Category: Cheesecake

White Chocolate Sernik

  • Updated 14 February 2025.
  • This is a baked sernik (cheesecake) that I discovered recently.
  • It is based on one in a Christmas book by Mary Berry.
  • I tried it out with the ingredients adjusted several times.
  • This is my final version, which is slightly different to the one in Mary Berry’s book. 
  • It is very rich and creamy – in many ways like a set sernik.
  • The sernik tends to crack on top – do not worry it does not affect the taste!
  • I used Lindt white chocolate, which is super.
  • (I have read that Milky Bar does not melt as well.)
  • There is no sugar in the cake – the sweetness is from the chocolate – and the biscuits in the base.
  • I found it best to loosen the cake slightly in the tin and then leave it in the tin to cool.
  • I think this sernik is best served chilled.

INGREDIENTS – base

  • 150g of plain chocolate digestive biscuits
  • 40g of butter – plus a little to grease the tin.

METHOD – base

  • Melt the butter gently in a small saucepan.
  • Grease a 20cm round loose bottomed tin with some of the melted butter.
  • Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin.
  • Mix in the crushed biscuits with the melted butter.
  • Put the mixture in the bottom of the tin and flatten out to all the sides.
  • Leave to cool.

INGREDIENTS – sernik

  • 400g of full fat cream cheese or yoghurt cheese.
  • 2 eggs & 1 egg yolk (or 3 eggs)
  • 150 ml of soured cream
  • 300g of white chocolate
  • 2 – 3 drops of vanilla essence 
  • A little cocoa powder for dusting the edges.

METHOD – sernik

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160°C.
  • Whisk together the cheese, eggs and yolk and vanilla essence until smooth.
  • Mix in the soured cream and again whisk until smooth.
  • Break the chocolate into a bowl and place over a pan of water.
  • Slowly heat the water and mix the melted chocolate well with a wooden spoon,
  • Take care not to overheat and keep mixing so it is smooth.
  • Allow to cool (this is the hardest part to gauge when to use the chocolate).
  • Slowly stir the cooled, melted chocolate into the cheese mixture and mixture until uniform.
  • Pour the mixture over the dark chocolate base.
  • Flatten the top.
  • Bake for around 50 minutes.
  • When the centre is set – turn off the oven and leave for another 15 minutes with the door slightly open,
  • Using a spatula loosen the sides from the tin.
  • Leave to go cold in the tin before removing.
  • Best kept in the fridge before serving.
  • Dust the edges with cocoa powder using a fine sieve.
  • *
  • NOTE 
  • This is quite rich so maybe do not give huge slices!
  •  

Sour Cherry Sauce – 2

  • This sauce is good for desserts.
  • It can be served hot or cold.
  • Use it with pancakes – hot
  • or cold to pour over baked cheesecake when serving
  • or add to Greek style yoghurt

Ingredients

  • Jar or part jar of sour cherries
  • 4 cloves
  • Small stick of cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon of potato or cornflour
  • *
  • Optional – a little sugar to taste

Method

  • Put the cherries and the juice into a saucepan.
  • Add the cloves and cinnamon.
  • Simmer gently for around 10 minutes.
  • Leave to cool.
  • Remove the spices.
  • Mix the potato or cornflour with a little of the juice.
  • Stir this into the cherries.
  • Bring up to the boil, stirring often.
  • The sauce will thicken.
  • Leave on a low heat if serving hot or
  • Leave to cool.

Babeczki – with Sweet Cheese

  • You might think these are too much trouble compared with making a normal large circular sernik .
  • But after making  little babeczki, which people liked being able to pick up an individual little cake, I thought I would give them a try.
  • They turned out well  and very good if you want these for a large number of people.
  • The sweet cheese mix does not want to be one that rises too much so I adapted the filling from flat sernik. 

