Bayerischer Käsekuchen (Classic Bavarian Cheesecake)

Ingredients:

For the base:
200g of cake flour
1⁄2 packet baking soda
1 egg
75g of sugar
65g of butter

For the filling:
500g of curd cheese (or you can make your own curd cheese/fromage frais)
2 eggs
50ml oil
25ml of milk
100g of sugar
1 packet of vanilla sugar
1⁄2 packet of vanilla pudding powder (or 20g Home-made Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix)

Method:

For the shortcrust base, add the flour, baking powder, egg, sugar and butter to a mixer with a dough hook. Process until the ingredients come together as a dough. Form into a ball, cover in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat your oven to 155°C and grease a 20cm diameter cake tin or baking tin. Divide the chilled dough in half, roll out the first half and use to cover the base of your tin. Take the remaining half and use to form a long strip for the sides.

For the filling, beat together the cottage cheese, eggs, oil, milk, sugar, vanilla sugar and vanilla pudding powder until well combined and smooth. Scrape this into the pastry shell then transfer to the centre of your pre-heated oven and bake for 50-60 minutes. If the cake is becoming too dark, cover with foil or baking paper. By the end the pastry should be golden, the filling lightly browned and just set.

Turn off the oven, prop the door open with the handle of a wooden spoon then allow to cool down over night.

Carefully unmould and serve sliced into wedges.