Apricot Cheesecake

5 from 1 vote

A light and creamy cheesecake, topped with apricots, this Apricot Cheesecake is a classic in Germany and one of my favorite ways to use apricots in early summer.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Dessert

Cuisine: German

Keyword: apricot, cheesecake

Servings:

Calories: 416kcal

Equipment

1 9" Spring Form Pan

Ingredients

Crust

100 grams butter softened
1 egg yolk
60 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract optional, replace with lemon zest
175 grams all purpose flour

Filling

1 lemon zested
130 grams sugar
500 grams quark or 5% greek yogurt
200 grams heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg
4 apricots more as needed depending on the size

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Instructions

Crust

Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
In a medium bowl, add in the softened butter, egg yolk, almond extract, and sugar. Use a mixer to mix the ingredients together into a smooth mixture.
Pour in the flour and use a fork to rub the flour into the mixture until it clumps together and no more flour is visible.
Pour the mixed crust into a springform pan. First press the crust into the sides of the pan and then into the bottom of the pan.
Be sure that the corner where the sides and bottom meet isn't too thick. You can do this by pressing the back of your pointer finger into the corner once the crust has been pressed into the whole pan.
The crust doesn't need to go more than 1/2"-1" up the side.

Assemble

In a large mixing bowl, add in the lemon zest and sugar. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar.
Then add in the quark (or greek yogurt), heavy cream, eggs, and vanilla. Use an electric mixer to whisk together until smooth and combined.
Carefully pour the filling into the pressed crust.
Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Gently place the apricot halves face down into the filling around the edge and into the center of the filling.
Bake the apricot cake for 60-70 minutes, rotating it after 30 minutes to ensure even baking.
Once baked, remove the apricot cheesecake from the oven and leave to cool on a rack until it is room temperature. Then, move it to the fridge and allow it to set fully before removing the springform pan.

Notes

You may need more or less apricots depending on the size, and if you are using preserved apricots, be sure to let the liquid drain off before adding them to the cake. Once baked the cake should still jiggle a little in the center when tapped. The cake should be cooled fully before slicing into it, otherwise it will fall apart.

This cake will keep well in the fridge for a couple of days if covered. It tastes good either cold or at room temperature but should be stored in the fridge.

Don't over mix the crust. Because you are going to press it into the springform pan, it does not need to hold together as a solid piece of dough - it just needs to be fully mixed.
Using an electric whisk to mix the filling is best because it will break up the quark better and ensure that there are no unmixed clumps.
Don't assemble until the oven is preheated. Even if the crust, filling, and apricots are ready, wait until the oven is hot to assemble.
Knowing when it is done baking can be difficult but not impossible. It will still be very jiggle like jello but it shouldn't be sloshy - it will set as it cools. It will also sink as it cools but don't worry this doesn't mean that it is underbaked.
Allow the cheesecake to come to room temperature before putting it in the fridge to set fully.

Nutrition