Dirty Kitchen Secrets

Rasberry & Quark Cheese Summer Cake With Me Mate Sacha…

Posted on 21. Jul, 2009 by Bethany in Desserts, Entertaining, Inhouse Ads, Recipes

My friend Sacha came over the other day, to teach me how to make this cake. It’s one of her family favorites and was developed by her au pair, Maria. We had a fantastically messy time making this! I’ve made it twice since Thursday and plan on making it again for my visitors this week-end! Revised 08/09: ” keep making this, everyone is swearing the best summer cake they have ever had!”

In other words, It’s rocking my world. 

It’s a fun, zesty, light and fluffy summer cake that uses no butter. It has a slight tang to it, because of the lemon juice added, which make it so very refreshing. It also has the right amount of sugar; I absolutely cannot stand sickly cakes! The use of quark cheese keeps the fat content to a minimum (about the same as yoghurt). For my U.S readers, I’ve been told you can use low fat cream cheese, but I have not tried it. If you do make it that way, please do come back and let me know how it turns out for you. Also, see pot cheese and farmer’s cheese.

In any case, regardless of fat content, at the end of the day it’s how it tastes. And this cake tastes so marvelous that I wish all things low in fat could taste this good!  

 

Cast of characters

For the cake

100g caster sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 whole egg

2 eggs, seperated

100g self-raising flour

1/2 a lemon zest

a teaspoon of cold butter

For the filling

2 eggs, seperated

100ml double cream

100g caster sugar

500g quark cheese or 

170g Rasberries (or berry of choice)

2 sachet of powdered gelatin or 8 leaves of gelatin- Follow instructions on packet

1 lemon, juiced

Equipment

20cm / 8in loose bottom round cake tin, full height

Grease proof paper

Kitchen scale

Metal spoon- because of it thin edge, it cuts through, and thus allowing less air to be released.

5 bowls (2 large, 3 mediums) 

hand mixer

Prep time: 30 minutes

Baking time: 45 minutes

Because we are going to use the same beaters throughout the recipe, it’s best to always begin beating the egg whites. Doing otherwise, can get some of the other ingredients in with the egg whites, affecting the end result; light an fluffly. Please follow the steps exactly, otherwise you will get completely different results. It’s important that the egg whites are always folded into the mixtures at the end.

The Nitty Gritty

Bowl 1(Medium size)- Add egg whites and beat till you reach soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Save yolks for later in the recipe.

Keep the mixer moving around so all is mixed thoroughly.

A soft peak will fall over itself while a stiff peak will stand straight up.

Always be sure to use a clean, glass bowl, that has been chilled in the fridge, as this helps in obtaining the correct texture. So, basically no water or oils in sight and especially no plastic bowls because plastic attracts oils. Use the freshest of eggs and bring the eggs to room temperature before using. Do not tap the bowl with a spoon in an attempt to get all ingredients saved, as you’ll loose the air and the beaten egg whites will deflate. The egg whites should be beaten and used as soon as possible.  

Sasha shows us how it’s done!

Bowl 2- Use a large bowl because we will add other ingredients to it later.

 

Add the whole egg, the 2 egg yolks, sugar and water and beat for about a minute.

Till you reach a creamy consistency.

Now add the lemon zest.

Add the sifted flour and beat for about one minute.

 

Add the beaten egg whites (from bowl 1)

Begin folding, not stirring or mixing. Use a metal spoon. 

Making sure to remove all lumps, if any present.

Use a round cake tin with a removable center or base. Add about a teaspoon of cold butter to the center of the parchement paper and lay over the base. The butter in the center is to help stick the parchment paper to the base.

 Add batter and level out mixture using a spoon.

 

Bake for 45 minutes at 160C/325F/3G on the highest shelf, because heat rises. Once finished remove and let cool for about 20 minutes.

Then remove cake tin bottom and parchment paper.

Slice and sit on cooling rack while you make the filling.

Now for the filling

Bowl 3 (medium size)- Seperate eggs, allowing egg whites to drip into bowl. Reserve egg yolks for later.

Beat the egg whites till you reach soft peaks. Please refer to the directions I’ve mentioned earlier in the post to reach optimum results. Set the beaten egg whites aside.

Bowl 4 (Medium Size)- Add cream and whip for about 2 minutes.

Prep gelatin according to instructions on packet

Bowl 5 (Large)- Add sugar and egg yolks and beat quickly.

Then add gelatin and beat quickly

now add quark cheese, wihpped cream, and lemon juice and Fold

 

Add beaten egg whites 

And gently fold using a metal spoon!

Add rasberries and gently fold once

Place cake tin, base off, on a decorative plate. Add a layer of sponge cake to the bottom.

Add the filling, level it with a spoon, cover with other half of sponge cake. Let it sit in the fridge for about 1 hour, till the filling sets. 

Tags: cake, cheesecake, cooking with guests, light, quark, rasberries, summer