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Slice of cream-filled German cheese cake on plate

Light Käsesahne Torte (German Yogurt Cream Cake)

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Course: Baking
Cuisine: German
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
 
 

🍰 Biskuitboden (Sponge Cake Base)
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 2 tbsp warm water
  • 130 g sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 120 g all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 80 g melted butter (cooled)
🍋 Lemon Yogurt Cream Filling
  • 8 German gelatin sheets (see notes below)
  • 1 kg plain Greek yogurt
  • 150 g powdered sugar
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 400 g heavy whipping cream

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale Precision is crucial in baking, making a baking scale one of the best kitchen investments. A scale offers accuracy in measurements, avoiding the inconsistencies of measuring cups.
  • Mixer I’ve tried various mixers, but this one is by far my favorite. We even kept our Bosch mixer from our childhood that has always been with us!
  • Gelatine (See note below on Gelatine)
  • Cake Pan
  • Cake Ring
  • Cake Slicer
  • Cake Divider

Method
 

🍰 Biskuitboden (Sponge Cake Base)
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 10″ springform pan with parchment paper (bottom only).
  2. Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar, warm water, and vanilla until pale and fluffy.
  4. Gently fold in the sifted flour mixed with baking powder.
  5. Carefully fold in the stiff egg whites in two additions.
  6. Slowly incorporate the cooled melted butter without deflating the batter.
  7. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20–25 minutes. Ovens vary, so keep an eye out for a light golden top.
  8. Let the cake cool completely. Then slice horizontally into two layers. Cut the top layer into 10–12 wedges (these will be arranged on top of the cream later).
🍋 Lemon Yogurt Cream Filling
  1. Soak gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes. Squeeze gently, then melt the sheets with 2–3 spoonfuls of yogurt in a small pot over low heat. Do not boil!
  2. In a large bowl, mix the rest of the yogurt with the powdered sugar.
  3. Stir in the melted gelatin mixture until smooth.
  4. Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold into the yogurt mixture.
  5. Add lemon zest and juice, folding gently to keep the mixture airy.
🎂 Assembly
  1. Place the bottom sponge layer in a cake ring or back into the springform pan.
  2. Pour the cream filling on top and smooth it out evenly.
  3. Arrange the sponge wedges you cut earlier in a fan-like pattern on top of the cream.
  4. Chill for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight for best flavor and structure.

Notes

German gelatin sheets differ from their U.S. counterparts in both strength and size. For this cake, you will need approximately 5 American gelatin sheets, while you’ll need about 8 German sheets. A single German gelatin sheet weighs 1.66g, whereas an American sheet weighs 2.5g. Therefore, in this recipe, use 8 German sheets or about 5 American sheets.

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