Ingredients

  • Shortcrust pastry – Kruche ciasto – from 250g plain flour
  • This made 24 pastries.
  • 200 – 250g yoghurt cheese or cream cheese
  •  2 egg yolks
  • 50g granulated sugar
  • 30g ground almonds
  • Fine grated zest of 1 lemon or orange
  • 50g mixed chopped peel 

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to – GM5
  • Butter shallow tart tins.
  • Roll out the pastry very thinly.
  • Cut out circles to fit and line each tart mould.
  • *
  • Filling
  • ¾ fill each tart – leaving room for expansion.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes.
  • Leave to cool a little before removing them from the tins.

Tea plate by Crown Staffordshire

Flat Sernik

  • Today is the 7th anniversary of my first post on this blog! 
  • This is my 490th post.
  • I have enjoyed doing this so much.
  • I still have lots of recipes old and new to try out.
  • My friends and relative keep giving me ideas and recipes – long may that continue.
  • This recipe is a cross between old and new.
  • I found this recipe in an old book and adapted it slightly.
  • It is a good recipe for when you do not have a large quantity of  cheese.
  • The sernik – baked cheese cake, is made in a rectangular baking tray.
  • It is really a placek – flat cake.
  • Shortcrust pastry – kruche ciasto – is used as a base.
  • Best to use a rich buttery shortcrust

Ingredients

  • Shortcrust  pastry  made from around 250 -300g flour
  • *
  • 300g -350g yoghurt cheese or cream cheese
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 90g granulated sugar
  • 30g ground almonds
  • Fine grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 50g sultanas
  • 50g mixed chopped peel

Method

  • Make enough pastry for a 18 x 28cm baking tray.
  • Pre-heat oven to GM6 – 200°C
  • Grease the baking tray.
  • Roll out the pastry thinly to cover the base of the tin and raise up the sides.
  • Crimp the sides to form an even pattern.
  • Prick the surface with a fork.
  • Cover the base with foil and baking beans.
  • Bake for 10 – 15 minutes.
  • Remove the beans and foil and bake again for 8-9minutes.
  • Leave to go cold completely.
  • *
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160°C.
  • *
  • Mix all cheese, yolks, sugar, almonds and lemon zest together.
  • Stir in the sultanas and peel.
  • Spread the filling over the pastry to fill the “hollow”.
  • Bake for 50 – 55 minutes.
  • Turn off the oven.
  • Leave in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes.
  • *
  • Cut into rectangles to serve.

Served on Crown Staffordshire Tea Plate – Design not known.

Optional but not tried – orange zest rather than lemon zest.

Cheesecake with Rhubarb

  • I live in West Yorkshire not far from the Rhubarb Triangle. 
  • However I do have rhubarb growing in my garden.
  • In the last week or so the rhubarb has started to spring up and I thought I would use it in a baked cheesecake – sernik.
  • There is cooked rhubarb in the cheese mix and a thick rhubarb syrup poured over the cake when it is served.
  • As the rhubarb has to be cold – best to make this the evening before.
  • In England ginger is often added to rhubarb – so here the biscuit base was made from crisp ginger biscuits.
  • This cake was a great hit with everyone who tried it.

Ingredients

  • 150g ginger biscuits
  • 70g butter
  • *
  • 400g rhubarb (leaves and ends removed)
  • 90g granulated sugar
  • 100ml water
  • *
  • 400g curd cheese (twaròg, yoghurt cheese  or cream cheese)
  • 90g granulated sugar
  • 1 egg & 2 yolks
  • 125ml soured cream

Method – Rhubarb

  • Cut the rhubarb into small chunks.
  • Simmer gently with the sugar and water.
  • Once the rhubarb is cooked – leave to cool.
  • *
  • Place the mixture into a large sieve for an hour or so,
  • *
  • Use the rhubarb pulp in the cake.
  • *
  • Pour the liquid into a small saucepan and simmer gently.
  • Reduce the liquid until you have a thick syrup.
  • Leave to cool completely.

