Polish Raspberry Cheesecake (Sernik z Musem Malinowym) or more accurately, Cheesecake with Raspberry Mousse, a visually striking dish that will get the attention of your family and friends. I served it for Father’s Day and can attest to the fact that it is also delicious.
The flavor is marvelous; the texture is light and creamy. I think the addition of mascarpone to your twarog or cottage cheese makes this a little less dense than the usual sernik.
It’s also on a cookie crust rather than pastry, a modern touch, but feel free to use whatever you prefer in this layer. I used graham crackers, but I would have used digestive cookies if I had found them. Other choices for a crumb crust would be vanilla wafers or crisp butter cookies.
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Because the flavors in this sernik are light, almost delicate, I would avoid things like chocolate wafers or gingersnaps. As delicious as they may be, the crust flavor would be overpowering.
Like all Polish desserts, this is markedly less sweet than American desserts. You’ll notice there is no sugar added to the cookie crust, just cookie crumbs, and butter. Cookies are sweet already!
This recipe is based on one I found on the Polish food blog, Kwestia Smaku or A Matter of Tastes.
There seems to be a fascination in Polish desserts with gelatin. Many a beautiful cheesecake is topped with sliced strawberries embedded in strawberry jello, also popular the poke cake with colorful jello running through the sponge or a colorful frozen dessert with assorted cubes of fruity gelatin.
While this recipe contains gelatin, it’s only to stabilize the whipped cream for the mousse. This is a handy trick if you need to whip cream, but won’t be using it right away. It keeps the cream from losing it’s volume and getting watery. It’s so handy for the day after Thanksgiving, making your Friday pie topping just as good as the holiday itself!
Ed took the last slice of this to work today and shared a bite or two with colleagues. When asked how long it took to make it, he replied, 2 days. Let me assure you, Katie and others, that it only takes two days if you forgot to buy mascarpone as I did! If you have all of the ingredients on hand, you’re looking at a couple of hours, and most of that time, the cake is baking and cooling. I think you’ll love it!
Smacznego!
Lois
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Polish Raspberry Cheesecake (Sernik z Musem Malinowym)
- Prep Time: 30 - 40 min
- Cook Time: 45 - 50 min
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: Polish
Description
A light and airy Polish cheesecake topped with raspberry mousse!
Ingredients
for crust:
- 7/8 cup graham cracker crumbs, 14 squares
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
for cheesecake:
- 1 1/8 cups twarog or cottage cheese, room temp
- 1 1/8 cup mascarpone, room temp
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
for mousse:
- 12 ounces fresh raspberries, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons gelatin
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- chocolate or white chocolate (optional)
- mint leaves (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350
Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, press into an 8-inch pan, round or square
Process twarog or cottage cheese in a food processor until smooth, combine with mascarpone and lemon zest
mix corn starch and sugar until well combined, add to mixture, along with eggs and egg yolk
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 250 and bake for another 30-35 minutes, until there is just a slight wobble in the center
Cool (refrigerate to speed this up if needed
Process 6 ounces of raspberries in blender or food processor until smooth, pour into a sieve or mesh strainer, and use the back of a spoon to push the raspberry puree through, removing the seeds, set aside
Put two tablespoons of water in a small dish, sprinkle with gelatin, let it sit on top of the water for a couple of minutes, then microwave for a few seconds to melt, stir well and allow to cool slightly
Whip cream, when stiff peaks form, add vanilla, gelatin, powdered sugar, and raspberry puree
Reserve your best-looking raspberries from the remaining 6 ounces for garnish, add the rest to the mousse, spread over the top of the cooled cheesecake, top with optional grated chocolate, mint, and berries
Notes
In place of the grated chocolate, you could drizzle a ganache if you like.
If you need a larger quantity, double the recipe in a 9 x 13 pan
An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com, she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.
Laurrie
This is getting bookmarked so I can make it in a week or so. YUM!
Brandy
Can the cottage cheese be substituted with cream cheese?
polishhousewife
You can. The taste and texture will be a little different, but the end product would still be good.
Patricia Nygard
Where do you bur mascarpone ??
polishhousewife
Most supermarkets in the USA and Poland carry it.
Steve Szczygiel
I really enjoy all the recipes you post. Brings forth a lot of childhood memories.
Curiosity question – The POLISH RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE (SERNIK Z MUSEM MALINOWYM – can raspberry Jello power be substituted for plain gelatin and if so should one use the same amounts as mentioned in the recipe.
I thought it might enhance the raspberry flavour. Just a little more/
Lois Britton
Yes, you could make that substitution.