Finnish Cinnamon Bun Cheesecake (Korvapuusti-juustokakku)
This wonderfully easy Finnish cheesecake uses frozen unbaked korvapuusti — Finnish cinnamon buns — to create both the base and the eye-catching edge of the cake.
The result is a soft, fragrant cinnamon bun crust filled with a light and fluffy quark cheesecake mixture, finished with whipped cream, fruit and a dusting of cinnamon.
This is one cake you definitely do not want to miss.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Bun Base
- 1 tbsp liquid margarine or softened butter
- 560 g (19.8 oz / approximately 1¼ lb) frozen unbaked korvapuusti or cinnamon buns
Filling
- 3 eggs, separated
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 400 g (14 oz / approximately 1¾ cups) plum-cinnamon flavoured quark
- 100 g (3½ oz / approximately ⅓–½ cup) vanilla flavoured quark
- 50 ml (3 tbsp + 1 tsp) potato starch
- 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) plum marmalade or cherry jam
Topping
- 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) heavy whipping cream
- 100 g (3½ oz / approximately ⅓–½ cup) vanilla flavoured quark
- 150 g (5.3 oz) fresh plums or cherries
- Ground cinnamon, for dusting
- Cake decorations, such as chocolate decorations, optional
Instructions
1. Prepare the Pan
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
Grease a 23 cm (9-inch) springform pan with liquid margarine or softened butter.
2. Slice the Cinnamon Buns
While the frozen cinnamon buns are still slightly firm, cut them into slices approximately 1 cm (⅜ inch) thick.
3. Form the Crust
Arrange most of the cinnamon bun slices over the bottom of the prepared pan, reserving 8 slices for the sides.
Once the slices have mostly thawed, use your hands to gently press them together into an even layer across the base of the pan.
Press the remaining 8 slices around the inside edge of the pan to create the decorative crust.
Spread the plum marmalade or cherry jam evenly over the base.
4. Make the Filling
Separate the eggs into two bowls.
Add the sugar to the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form.
In the second bowl, whisk the egg yolks together with the plum-cinnamon quark, vanilla quark and sifted potato starch.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the quark mixture until evenly combined.
5. Fill the Cake
Pour the filling into the prepared cinnamon bun crust and smooth the surface.
6. Bake
Bake on the lowest rack of the oven at 150°C (300°F) for approximately 1 hour.
Halfway through baking, loosely cover the top of the cake with baking parchment if it is beginning to brown too much.
7. Chill
Allow the cheesecake to cool completely in the pan.
For the best texture and flavour, refrigerate overnight before serving.
Alternatively, chill for at least 2 hours.
Finish the Cake
Whip the cream and vanilla quark together until thick and firm enough to pipe.
Decorate the chilled cake with fresh plums or cherries and your choice of additional cake decorations.
Pipe the whipped quark cream over the cake and finish with a light dusting of sifted ground cinnamon.
Strawberry Cinnamon Bun Cheesecake Variation
For a strawberry version, replace the plum marmalade or cherry jam with strawberry or mixed berry jam.
For the filling, use:
- 400 g (14 oz) vanilla flavoured quark
- 100 g (3½ oz) lemon flavoured quark
For the topping, replace the vanilla quark with:
- 100 g (3½ oz) lemon flavoured quark
Decorate the finished cheesecake with fresh strawberries.
Notes
Korvapuusti are Finnish cinnamon rolls traditionally flavoured with cinnamon and often shaped in their distinctive pinched style.
Using frozen unbaked cinnamon buns makes this cheesecake especially easy, while giving the finished cake an impressive decorative crust.
Flavoured quark is widely available in Finland and other Nordic countries. If it is difficult to find, a thick European-style quark can be sweetened and flavoured with vanilla, cinnamon and fruit preserves to create a similar result.
For the original plum-cinnamon filling, plain quark can be flavoured with a little plum preserve, ground cinnamon and vanilla.
This cheesecake is best prepared in advance, as chilling it overnight allows the filling to set fully and the flavours to develop.
Recipe and image source: Valio.fi