Method – Cake Base

  • Butter well a 20cm diameter loose bottomed tin.
  • Melt the butter.
  • Crush the biscuits till fine crumbs.
  • Mix the crushed biscuits and the melted butter.
  • Press the mixture down into the tin to cover the bottom.
  • Leave to cool completely.

Method – Cake Filling

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160°C
  • Mix the curd cheese and sugar well.
  • Beat the egg and the yolks.
  • Add the egg mixture to the cheese mixture.
  • Mix in the soured cream.
  • Add in the rhubarb pulp and mix well.
  • Put the mixture on top of the biscuit base.
  • Flatten with a spatula.
  • Bake for around 1 hour 15 minutes.
  • *
  • Turn off the oven and leave the door open 
  • Leave the cake inside to cool.
  • *
  • To serve pour some rhubarb syrup over each portion.
  • Served on Royal Doulton – Carnation.
  • Rhubarb napkin from the Hepworth Gallery from a Rhubarb exhibition several years ago.

Note – this cheesecake does not keep as long as most- you need to get your friends and family round to eat it quickly!

Lemon Cheesecake

  • This cake is based on  Another Cheesecake.
  • However I baked this without the biscuit base but you can add one if you prefer.
  • A separate lemon sauce was made and poured over each portion when serving.

Ingredients – Cake

  • Around 450g of twaróg or yoghurt cheese (or cream cheese)
  • 3 eggs separated
  • 80g of caster sugar
  • Grated rind from 2 lemons (juice used in the sauce)
  • 2 tablespoons of custard powder

Method – Cake

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM 3 – 160ºC.
  • Use a 19cm, 20cm or 21cm tin loose bottomed or spring form tin.
  • Place a cake liner in the tin.
  • Whisk the egg yolks and the sugar till they are pale and fluffy.
  • Lightly whisk in the twaróg or yoghurt cheese and the custard powder till it is all well combined.
  • Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff and then fold them into the mixture with a metal spoon.
  • Pour the mixture into the tin.
  • Bake in the oven for  50 minutes.
  • When the cake is ready switch off the oven and leave it in there for at least 40 minutes.
  • Take out the cake to cool.
  • Once it is cold – take the cake out of the tin by loosening the outer ring or placing the cake tin with the loose bottom on a tin can and sliding the cake tin down.
  • I think this cake is best made the day before you want to serve it – so it is well cooled and set.

Ingredients – Lemon Sauce

  • Juice from 3 lemons
  • Grated rind from 1 lemon
  • 15g granulated sugar 
  • Potato or corn flour

Method – Lemon Sauce

  • In a small saucepan mix the juice from 2 lemons, lemon rind and sugar.
  • Heat gently till the sugar is dissolved.
  • In a small dish mix the potato or corn flour with the juice of 1 lemon.
  • With the pan still on the hob add the potato or corn flour mixture.
  • Stir gently until the sauce has thickened.
  • Leave to cool before serving.
  • Pour the sauce over each portion of cake.

Tea plates by Elizabethan – Carnaby from the 1960s.

Lemon Torcik

  • This is such an easy way to make the lemon and cheese mixture.
  • It is adapted from a recipe on a tin of condensed milk.
  • The bottom layer is made from a biscuit base – I have made a chocolate one.
  • You can adapt this base using different biscuits or omitting the chocolate.* see footnote photos
  • I used a little chocolate to decorate the top and this was enough for me.
  • You could add fruit and syrups or many other options.

Ingredients – Biscuit Base

  • 150g of Petit Beurre(morning coffee or similar) biscuits
  • 75g of butter
  • 50g – 75g of dark chocolate

Method

  • Grease a spring-form or loose bottomed tin with melted butter. (Use a 20cm or 22cm diameter tin).
  • Crush the biscuits in a bowl.
  • Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat then add the chocolate and let it melt.
  • Add the butter & chocolate mix to the biscuits and mix them all together.
  • Press the mixture into the base of the tin and leave it to cool completely.
  • Once cool you can put it in the tin and into the fridge for several hours.
  • You can leave this overnight if you wish.

