This passion fruit cheesecake is a typical German cheesecake made with quark and cream. An incredibly flavorful and refreshing cheesecake perfect for any occasion.

PASSION FRUIT CHEESECAKE

I’ve started the month on Where Is My Spoon with one of my favorite cakes ever: The Best Carrot Cake with Coconut and Lemon Glaze.

I will continue with many other favorite cakes, today’s Passion Fruit Cheesecake followed by several other cakes, like the lemon curd and raspberry cake or the pineapple cheesecake with raffaello.

All of them are the top of my list when it comes to cakes, my absolute favorites, cakes I have been baking dozens and dozens of time during the last 10 years or so.

I like to call this passion fruit cheesecake a no-bake cheesecake although you do have to bake the base. Otherwise this is a typical German no-bake cheesecake as opposed to the other sort of German cheesecake, which has to be baked.

The result is a completely different cheesecake, something more refreshing and light (not in calories, but in taste), a cake suitable for sunny warm days, when you want to have something refreshing with your coffee.

INGREDIENTS FOR PASSION FRUIT CHEESECAKE

What is quark?

Quark is a very common ingredient used in cooking and baking in Germany. According to Wikipedia “Quark or quarg is a type of fresh dairy product made by warming soured milk until the desired amount of curdling is met, and then straining it. It can be classified as fresh acid-set cheese. Traditional quark is made without rennet. It is soft, white and unaged, and usually has no salt added.”

Quark is not only common in Germany, but also pretty much all over Europe, in all German speaking European countries, but also in Poland and Russia.

In Germany we can buy low-fat quark, which has very little fat, quark with 20% fat or quark with 40% fat.

To tell you the truth, I don’t even remember if I have ever bought the 40% fat quark, I rarely buy the 20% fat one (only when purposely specified in a cake recipe), but I buy the low-fat one all the time, I have it quite often in my fridge.

I use low-fat quark in most of the cake recipes made with quark, I use it often in this Egg Salad or Egg Sauce with Greek Yogurt and Chives.

I use it for many other bread spreads, I make desserts with quark, something like this Strawberry Sauce Mascarpone Quark Dessert with White Chocolate or this amazing Strawberry Tiramisu with Mascarpone and Quark.

How to replace quark in recipes?

• If quark isn’t readily available in your area, there are ways to substitute it in a satisfactory manner. Similar products are cream cheese, Greek yogurt, fromage frais cottage or farmer’s cheese.
• Try to use a product that has a similar fat content to the type of quark indicated in a recipe.
• So, for instance, as I use low-fat quark in this recipe for maracuya or passion fruit cheesecake, I would replace that with a smooth farmer’s cheese (which is normally pretty low-fat) or lower-fat cream cheese.
• However, that is not mandatory, this kind of no-bake cheesecakes are pretty versatile, so if you use full-fat cream cheese or even mascarpone the cake will still taste great, but it will be more calorie laden, so the choice is yours.
• Another wonderful way of replacing the quark in this cake recipe (or another no-bake cheesecake with quark) is with a mixture of full-fat cream cheese and yogurt, I use that combination in another one of my favorite cakes Strawberry Cheesecake and I love it.
• When making a bread spread, for instance, I would definitely go for cottage or farmer’s cheese when unable to find quark.

Heavy cream:

• Otherwise you will need double or heavy cream for the filling. Or whipping cream, whatever it is called in your part of the world.
• Make sure to use pure cream and not some sweetened or no dairy weird product. I am thinking of Romania when I say this, it is very common to use a no dairy, sweetened cream there, which is thoroughly disgusting and which will ruin any cake you use it for.

Gelatin:

• For very detailed instructions on working with gelatin, have a look at this post: No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake.
• I use Dr. Oetker gelatine sheets, but a similar product should be fine. Just make sure you follow the packet’s instructions, especially if they are different than mine.

Passion fruit or maracuya juice:

• I use passion fruit or maracuya juice to make this cake, not fresh passion fruit. I don’t normally drink this juice or any other kind of juice, but I find this passion fruit juice wonderful in this cake, it has a very particular and very aromatic taste.

Glaze:

• To make the glaze you will need more maracuya juice and the German Dr. Oetker clear glaze for the top of the cake. Use a similar kind of jelly powder, which will stiffen the glaze, if Dr. Oetker glaze is not available.

HOW TO MAKE PASSION FRUIT CAKE?

Base:

I use my old and trusted sponge recipe for the base of this passion fruit cake, I must have bake this a million times, it is quite rare that I use another recipe. I go for this one almost every time I need this kind of base, no matter what the recipe calls for…

The recipe is easy, it tastes great and it always turns out the way it is supposed to be, no surprises.

