German Käse-Sahne Torte

Instructions

To make the sponge cake:

PREPARE: Heat the oven to 170°C / 325°F / Gas 3 with a rack in the lower third. Grease sides the edge of a 20cm (8 in.) round springform cake pan and line the bottom with baking parchment paper.
BEAT EGGS: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment fitted or using an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs and hot water for one minute until they are frothy.
ADD SUGAR: Mix the sugar and vanilla sugar, then gradually add to the egg mixture. Beat for another minute.
FOLD IN DRY INGREDIENTS: Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder, then fold gently into the batter. Try to keep as much air in the mixture as possible!
BAKE: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap once on the bench top to level and remove air bubbles, then bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until risen and golden brown..
COOL: Remove the cake from the oven, and run a metal spatula or knife around the inside of the cake pan to release the sponge. Place a piece of baking paper on a wire rack and invert the cake on top (this stops it from sticking to the rack). Gently peel off the paper on the base, then allow to cool completely. When cool, carefully cut the cake in half through the middle, giving you a base and a lid.

To make the filling:

PREPARE GELATINE: Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water for 10 minutes. Separate the egg, and whisk the yolk with the sugar in a saucepan. Stir in the milk and bring to a brief boil (just until it begins to boil!). Set aside and let cool for 2 minutes, then whisk in the squeezed-out gelatin sheets one by one.
MIX WITH QUARK: In a large bowl, beat the Quark until smooth, then gradually stir in the egg and milk mixture. Stir in the lemon zest and juice (if using), then place the quark mixture in the refrigerator until it begins to thicken - 5-10 minutes.
WHIP CREAM: Meanwhile, whisk the cream with the vanilla sugar until it forms stiff peaks, then gently fold the whipped cream into the thickened quark mixture with a spatula. Chill for a further 10 minutes.
ASSEMBLE AND COOL: Place the cake base on a cake platter or serving plate and enclose it with a lightly greased tart ring (see notes). Spread the filling on the cake base and smooth the top. Place the cake top on and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Before serving, dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.

Notes

If you have one, you’ll get the best results using a tart or cake ring. If not, just use the ring of the springform pan. You may find that you need to create a little collar out of foil or baking paper to keep everything in.

No Quark? I recommend either well-drained whole-milk ricotta or a mixture of ricotta and well-drained Greek Yogurt.

I always recommend using vanilla sugar rather than vanilla extract in German recipes. That way, you are not adding any extra liquid to the mixture.

I use German whipping cream in my baking, which has a fat content of around 30%. You can use heavy cream, but it is not necessary in this recipe.