Estonian Curd Cheesecake with Peak-Harvest Black Currants and Vanilla

Heat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment and butter the sides.

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups digestive biscuit or graham cracker crumbs
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for the crust
• 1 pound (450g) farmer's cheese or dry curd cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 3 tablespoons semolina or fine cornmeal
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups fresh black currants (or blackberries)
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, for finishing

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment and butter the sides.
2. Stir the biscuit crumbs with the melted butter and 2 tablespoons sugar until the mixture holds together when squeezed. Press firmly into the base of the pan and bake for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
3. Press the farmer's cheese through a fine sieve into a large bowl. This step is not optional — curd cheese is naturally grainy, and sieving is what gives the finished cake its dense, satiny crumb.
4. Beat the sieved cheese with the sour cream, 3/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, semolina, vanilla seeds, lemon zest and salt until completely smooth.
5. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks — glossy, holding their shape but still slumping at the tip. Fold them into the cheese mixture in three additions, keeping as much air as you can.
6. Fold in 1 cup of the black currants, then pour the batter over the cooled crust and smooth the top. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup of currants over the surface.
7. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden and the center still wobbles like loose custard when you nudge the pan. Turn off the oven, prop the door open with a wooden spoon, and let the cake cool inside for 1 hour — this slow descent prevents the surface from cracking.
8. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight before releasing the pan. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
9. Estonians call this kohupiimakook, built on kohupiim — a fresh, tangy curd cheese that sits at the center of Baltic baking and is closer to dry farmer's cheese than to the cream cheese Americans expect. The result is markedly lighter and more acidic than a New York cheesecake, with a texture nearer to a baked custard. Black currants grow throughout Estonian gardens and ripen in late August, bringing a sharp, almost resinous depth that cuts the sweetness cleanly. If currants are hard to find, blackberries stand in well, though you may want to reduce the sugar by a tablespoon.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 398 kcal
• Protein: 14g
• Fat: 20g
• Carbohydrates: 42g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 29g
• Sodium: 290mg