1. Line the bottom of a springform (26 cm/ 10 inches diameter) with baking paper.
2. Separate the eggs.
3. Beat the egg whites and the warm water until stiffer.
4. Slowly start adding the sugar and continue beating until the eggs whites are stiff and glossy.
5. Carefully fold in the lightly beaten egg yolks.
6. Mix the flour, cornstarch and baking powder together and sift them over the egg mixture.
7. Fold in carefully.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared springform and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in them middle of the cake comes out clean.
9. Release the cake from the form and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Filling:

1. Bloom the gelatin in cold water according to the packet’s instructions, in my case about 10 minutes.
2. Mix the quark, sugar, vanilla extract and the passion fruit juice in a bowl.
3. Lightly squeeze the gelatin and give it to a saucepan large enough to hold the quark mixture as well later on.
4. Turn the heat on and gently dissolve the gelatin. This will happen very quickly, so stand by and stir. Do not let the gelatin come to a boil.
5. Remove the saucepan with the gelatin from the heat and slowly start adding the quark mixture, one tablespoon at a time, while stirring continuously.
6. Place the mixture in the fridge and leave it until it just begins to set. Don’t let it set too much.
7. In the meantime beat the cream until stiff. Gently fold the cream into the quark mixture.

Assemble the passion fruit cake:

1. Assemble the cake before making the cake, as the hot glaze has to go directly onto the prepared cake.
2. Slice the cake once.
3. Place one slice on a serving platter and place a cake ring around it.
4. Pour in the filling and cover with the second cake slice.

Glaze:

To make the glaze follow the packet’s instructions.

When using Dr. Oetker clear glaze (Tortenguss):

1. Mix the two packets Dr. Oetker Glaze with 2 tablespoons sugar in a saucepan.
2. Slowly add the passion fruit juice and the water while stirring to avoid the formation of clumps.
3. Turn the heat on and slowly heat the mixture while stirring continuously. You will need about 2-3 minutes.
4. Let the mixture come to a boil, remove from the heat, let stand for 1 minute.
5. Carefully pour the glaze on top of the cake.
6. Place the cake in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours, until set, or even better let it in the fridge overnight.

Other recipes using quark:

Heart-Shaped Cheesecake with Raspberries and Whipped Cream

Polish Crepes with Quark Cheese Filling – Nalesniki

Easy Fresh Blackberry Cake with Whipping Cream

Savory Cheese Pie with Quark, Feta and Yogurt

The Quickest and Most Delicious Crustless Cheesecake

Caramelized Walnut Cake with Quark Honey Filling

Apple Streusel Cheesecake with Cream Cheese and Quark

PIN IT FOR LATER!

Passion Fruit Cheesecake

Yield: 14

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This passion fruit cheesecake is incredibly flavorful and refreshing, the perfect easy cheesecake for any occasion.

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Ingredients

• Cake base:
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 150 g/ 5.3 oz/ ¾ cup sugar
• 85 g/ 3oz/ 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 40 g/ 1.4 oz/ 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Filling:
• 10 sheets gelatin (Dr. Oetker)
• 500 g/ 1.1 lbs/ 2 ½ cups low-fat quark
• 125 g/ 4.4 oz/ 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 250 ml/ 8.5 fl.oz/ 1 cup passion fruit/maracuya juice
• 500 ml/ 17 fl.oz/ 2 cups heavy/ double cream or whipping cream
• Glaze:
• 2 packets Dr. Oetker glaze
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 375 ml/ 12.6 fl.oz/ 1 2/3 cups passion fruit/maracuya juice
• 125 ml/ 4.2 fl.oz/ ½ cup water

Instructions

Cake base:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of a springform (26 cm/ 10 inches diameter) with baking paper.
2. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites and the warm water until stiffer. Slowly start adding the sugar and continue beating until the eggs whites are stiff and glossy.
3. Carefully fold in the lightly beaten egg yolks.
4. Mix the flour, cornstarch and baking powder together and sift them over the egg mixture. Fold in carefully.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared springform and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in them middle of the cake comes out clean.
6. Release the cake from the form and let it cool completely on a wire rack.



Filling:

1. For more instructions on working with gelatin have a look at this post.
2. Bloom the gelatin in cold water according to the packet's instructions, about 10 minutes.
3. Mix the quark, sugar, vanilla extract and the passion fruit juice in a bowl.
   Lightly squeeze the gelatin and give it to a saucepan large enough to hold the quark mixture as well later on.
4. Turn the heat on and gently dissolve the gelatin. This will happen very quickly, stand by and stir. Do not let the gelatin come to a boil.
5. Remove the saucepan with the gelatin from the heat and slowly start adding the quark mixture, one tablespoon at a time, while stirring continuously.
6. Place the mixture in the fridge and leave it until it just begins to set. Don't let it set too much.
7. In the meantime beat the double/ whipping cream until stiff. Gently fold the cream into the quark mixture.
8. Slice the cake once. Place one slice on a serving platter and place a cake ring around it.
9. Pour in the filling and cover with the second cake slice.



Glaze:

1. To make the glaze follow the packet's instructions.
2. In my case, I mix the two packets Dr. Oetker Glaze with 2 tablespoons sugar in a saucepan.
3. Slowly add the juice and the water while stirring to avoid the formation of clumps.
4. Turn the heat on and slowly heat the mixture while stirring continuously, it will take 3-4 minutes until the mixture comes to a boil.
5. Let bubble once or twice, remove from the heat, let stand for 1 minute.
6. Carefully pour the glaze on top of the cake.
7. Place the cake in the fridge for at least 5-6 hours or overnight (best).
8. Once the passion fruit cake is completely set, run a knife inside the cake ring to help release the cake from the ring.
9. Remove the ring and slice the cheesecake.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 317 Total Fat: 14g Saturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 82mg Sodium: 110mg Carbohydrates: 37g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 29g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 11g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.