(Cottage) Cheese Cake

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If I had my way, you’d only make this cake with apricots. They’re so tart and just melt into the cake as soon as the batter starts baking around them. That said, I am a realist (lol no, I’m not) and know that most stone fruit will do great here. Avoid berries— they’re a little too wet for this batter IMO.

YIELD — 8–10 servings

 

Ingredients

  • ½ cup/ 1 stick/ 112g unsalted butter

  • 1 ½ cups/ 225g all-purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt 

  • 3 large eggs

  • 2 cups/ 1 pound/ 453g cottage cheese or ricotta 

  • ¾ cup/ 175g sugar

  • ⅓ cup honey or light brown sugar 

  • 1 ½–2 pounds/ 680–900g apricots, plums or peaches, pitted and sliced about ½” thick, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F/204°C. Line a 9” cake pan (springform or regular cake pan) with parchment paper (either so it hangs over the edges, or just covers the bottom, either work). 

2. Melt butter or brown it. I hate to give you this choice, but I’m telling you both work. I originally made this cake without browning the butter and was all set, very happy with the recipe. Then, another time, I was melting the butter, walked away to do something that I hope was important but probably wasn’t, and browned the butter on accident. It smelled so nice that I figured it would be wonderful, and turns out, I was correct. But seriously, no pressure. 

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. 

4. Whisk eggs, cottage cheese, sugar, and honey together until smooth. If using cottage cheese, you’ll notice it’ll look a little separated with little cheese curds floating around-- that’s cool, don’t worry. 

5. Begin to whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and just before it looks totally combined, add in the melted or browned butter and whisk until it *is* totally combined. The batter will look a little lumpy (that’s because of the cottage cheese), and perhaps a little loose. It is, after all, a cheesecake. 

6. Fold in most of the fruit (approximately ¾ of it). You can’t really whisk it in so yes I am asking you to get out another tool (a spatula or wooden spoon) and I’m sorry. 

7. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and scatter the remaining fruit on top. Give a good sprinkle of sugar over everything, too. 

8. Bake until the cake is deeply (VERY deeply) browned on top, shiny, and no longer jiggly in the center, 40–45 minutes. The cake should appear puffed around the edges, and spring back lightly when pressed (decidedly more “cake” than “cheesecake” in texture). 

9. Let cool completely before slicing. A big ask, I know! 

EAT WITH: This cake needs nothing, but barely sweetened and lightly whipped cream with a drizzle of honey is kinda nice. 

DO AHEAD: This cake can be made 4 days ahead, wrapped tightly, and stored at room temperature.

 
newsletter, sweets / baked things, sweet enoughAlison RomanNewsletterComment