Sernik; a classic creamy baked cheesecake made with traditional Polish farmers’ cheese and just a kiss of sweet vanilla.
Poland has a wealth of delicious and truly underrated desserts, and thanks to my Polish subscribers on YouTube I’ve also enjoyed tasting a number of their lovely chocolates too.
Today, in the third instalment of this Desserts of the World series, we are celebrating Polish treats. We’re making one that’s as beloved as it is traditional, sernik.
You may recognise it as a baked cheesecake, and you’d be right, but the Polish make their sernik with a particular kind of cheese. In place of North American cream cheese or Italian mascarpone, this cheesecake is made with twaróg.
Want to try another great Polish recipe? Try out these Paczki!
Twaróg could be compared to Scottish crowdie, Italian ricotta, or to a strong and thick cottage cheese. It’s a rustic and lumpy cheese with a firm texture and a deliciously tangy, salty, yet still subtle flavour.
Traditionally sernik seems to be baked without a base, sweetened ever-so-gently, and bound together with Polish potato flour. Occasionally you’ll see recipes for sernik made with a biscuit or cake base, and some with added chocolate, raisins, or citrus zest, but we’re keeping it classic today.
I was lucky enough to pick up some twaróg while I was back in Scotland thanks to my hometown’s Polish population. This means that the only non-traditional ingredient you’ll see in this Maverick Baking sernik is corn flour (as I sadly couldn’t find any potato flour).
Watch this episode of Desserts of the World here on my YouTube channel!
You’ll need to do a bit of whisking, or pull out your food processor (if you have one), but the few minutes it takes to assemble this dessert are worth it.
This cheesecake is rich and satisfying while still being light and creamy. You’ll find its flavour somewhere between a slightly salted vanilla cheesecake and a baked custard. Enjoy it as is, with a dusting of icing sugar, or with a handful of delicious Polish blueberries.
It may not be as simple as a classic British fridge-set cheesecake, but it’s absolutely one to try. I can honestly say that it’s one of the lightest cheesecakes I’ve ever tried. Despite the apparent heaviness of some its ingredients, it is effortlessly fluffy and won’t overwhelm you with sickly sweetness.
Enjoy it as an after lunch or dinner treat. I dare you not to take another slice!
Which country’s dessert should we tackle next?
If you want to save this Sernik recipe for later, you can pin the image below:
To make this Sernik, simply follow the recipe below:
Sernik – Desserts of the World
Ingredients
- 500g (18 oz) twaróg cheese, or a firm curd cheese such as crowdie or ricotta
- 100g (½ cup) icing sugar, plus extra for decoration
- 50g (3 tbsp) soft unsalted butter
- 50ml (3 tbsp) double cream
- 4 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
- 2 tbsp corn flour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven – 170 C / 150 C fan / 325 F / gas mark 3 – and grease and line a 18cm (7 in) round springform cake tin
- Using a fine sieve set over a large bowl, or a food processor, push through or blitz the cheese until much smoother. We want to get rid of that lumpy texture!
- Add all the remaining ingredients except the egg whites to the bowl or food processor. Whisk or blitz again until you have a light and smooth cheesecake batter.
- In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites vigorously for a couple of mintues or until holding soft white peaks.
- Thoroughly combine one-third of the fluffy egg whites with the cheesecake batter.
- Gently fold in the remaining two-thirds of the whites until JUST combined into a smooth mixture.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared tin, and tap it against your worktop to remove any air pockets.
- Bake it in the preheated oven for 35-50 mins. By this point it should look puffy, golden at the edges, and should wobble only very slightly in the centre when pushed.
- Switch off the oven and allow the sernik to cool for a further 30-45 minutes, before removing and allowing it to cool completely.
- Dust over some more icing sugar and serve chilled or at room temperature.
- Enjoy!
BE A MAVERICK: why not add some lemon or orange zest to the mixture before baking for extra light flavour?
This Sernik will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days, but is best enjoyed fresh.
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