Sernik (Polish Baked Cheesecake)

About This Recipe

Sernik is a real, traditional Polish dish, known as Polish Baked Cheesecake. A dense, tall baked cheesecake made with twaróg farmer's cheese, lighter and less rich than New York-style versions.\n\nSernik has been a staple of Polish home baking for generations, traditionally made with twaróg, a fresh curd cheese distinct from the cream cheese used in American cheesecakes, giving it a lighter, slightly grainy texture.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Polish home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 10

• 200 gall-purpose flour(for the crust)
• 100 gbutter(cold, cubed, for the crust)
• 60 gpowdered sugar(for the crust)
• 1egg yolk(for the crust)
• 1 kgtwaróg (Polish farmer's cheese)(or well-drained ricotta)
• 200 gsugar
• 4eggs
• 100 gbutter(melted)
• 3 tbspcornstarch
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 1 tsplemon zest

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the crust

   Combine flour, cold butter, powdered sugar and egg yolk, working quickly into a dough. Press into a lined 24 cm springform pan and chill for 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Blind bake

   Bake the crust at 180°C (350°F) for 12 minutes until pale golden; let cool slightly.

3. 3

   Process the cheese

   Push the twaróg through a fine sieve or process until completely smooth.

4. 4

   Make the filling

   Beat sugar and eggs until pale, then mix in the smooth cheese, melted butter, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon zest until just combined.

5. 5

   Bake

   Pour the filling over the crust and bake at 160°C (325°F) for 55 to 65 minutes until the edges are set but the center still has a slight jiggle.

6. 6

   Cool slowly

   Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the cheesecake cool inside for 1 hour before removing to cool fully at room temperature, then chill before slicing.

Variations

• •

  Add raisins soaked in rum for a traditional variation.

• •

  A version with a layer of fruit preserves swirled through the filling before baking is common.

• •

  Top with a thin chocolate glaze for a more modern presentation.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions