Rudy Cake

The first time I made this cake was more out of curiosity, after seeing various people trying it and each had something to say about how suitable it is for a day when you want something less sweet and quite simple to assemble. I used cheese from the market, quite dry and crumbly, and slightly adjusted the sugar with a sweetener, because I wanted it to be suitable for someone who can't have sugar. I found it interesting that you don't have to put the dough in the freezer, but just crumble it and use it directly, which saves time.

Quick Info

Total Time: About 1 hour and 10 minutes (includes preparation and baking)
Preparation Time: Around 30-35 minutes
Baking Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 10-12, depending on how large you slice
Difficulty: Medium
Recipe Type: Sweet cheese cake, suitable for diabetics (with sweetener)

Ingredients

For the dough:
250 g cold butter
1 egg yolk
1 pinch of salt
400 g flour
2 tablespoons carob powder
1 pinch of baking powder
3 tablespoons stevia extract (or xylitol, as preferred)
Vanilla essence (to taste)

For the filling:
800 g sweet cottage cheese (preferably drier)
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1 tablespoon spice mixture with rum and vanilla
1 pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cranberries
2 tablespoons raisins
3-4 tablespoons stevia extract (or other sweetener, to taste)
3-4 cubes of dark chocolate (grated on top, optional)

Pan size: 33 x 23 cm

Preparation Method

1. Prepare the dough
Cut the cold butter into cubes and put it in the food processor bowl. Add the egg yolk and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the carob powder and baking powder. Put everything over the butter in the processor. Pour in the stevia extract (or xylitol) and, if you want, a bit of vanilla essence.

Start the processor and mix until everything becomes a sandy dough, with fairly uniform crumbs. You don't need to insist too much; it's good to remain crumbly.

2. Assemble the base
Line the pan with parchment paper. Put half of the crumbly dough in the pan and spread it on the bottom, pressing lightly with your hand to form a compact layer.

3. Prepare the filling
Separate the eggs, keeping 3 egg whites and 2 yolks. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold well, but there's no need for them to be very stiff.

In a large bowl, put the cottage cheese, sour cream, egg yolks, spice mixture, stevia extract (or whatever sweetener you use), cranberries, and raisins. Mix everything well, then carefully fold in the beaten egg whites, so as not to lose all the air.

4. Assemble the cake
Pour the cheese cream over the layer of dough in the pan and level it. Sprinkle the other half of the crumbly dough on top, distributed as evenly as possible. If you forgot to put vanilla essence in the dough, you can drizzle a few drops on top now.

5. Bake the cake
Put the pan in the preheated oven at 180°C and let it bake for 35 minutes. The cake should take on a slightly golden color on top.

6. Finalization
Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool well in the pan. If you want, grate some dark chocolate on top while it's still warm. Once completely cool, cut into squares and serve.

Why I make the recipe often

It's the kind of dessert that I can quickly adapt for someone with sugar restrictions or when I have cottage cheese that needs to be used. It keeps well for a few days, is not picky when cutting, and doesn't dry out quickly. I love the texture of the dough on top, especially when I use dry cheese and dried fruits.

Tips and variations

Tips

If the cheese is very wet, let it drain before use.
Be careful not to press the crumbs on top too hard; they need to remain airy.
You can soak the dried fruits in a little brandy or other alcohol if you want.

Substitutions

Stevia or xylitol work just as well as sweeteners; just adjust the amount to taste.
If you can't find carob powder, you can omit it, but it gives a subtle flavor and a different color to the dough.
Cottage cheese can be replaced with ricotta if it's dry enough.

Variations

Dried fruits can be changed: goji, dates, dried cherries, or finely chopped apricots.
You can use sugar-free dark chocolate for decoration if you want to keep the cake as "sugar-free" as possible.

Serving ideas

You can sprinkle powdered sugar (or a substitute) if you haven't added enough sweetener to the mixture.
The cake is served cold, making it easier to cut and keeps the layers well.
A slice goes well with coffee or tea, being quite filling.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use creamier cottage cheese?
Yes, but it would be good to let it drain, so the mixture doesn't become too liquid and doesn't wet the dough too much.

2. Can it be made with brown or white sugar instead of stevia?
Any type of sugar can be used; just adjust the amount to taste. It will result in a sweeter cake with a slightly different texture.

3. Can the cake be frozen?
I do not recommend it because the crumbly dough and cheese filling change texture after freezing and thawing. It's better to keep it in the fridge.

4. Can I omit the carob powder?
Yes, it is not essential. It adds a little color and flavor, but the recipe works without it.

5. Can a food processor be used for the entire recipe?
The processor is useful only for the dough. The filling is mixed manually to avoid crushing the cheese completely and to keep the texture.

Nutritional values

Estimate for one serving (out of 12 servings, with stevia):
Approx. 260-280 kcal
Protein: 8-10 g
Carbohydrates: 18-20 g (depends on fruits and sweetener)
Fats: 16-18 g

If you use sugar, the values may increase by about 20-30 kcal per serving. These are just approximate values.

Storage and reheating

The cheese cake keeps in the fridge, covered, for 3-4 days. It does not need to be reheated; it is served cold or at room temperature. The texture remains good even after 2-3 days. If you want, you can slightly heat a slice in the microwave, but it will soften the crumbs on top a bit. I do not recommend freezing, as it changes the texture.

 Ingredients: For the dough: 250 g butter 1 egg yolk 1 pinch of salt 400 g flour 2 tablespoons carob powder 1 pinch of baking powder 3 tablespoons stevia extract vanilla essence For the filling: 800 g sweet cow cheese 2 tablespoons sour cream 2 egg yolks 3 egg whites 1 tablespoon spice mix with rum and vanilla 1 pinch of salt 2 tablespoons cranberries 2 tablespoons raisins 3-4 tablespoons stevia extract 3-4 finely grated dark chocolate cubes on top (optional)

 Tags:  rudy cake