Sernik is a Polish cheesecake much unlike any cheesecake you’ve ever tried before. This one is much richer and denser, but none the worse for it, with a sweet and delicious taste.
You’ll need curd cheese (Quark?) for this, which might or might not be hard to find. We buy it in a local European shop, but you might find you have to make it - which is when you’d head on over to A Cat In The Kitchen for instructions how.
The Budyń mentioned in the recipe below is in fact a kind of creamy Vanilla Custard powder - so if you can’t find the real deal, go for the closest alternative. There are so many different Sernik recipes out there that you’re allowed as much artistic license as you require!
Finally, the quantities below make for a big cake, requiring a large, rectangular cake tin. Feel free to reduce the quantities accordingly if you need to.
And please don’t forget - Weekend Herb Blogging is coming here this Sunday, 21st January! You can send me your entries any time between now and then.
Sernik (Polish Cheesecake) Recipe - Ingredients
For The Filling:
- 1.5kg Curd Cheese
- 40g Vanilla Budyń
- 6 Egg Yolks
- 6 Egg Whites
- 125g Unsalted Butter (Melted)
- 2 Heaped tsp Baking Powder
- 150g White Granulated Sugar
- 2 Handfuls Raisins (soaked in water for 2 hours)
- 15g Vanilla Sugar
For The Base:
- 300g Plain Flour
- 2 Whole Eggs
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 125g Unsalted Butter (Melted)
- 75g White Sugar
Sernik (Polish Cheesecake) Recipe - Method
For the Filling:
- Grate / Mince the cheese into a separate bowl (we used a potato masher - it was easiest)
- Add all other ingredients except egg whites, and mix well until thoroughly combined. Note that the melted butter should be room temperature before adding.
- Whisk egg whites until holding soft peaks, add to the mixture, and fold in well.
Making the Cake:
- Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl adding the butter (at room temperature) last, before mixing well.
- Spread base mixture well over bottom of cake tin.
- Give cheese mixture a last minute stir around, then pour into your cake tin.
- Place in preheated oven at 180 degrees c.
- Check cake after 40 minutes with a cocktail stick, cake tester or similar; if still wet, leave for approximately another 10 minutes. The top will be a light golden colour when finished.
You’re done! Bring out your cake and allow to cool. Enjoy a small square with a cup of coffee. Enjoy!
January 17th, 2007 at 1:42 am
A richer, denser cheesecake? Why wasn’t I informed earlier? I’m always the last to know…
January 17th, 2007 at 6:05 am
Brilynn: And it’s worth every minute - no wonder they keep it secret.
January 17th, 2007 at 7:03 am
I keep meaning to start exploring one or two of the Polish shops that have sprung up everywhere in London. This looks like a very good reason.
January 17th, 2007 at 8:02 am
Trig: Poland is actually great for food, but in a more rustic, less flashy way. Personally I love to explore the diversity of different cultures and tastes, whatever country they come from.
January 17th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
I think I had one of those at a Polish restaurant in Shepherds Bush. It was delicious!
January 17th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Ros: If it was in a Polish restaurant it would probably be Sernik - in one of its many variants. Hope you enjoyed the Polish food, though!
January 17th, 2007 at 8:28 pm
Orange zest is another common addition to this cake; not as much as raisins - just a little for taste.
January 17th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Scott, it looks delicious. I’ll look for quark when I go shopping this week. I want to give this a try. Great recipe.
January 17th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
I love sernik. Your’s looks delicious!
January 18th, 2007 at 6:16 am
Voidan: I’ve seen that in other recipes but never tried cooking it like that. I’m sure many of the Serniki I had in Poland were made that way, though.
Vanessa: You should try, it really is delicious. It’s not as difficult as it sounds, either.
Dagmar: Thanks (from my Wife - who does most of the baking you’ll see on this site) - I love Sernik, too.
January 18th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
it looks absolutely gorgeous! you’re making me hungry and dinner is another hour away..
ps: thanks for the weekend herb blogging reminder… i’ll email you in due course
January 18th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
Lil: I’ll look forward to seeing your entry! There’s been some great ones so far (but don’t let that put you off - the more the merrier!)
January 18th, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Like you said Scott, there are so many polih sernik recipies… I can make a small book with mine. Some are cooked, some are baked, some are chilled; made with raisins, zest, biscuits, peaches, cherrys, chocolade, icing, crumble & many , many other stuff. What you choose, depends only on your taste. But I just love to put my own 2 cents in… Hope you don’t mind
January 19th, 2007 at 1:33 am
Voidan: I’d never complain about anybody putting in their 2 cents. I’m here to learn as much as anyone else!
January 19th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Please, please!! Can I have a piece, this looks truly delicious.
January 19th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Course you can have some. Just follow the instructions above
January 20th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
I just finished reading a book about Poland during the Napoleanic wars. What the characters were eating was frequently mentioned (a plus!) and it left me wanting to try a polish recipe. Maybe this one? Thanks for sharing!
January 20th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
Ari (Baking and Books): This one is a great start, but I have many more Polish recipes on the site too. Try typing “polish” into the search box at the top of the page, and see what tickles your fancy.
December 26th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
[...] Polish Christmas Dinner: My Wife is Polish and as such we had our first dinner on the 24th of December (traditionally served when the first Star is seen). Starting with some communal breaking of bread and good wishes, we progressed into a starter of Barszcz (a delicious clear beetroot soup) before moving on to a feast of a main course - traditionally (or so I’m told) 12 dishes, representing the 12 disciples. I’ll go into more detail about these in future recipes, but will say that there was a lot of fish, sauerkraut, Pierogi and no meat. Several cakes adorned the table for desert, including the delicious Polish Cheesecake Sernik. [...]
March 17th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Hi Scott,
I made cheesecake from your recipe, I changed some things but not much… you can see it here:
http://www.coffeeandvanilla.com/?p=1845
Have a great day, Margot
March 18th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Coffee and Vanilla: So I see - and it looks great!