go a little higher, wait until it cools back down to 85. You don't want to risk killing the cultures.)
- Sprinkle the cultures on top.
- Mix ⅛ teaspoon of the calcium chloride with ¼ cup of water. Pour into the milk.
- Let it sit undisturbed for at least 12 hours. The total length of time will depend on how cool your kitchen is. (Mine took about 20 hours). At this stage, the quark should be cuttable, with a texture like thick custard. The entire mass will move as one, like a bowl of milk jello 🙂 It may also begin gathering some whey around the rim.
- Pour all the contents into a muslin or cheesecloth-lined strainer, which is set into a large pot. Pour slowly as a LOT of whey will drain off initially. The entire contents may not fit into the strainer until the first flush of whey is drained into the pot.
- Allow the quark to continue to drain into the pot EITHER by sitting in the strainer, or (faster) by tying the muslin together and hanging it over the pot. This can take anywhere from 6-24 hours, depending on the porosity of your cloth, the temperature in your kitchen, and how thick you want your quark.
- For a consistency optimal for cheesecke, drain until very little whey is accumulating in the pot and the quark is holding its shape on a spoon.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Would love to hear from you!