from our cocoa kitchen · SURFSTR
Russischer Zupfkuchen with SURFSTR Cocoa
Dark cocoa shortcrust holds a creamy vanilla quark filling beneath irregular torn pastry pieces. A slow cool and a long chill give this German cheesecake clean slices and a firm, creamy centre.
- Active preparation
- 40 min
- Cooking / baking
- 65 min
- Resting / chilling
- 390 min
- Total time
- 495 min
12 slices from one 26 cm cake
Editorial recipe adaptation. Not yet kitchen-tested. Check ingredient labels for allergens.
02 / bring it together
let’s make it.
-
Weigh the ingredients
Weigh the pastry and filling ingredients separately. Use thick plain quark, not yogurt or cottage cheese. Bring the quark, filling eggs and cream to room temperature. Melt the 100 g filling butter and let it cool until lukewarm.
-
Make the cocoa shortcrust
Sift together flour, cocoa and baking powder. Mix in 150 g sugar and the salt. Rub in 150 g cold cubed butter, then add the single pastry egg. Bring together into a cohesive dough, adding no extra liquid. Knead only briefly.
-
Chill the dough
Divide the dough into two-thirds for the shell and one-third for the torn topping. Flatten, wrap separately and chill for 30 minutes. The dough should be firm but pliable enough to press without crumbling.
-
Line the springform tin
Heat the oven to 175 °C conventional or 155 °C fan. Line the base of a 26 cm springform tin, at least 7 cm deep, with baking paper. Press the larger dough portion into an even base and a rim about 4 cm high. Keep the reserved topping cold.
-
Mix the quark filling
Stir the quark with 180 g sugar, cornflour, vanilla and lemon zest until smooth. Stir in the 3 filling eggs individually, then the cream and cooled melted butter. Use a whisk at low speed; avoid whipping in lots of air.
-
Fill the pastry shell
Pour the smooth quark mixture into the cocoa pastry shell and level gently. Keep the filling inside the pastry rim. Tap the tin lightly once on the worktop to release large air bubbles.
-
Add torn pastry pieces
Tear the reserved dough into irregular flat pieces, about 3–5 cm across and 3–4 mm thick. Lay them loosely over the filling with broad pale gaps between them. Do not cover the whole surface or turn the dough into fine crumble.
-
Bake gently
Bake on the lower-middle shelf for 60–70 minutes. The edges should be set and the centre should wobble gently as one mass when nudged, without liquid ripples. Cover loosely with foil if the pale filling browns too much. Avoid repeatedly opening the oven.
-
Cool gradually
Switch off the oven and leave the cake inside with the door slightly ajar for 30 minutes. Transfer the tin to a rack and cool for about 90 minutes. Keep the ring closed and leave the cake whole; the warm filling is still delicate.
-
Chill, unmould and slice
Refrigerate the cooled cake in its tin for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Run a thin knife around the rim, open the latch and remove the ring. Lift onto a plate, remove the paper carefully and cut into 12 slices with a clean knife.
The recipe in pictures
03 / the numbers
nutrition, clearly.
Calculated estimates, not laboratory measurements. Any per-100-g values use the stated estimated finished weight.
| Nutrition estimates | Per slice |
|---|---|
| Energy | 2037 kJ / 488 kcal |
| Fat | 25.1 g |
| of which saturates | 15.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 52.2 g |
| of which sugars | 30.4 g |
| Fibre | 1.4 g |
| Protein | 12.4 g |
| Salt | 0.39 g |
Per slice; calculated from ingredients. Product labels and slice sizes vary.
Tips and storage
Keep the filling creamy
Use thick quark and mix gently. A filling full of whipped-in air rises more in the oven and can sink or crack as it cools.
Keep the torn pattern
Reserve one-third of the dough before lining the tin. Flat irregular patches, with visible filling between them, give the traditional appearance.
Optional cherry variation
For another version, drain and blot 150 g pitted sour cherries and scatter over the pastry before adding the filling. The filling may need a few extra minutes to set. Nutrition estimates describe the plain version.
Storage
Keep covered at 4 °C or below for up to 3 days. Freeze slices for up to 1 month and thaw overnight in the fridge. Do not cut while warm.
SURFSTR · DUTCH PROCESS
it starts with cocoa.
SURFSTR Dutch-process cocoa contains 20–22% cocoa butter. Use the cocoa specified in the recipe: natural cocoa is not always a direct substitute.
Meet the cocoa