Crispy cookies, a smooth quark-mascarpone filling, and homemade caramel come together in this no-bake cheesecake with pleasantly contrasting layers. It’s perfect with coffee or for special occasions, and you don’t even need to turn on the oven.
The preparation itself is easy and quick; most of the time is spent chilling. Press the crust only onto the bottom of the pan so it doesn’t get too thin in the center, and let the caramel cool before spreading it on top. You can finish the dessert with nuts, cookies, almond flakes, or fresh fruit to your liking.
What You’ll Need
For the crust:
- 250 g caramel or butter cookies,
- 120 g melted butter.
For the filling:
- 250 g mascarpone,
- 250 ml heavy cream or as needed,
- 250 g smooth quark,
- 2–3 tbsp powdered sugar to taste, or sweetened condensed milk (Salko).
For the caramel topping:
- 150 g granulated or cane sugar,
- 80 g butter,
- 100 ml heavy cream.
For decorating:
- crushed nuts, cookies, or almond flakes as desired,
- fresh fruit as desired.
The original recipe does not specify exact amounts for the toppings, so adjust according to your preferred decoration.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Crushing the cookies: Blend the cookies into fine crumbs. If you don’t have a blender, place them in a sturdy bag and crush thoroughly with a rolling pin.
2. Making the crust: Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter until you get a compact mixture. Press the still-warm mixture firmly onto the bottom of a 19 cm springform pan and smooth the surface.
3. Chilling the crust: Press the mixture only onto the bottom, not up the sides of the pan. If you make raised edges, the center of the crust could become too thin. Place the pan in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preparing the cream: In a bowl, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, smooth quark, and 2–3 tablespoons of powdered sugar to taste. Whip everything together until you get a smooth and firm cream. You can omit the sugar or replace it with Salko.
5. Spreading the filling: Evenly spread the prepared cream over the chilled and set crust. Smooth the surface and return the cheesecake to the fridge for 2 hours to allow the filling to firm up.
6. Melting the sugar: Pour the granulated or cane sugar into a small saucepan and let it melt over medium heat. Watch the color and be careful not to burn it. The finished base should be golden brown.
7. Finishing the caramel: Add the butter to the melted sugar and stir until combined. Carefully pour in 100 ml of heavy cream and cook the caramel for another 1–2 minutes until it thickens slightly.
8. Cooling the topping: Remove the caramel from the heat and let it cool a bit. It should not be hot when spreading, otherwise it could melt or disturb the quark-mascarpone filling.
9. Decorating the cheesecake: Drizzle the slightly cooled caramel over the surface of the dessert and spread it evenly. Decorate the cheesecake with crushed nuts, cookies, or almond flakes as desired.
10. Chilling and serving: Let the finished cheesecake chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the filling sets perfectly and the flavors meld. Serve chilled, optionally topped with fresh fruit. Dip the knife in warm water between cuts for clean slices.
How to Change Up the Cheesecake
You can replace caramel or butter cookies with chocolate, whole grain, or oat cookies. Each type will give the crust a slightly different flavor, but the process and the amount of 250 g of cookies remain the same.
You can arrange slices of banana, apple, or pear under the caramel layer or around the edges of the dessert to your taste. The fruit will nicely complement the rich caramel flavor and add a colorful touch to the cheesecake.
How to Make Salted Caramel and a Firmer Cream
If you want to enhance the sweet flavor of the topping, add a pinch of sea salt while cooking the caramel. This will create a more pronounced sweet-salty caramel contrast.
For an extra firm cream, dissolve 1 teaspoon of powdered gelatin in 2 tablespoons of cold water. Let it swell, then gently heat it (do not boil). Finally, mix it into the mascarpone-quark mixture before spreading the cream over the crust.
How to Speed Up the Setting Time
After the first phase of chilling the filling, you can place the cheesecake in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will shorten the wait before adding the caramel topping. However, don’t skip the final chilling—let the finished dessert rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