Ingredients – Lemon Cheese

  • 300g of yoghurt cheese or cream cheese
  • 1 tin of condensed milk (397g weight).
  • Juice and fine grated rind of 2 large lemons
  • *
  • Chocolate flake or grated chocolate to decorate.
  • Lemon rind strands from 1 lemon to decorate.

Method

  • If using your own yoghurt cheese, a good idea is to leave it overnight in a large sieve over a bowl to get rid of excess whey.
  • Put the yoghurt cheese, the condensed milk, the juice and rind of the lemons in a big bowl.
  • Whisk the contents together.
  • Spoon the mixture over the base and smooth the top.
  • Leave in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
  • *
  • Put long strands of lemon rind in around a tablespoon of granulated sugar.
  • Leave for around an hour.
  • *
  • Take great care when removing the torcik out of the tin.
  • Use a long thin spatula to ease the edge.
  • Use a tin to place the cake tin on, to move it apart from the base.
  • *
  • Decorate the edges and the centre with chocolate flake and lemon rind.

Served on tea plates by Greenway Hostess by John Russell –  1960-1979

*The following photos are from a version made  without the chocolate in the base and a fluted loose bottomed tin was used.

 

  • Served on Royal Doulton – Counterpoint tea-plates 1973 – 1987
  • Portmeirion Crazy Daisy cake forks by Sophie Conran from 2009.

Sernik – Simple Version

  • At the end of 2020 I looked at the statistics for my blog.
  • I found that over the five and a half years  – sernik – baked cheesecake is my most looked at post and has been for a few years.
  • As today is The Epiphany – The Three Kings – I thought another version of a Polish Classic would be good.
  • Recently I got this recipe from my cousin in Wembley.
  • This is  a simple version – not very different from my mama’s but does not have any added butter or soured cream.
  • The original recipe was on a packet of bought twaróg.
  • The original recipe used 1 kilogram of  twaróg and as you can imagine it was large!
  • I have cut down the amount of ingredients to make a more manageable sernik.
  • I have adjusted some of the other ingredients as my own yoghourt cheese is always a little “wetter” than the bought twaróg.
  • There is no cake base at all in this recipe – but of course you can add one.
  • Be aware that the cake rises and then collapses on cooling.

Royal Grafton – Woodside – 1940-1959

Ingredients

  • 500g twaróg – yoghurt cheese or cream cheese
  • 4 eggs separated
  • 140g icing sugar & 2 tablespoons & extra for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon of semolina
  • 2 tablespoons of potato flour (cornflour should be okay)
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence or rum

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160°C
  • Use a cake liner to line a loose bottomed 20cm or 22cm cake tin.
  • Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture is pale and creamy.
  • Add the twaróg or yoghurt cheese and the vanilla essence or rum and whisk all together.
  • Fold in the semolina and the potato flour.
  • In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites till they are stiff.
  • Add the 2 tablespoons of icing sugar and whisk again till stiff.
  • Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture.
  • Spoon the mixture into the lined cake tin.
  • Bake in the oven for  60 – 70 minutes.
  • Check earlier and cover if it is starting to catch.
  • When the cake is ready switch off the oven and leave it in there for at least 40 minutes.
  • Take out the cake to cool in the tin.
  • Once it is cold – take the cake out of the tin by loosening the outer ring or placing the cake tin with the loose bottom on a tin can and sliding the cake tin down.
    *
  • Dust the cake with icing sugar before serving.
  • *
  • I think this cake is best made the day before you want to serve it – so it is well cooled and set.

Options

  • You can use this basic mix with a number of variations:
  • Chocolate drizzle on top.
  • Mixed peel added to the mixture.
  • Different cake bases.
  • Fruit in thickened syrups served with it.
  • and so on ….

Served on a Vintage glass cake stand and Paragon – hand painted tea plates with a sauce made from thinned down raspberry jam.

