Polish Easter Cake

I have often made this Polish cheesecake when I have cottage cheese in the fridge and some free time on an evening. I love that it has a cocoa base, a rich filling, and a chocolate glaze that sets beautifully overnight. It’s one of those recipes you can prepare in advance because it tastes even better the next day.

Quick Info

Total time: about 1 hour and 10-15 minutes, plus cooling and glazing
Preparation time: 20-25 minutes
Baking time: 50 minutes (10 minutes for the base, 40 minutes with the filling)
Servings: 10-12 slices
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: cheesecake, suitable for holidays or when you want a cottage cheese dessert

Ingredients

For the dough:
1 cup (approx. 200 ml) flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
100 g margarine or butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
vanilla sugar
1 cup milk
1 packet baking powder

For the filling:
500 g cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 cup powdered sugar
80 g cream margarine or butter
vanilla sugar
grated lemon and orange zest
2 tablespoons flour
100 g raisins soaked in rum or brandy

For the glaze:
1 bar dark chocolate

Preparation method

1. For the base: In a large bowl, cream the margarine with the egg and powdered sugar until you get a smooth cream. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with cocoa and baking powder. Gradually incorporate the dry mixture into the margarine cream, alternating with the milk, until you get a batter similar in consistency to pound cake, maybe a little denser. Don’t overmix, just enough to combine everything.

2. For the filling: In another bowl, cream the butter (or margarine) with the egg yolks and powdered sugar until it becomes like a cream. Add the cottage cheese, the two tablespoons of flour, vanilla sugar, and the grated lemon and orange zest. Gently fold in the drained raisins, and finally add the beaten egg whites, folding delicately with a spatula to avoid losing too much air from the mixture.

3. Prepare the pan: Grease the pan with oil and dust it with flour or line it with baking paper. Pour three-quarters of the batter into the pan, level it with a spatula, and place it in the preheated oven on the middle rack. Bake for about 10 minutes, until it sets slightly on top and is no longer runny.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and pour the cheese mixture over the base, then cover with the remaining batter. Level it gently without pressing too hard. Return the pan to the oven for about 40 minutes, until the filling is set and the top of the base is baked.

5. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely without removing it from the pan immediately. Once it has cooled well, remove it and place it on a serving platter.

6. For the glaze: Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it in a double boiler or microwave. Spread the glaze over the cheesecake, leaving it at room temperature until the chocolate crust hardens. For the best texture, cover it and refrigerate until the next day.

Why I make this recipe often

It helps when I need a dessert that keeps well overnight. It’s rich, has a balanced flavor of cheese and cocoa, and the chocolate crust becomes crunchy overnight. It slices beautifully and doesn’t require many techniques.

Tips and variations

Tips

You can use butter instead of margarine for a richer taste.
The flour should be sifted, especially for the base, to avoid lumps of cocoa.
Use well-drained cottage cheese; otherwise, the filling may turn out too soft.
The egg whites should be beaten stiff to aerate the cheese mixture.

Substitutions

Margarine can be fully replaced with butter in both components.
Raisins can be omitted if you don’t prefer them, or you can use hydrated dried cranberries.
For flavor, orange can be omitted or replaced with vanilla essence.

Variations

You can use some of the dough for decoration in the form of strips over the filling, although the classic version only involves placing the remaining dough over the cream.
Cottage cheese can be mixed with a little drained yogurt if you want a finer texture.

Serving ideas

Cut into thick slices with a knife passed through hot water to avoid breaking the glaze.
It goes well with plain tea or coffee, especially if you take it out of the fridge.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use store-bought cottage cheese?
It’s better to use classic cottage cheese from the market, well-drained. Store-bought versions may contain more whey and can thin out the filling.

What size should the pan be?
A suitable pan is either rectangular or round, of medium size. If you use a pan that is too large, the base will turn out too thin.

Can this cheesecake be frozen?
I do not recommend freezing due to the base and cheese cream. The texture changes after thawing.

What can I substitute for dark chocolate for the glaze?
If you don’t have dark chocolate, you can use any type of plain chocolate, or even milk chocolate, but the dessert will be a bit sweeter.

How long should it cool before being cut?
Ideally, leave it in the fridge overnight so the glaze sets and the cheese settles well.

Nutritional values

Estimate per serving (from 12 servings): approximately 320-340 kcal, 8 g protein, 17 g fat, 33 g carbohydrates. Values are approximate and may vary depending on the type of cheese and chocolate used. The dessert is rich due to the butter/margarine, cheese, and chocolate glaze.

Storage and reheating

It can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days. No reheating is needed. On the contrary, it’s better cold, as the glaze remains crunchy. If you want, you can leave the slices for a few minutes at room temperature before serving. After several days, the base may become slightly more moist, but the taste remains good.

 Ingredients: For the dough: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 egg, 100g margarine or butter, 2 tablespoons cocoa, vanilla sugar, 1 cup milk, 1 packet baking powder. For the filling: 500g cottage cheese, 2 eggs, 1 cup powdered sugar, 80g margarine for creams or butter, vanilla sugar, grated lemon and orange zest, 2 tablespoons flour, 100g raisins soaked in rum or brandy. For the glaze: a bar of dark chocolate.

 Tags:  polish easter cake