Recipe for: Krakow cheesecake with raisins - photo 1
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Recipe for: Krakow cheesecake with raisins

Cakes and Bakes Desserts Regional Cuisine of Poland 90 min Hard 1 wyświetleń ~57.78 PLN - (0)
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Description

Traditional Kraków cheesecake is a Polish classic: a creamy curd mass set on a crumbly base and topped with golden crumble with visible raisins. This variant combines delicate, rich curd with the aroma of vanilla and lemon zest; raisins can be soaked in rum for a deeper flavor. The cheesecake has a velvety texture, a slightly crunchy edge, and decorative golden crumbs on top. Serve slightly chilled, dusted with powdered sugar and lemon zest; it pairs wonderfully with coffee, tea, and fresh summer fruits, such as strawberries. Perfect for festive occasions and family gatherings — an impressive appearance and distinct, classic flavor.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (14)

Servings:
12
  • Wheat flour 300 g
  • Butter 200 g
  • Sugar 180 g
  • Chicken egg 4 szt. (~240 g)
  • Cottage cheese 1200 g
  • Raisins 150 g
  • 18% cream 200 ml
  • Potato flour 30 g
  • Vanilla bean 1 szt. (~5 g)
  • Baking powder 10 g
  • Lemon 1.5 szt. (~120 g)
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 1 g
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Powdered sugar 30 g
  • Rum 20 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~57.78 PLN (4.81 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Shortcrust pastry

1

Prepare the ingredients for the shortcrust pastry: sift the flour into a large bowl, add 50 g of sugar and a pinch of salt (1 g). Take the butter out of the fridge and cut it into small cubes (it should be very cold). Add the butter cubes to the flour. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers or use a pastry cutter/stand mixer with a dough hook until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (the size of pea grains).

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Sugar, Butter, Salt
Use a large bowl and a knife to cut the butter. If you have a food processor, pulse 6–8 times — do not overheat the dough. Work quickly to keep the butter cold — this will give you a flaky, layered dough.
2

Add 1 egg (60 g) to the bowl with the crumble and quickly knead with your hands or a spatula into a uniform dough. Do not knead for long — just combine the ingredients until the mixture starts to hold together in larger pieces. Divide the dough into two parts: about 2/3 for the base and 1/3 for the crumble. Shape each part into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Butter, Sugar
Use a pastry cutter or your hands. If the dough is too dry, add 1–2 teaspoons of cold water; if too sticky, add a little flour. Chilling is key — do not skip this step.

Preparing raisins

3

Rinse the raisins and place them in a small bowl. Pour 100 ml of hot (not boiling) water over them and let sit for 10–15 minutes. If you are using rum (optional 20 ml), add it after 5 minutes of soaking so that the raisins can absorb it well. After soaking, drain the raisins in a sieve and spread them out on a paper towel to dry.

Ingredients: Raisins, Rum
Use a strainer and a small bowl. If you don't want to use alcohol, soak the raisins in hot water with a bit of lemon juice.

Cheese dough

4

If the cottage cheese is lumpy, grind it twice in a meat grinder or briefly blend it in a food processor until smooth. Transfer the ground cottage cheese to a large bowl. A machine or sieve will give the creamiest texture — the mixture should be uniform and free of visible lumps.

Ingredients: Cottage cheese
Use a cheese grater or a blender with a pulse mode. If you are using a blender, do not blend for too long (short pulses) to avoid excessively aerating the mixture.
5

To the smooth cottage cheese, add 100 g of sugar, 30 g of potato flour, seeds from a vanilla pod (scraped out), and the grated yellow zest of one lemon. Beat in the remaining 3 eggs (180 g) one at a time, mixing briefly after each addition on low speed or stirring with a whisk — the goal is to combine the ingredients, not to aerate the mixture. Finally, add 200 g of 18% cream and gently fold it in. Check the consistency: the mixture should be thick but fluid, without lumps. Lastly, add the drained raisins and mix with a spoon.

Ingredients: Sugar, Potato flour, Vanilla bean, Lemon, 18% cream, Raisins, Cottage cheese
Use a hand mixer on the lowest speed or a wooden spoon manually. Do not beat for too long — too much air will cause cracks after baking. If the mixture seems too loose, add extra teaspoons of potato starch (up to 10 g).

Assembly and Baking

6

Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Take the disk of 2/3 of the dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a floured surface into a circle slightly larger than a 24 cm springform pan. Place the rolled-out base into the springform pan (24 cm diameter) that has been greased with butter or lined with baking paper, pressing down the edges. Pour the cheese mixture onto the prepared base and smooth the surface with a silicone spatula. From the remaining 1/3 of the chilled dough, make a crumble: crumble it with your fingers or grate it over the filling to create larger crumbs, and evenly distribute them over the top of the mixture.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Butter, Cottage cheese, Raisins
Use a pastry board and rolling pin. The best is a springform pan with a diameter of 24 cm. If you have a baking ring, use it to achieve even sides. Make the crumble quickly to avoid warming the butter.
7

Place the springform pan with the cheesecake in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes at 180°C, then reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake for another 45–50 minutes, until the top is golden and springy to a gentle touch (the mixture should be set, but the center can be slightly springy).

Ingredients: Cottage cheese, Raisins, Potato flour
It is best to bake on the middle rack. If you are concerned about cracks, place a dish with hot water on the bottom of the oven (steaming) — this will reduce the temperature difference. Use a kitchen thermometer: the center should reach ~75–80°C.

Baking and cooling

8

After the time has passed, take the cheesecake out of the oven and crack the oven door open for 10–15 minutes, leaving the cheesecake in the warmth to avoid shocking it with a sudden temperature change (which causes cracks). Then remove the cheesecake and let it cool on a rack to room temperature. Once cooled, place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) to allow the filling to set and mature.

Use a cooling rack. Do not try to cut the cheesecake when it is hot — the filling will fall apart.

Decoration and serving

9

Before serving, optionally sprinkle the cheesecake with powdered sugar (30 g) and decorate with freshly grated lemon zest. Cut the cooled and chilled cheesecake into portions with a sharp knife dipped in hot water (wipe each cut with a clean cloth). Serve slightly chilled.

Ingredients: Powdered sugar, Lemon
Use a sharp, long knife and clean it between cuts. Powdered sugar is optional — it can be omitted for a less sweet presentation.

Fun Fact

💡

Krakow cheesecake, known for its distinctive crumble topping, has a long tradition in Polish cuisine. In the past, the curd was ground by hand, and the crumble was made with rich, cold butter, which gave it an intense buttery flavor and crunchiness.

Best for

uroczystości rodzinne święta przyjęcia popołudniowa kawa

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Cut the cheesecake only after it has completely cooled (preferably overnight). Serve with a cup of strong coffee or tea with lemon. For a flavor contrast, add fresh seasonal fruits (strawberries in spring). Dust with a small amount of powdered sugar just before serving.

🥡 Storage

Store in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap or in a container for 3–4 days. Chopped portions can be frozen (wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a closed container) for up to 1 month; thaw slowly in the refrigerator.

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