Not Quite a Cheesecake – version 2

I posted Not Quite a Cheesecake in July of 2018.

I have made it several times since as a larger version when I have had lots of my own yoghurt cheese. For this version I used Morello cherries from a jar.

You can  use twaróg, curd cheese, cream cheese or yoghurt cheese, it is a bit different from my usual Polish baked cheesecake. as it does not have a cake/biscuit type base. Because of this you do need a one piece cake liner for your loose bottomed tin.

Ingredients

  • 200g Butter
  • 200g Caster sugar
  • 4 eggs separated
  • 3 tablespoons of potato flour or cornflour
  • 150g Ground almonds
  • 400 – 450g Twaróg , Curd cheese or Yoghurt Cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
  • Pinch of salt
  • Morello cherries from a 460g net weight jar
  • Optional Topping
  • Juice from the cherries
  • 1 tablespoon of potato or cornflour to thicken the juice.

Method

  • Line a 22cm diameter loose bottomed cake tin with a bought paper cake liner.

 

 

 

 

  • Preheat the oven to GM5 190°C
  • Drain the cherries from the juice – keep the juice for the topping.

  • Cream the butter and sugar until they are soft and fluffy.
  • Add the egg yolks one by one until you have a smooth mixture.
  • Add the vanilla essence and the salt and mix in.
  • Add the cornflour, ground almonds and the yoghurt cheese and mix together thoroughly.
  • Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff.
  • Fold the egg whites into the cake mixture.
  • Put the cake mixture into the lined tin.
  • Place around half the cherries on top of the mixture.
  • Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
  • Turn the oven down to GM2 – 150°C and bake for around another 30 minutes.
  • Switch off the oven but leave the cake in there until it is cool.
  • Keep the cake in the refrigerator but bring to room temperature for serving.
  • Dust with icing sugar
  • ***
  • Make a runny sauce from the juice heated with a tablespoon of potato flour.
  • Serve portions with a few cherries on the side and some of the sauce poured on or next to it.

     

    Served here on tea plates from a coffee service by Midwinter – Queensbury from the 1970s.

Not Quite a Cheesecake

For this recipe you can  use twaróg, curd cheese, cream cheese or yoghurt cheese but it is quite a bit different from my usual Polish baked cheesecake.

It is a more a ground almond cake with strawberries on top.

I used the last pickings of strawberries from my garden this summer.

I used my own yoghurt cheese and squeezed it out in a cloth to get rid of as much excess liquid (whey) as possible.

Ingredients

  • 115g Butter
  • 115g Caster sugar
  • 3 eggs separated
  • 2 tablespoons of cornflour or potato flour
  • 175g Ground almonds
  • 200g Twaróg , Curd cheese or Yoghurt Cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
  • Pinch of salt
  • Topping
  • Strawberries & 1/2 tablespoon of caster sugar
  • Optional – Icing sugar to dust

Method

  • Line a 20cm in diameter loose bottomed cake tin with a bought paper cake liner.

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM5 190°C
  • Cream the butter and sugar until they are soft and fluffy.
  • Add the egg yolks one by one until you have a smooth mixture.
  • Add the vanilla essence and the salt and mix in.
  • Add the cornflour, ground almonds and the yoghurt cheese and mix together thoroughly.
  • Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff.
  • Fold in the egg whites into the cake mixture.
  • Put the cake mixture into the lined tin.

  • Slice the strawberries and place these on the top and sprinkle them with the sugar.
  • Bake in the oven for 35 minutes.
  • Turn the oven down to GM2 – 150°C and bake for around another 30 minutes.
  • Switch off the oven but leave the cake in there until it is cool.
  • Keep the cake in the refrigerator but bring to room temperature for serving.
  • Served here on tea plates – Las Palmas by Aynsley from the 1960s.

Variations

  • More strawberries on to top would have been okay.
  • Other red summer fruits such as raspberries, blackberries or whinberries (bilberries) would also work well.