I have made the Rudy cake several times at home, and it always disappears quickly from the platter. I stumbled upon it by chance, and since then, I keep it close for moments when I need something with cheese but don't have time for complicated desserts. At first glance, it seems like a simple cake, but it has a good combination of textures – a crumbly base and a dense cheese cream. The good thing is that it doesn't require complicated techniques, and you won't be left with many dishes to wash.
Quick Info
Total time: approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes (includes minimum cooling)
Preparation time: 20-25 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12-16, depending on how you cut
Difficulty: easy to medium
Recipe type: cheese cake for family or guests
Ingredients
For the dough:
- White wheat flour: 400 g
- Butter: 250 g
- Granulated sugar: 150 g
- Egg yolk: 1 piece
- Iodized salt: a pinch
- Vanilla sugar: 1 packet
- Baking powder: 1 packet
- Cocoa powder: 2 tablespoons
For the filling:
- Cottage cheese (preferably as fine as possible, I used Pilos): 750 g
- Vanilla sugar: 3 packets
- Granulated sugar: 250 g
- Candied/sugar-coated lemon peel: 2 teaspoons
- Eggs: 3 pieces (1 yolk is used for the dough and 3 whole eggs for the cream, plus the leftover egg white from the dough)
Preparation method
1. Start with the dough: melt the butter in the microwave for about 60 seconds until soft but not hot.
2. In a large bowl, add the flour, a pinch of salt, baking powder, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla sugar. Mix the dry ingredients slightly.
3. Pour the melted butter over the mixture, add the egg yolk, and knead by hand or with a fork until you obtain a crumbly dough resembling crumbs. Do not overdo it; the goal is not to make it compact.
4. Set aside the leftover egg white from the egg used for the dough. You will use it for the filling.
5. For the filling, place the cottage cheese, the 3 whole eggs, the leftover egg white from the dough, granulated sugar, vanilla sugar, and lemon peel in a large bowl. Mix well with a whisk or mixer on low speed until the ingredients are homogenized. The cream should not be too liquid.
6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Sprinkle about two-thirds of the crumbly dough evenly on the bottom of the tray to create a stable base.
7. Pour the cheese cream over the layer of dough. Smooth it out gently with a spatula.
8. Sprinkle the remaining dough (crumbs) over the cream so that you achieve an uneven appearance with small areas of cheese visible.
9. Place the tray in the preheated oven at medium heat (about 170-180°C, if you want to be exact) for about 45 minutes. The cake should take on color on top, and the cream should be set, but still slightly soft to the touch.
10. Allow the cake to cool in the tray. Once cooled, you can sprinkle powdered sugar on top. It cuts more easily after complete cooling.
Why I make the recipe often
I like it because it doesn't involve fancy techniques, it assembles directly in the tray, and it doesn't require a separate layer of dough. It is filling and remains good the next day. I make it when I want to use cottage cheese or have something for coffee without complicating things too much.
Tips and variations
Tips
- The dough should be crumbly; do not make it into a dough. Do not knead excessively.
- If the cheese is very watery, you can drain it a bit; otherwise, the cream will be more liquid and won't set as well.
- Let the cake cool well before cutting it; otherwise, the cream will be soft.
- You can also add raisins to the cream if you like, but they are not in the basic recipe.
Substitutions
- Butter cannot really be replaced in this recipe without losing the crumbly texture.
- Classic cottage cheese works best. Ricotta or urda do not have the same texture and yield a different result.
- You can use brown sugar in the dough for a different flavor, but stick to granulated sugar for the filling.
Variations
- You can add a little rum or lemon essence to the filling.
- If you want the top layer to be crunchier, you can refrigerate the remaining dough for 10-15 minutes before sprinkling it.
- For decoration, you can also add almond flakes on top before baking.
Serving ideas
- It is best served cold, plain, or with a little powdered sugar.
- It goes well with coffee or tea, as a snack or dessert after a lighter meal.
- It can be cut into small squares for dessert platters.
Frequently asked questions
1. What size tray should I use?
For this amount of ingredients, a tray of approximately 22x30 cm or a similar one is suitable. You can also use larger round trays, but the thickness will be slightly less.
2. Can I use sweet cheese from the market?
Yes, but if it is very wet or grainy, it is ideal to drain it and mix it a little to obtain a fine cream.
3. Can the Rudy cake be frozen?
I do not recommend it. The texture of the cheese cream does not hold up well to freezing and becomes watery after thawing.
4. Do I need to beat the eggs separately for the cream?
No. Everything is mixed together with a whisk or mixer until the composition is homogenized.
5. Can I reduce the sugar?
You can reduce the amount a bit, but not below 200 g for the filling; otherwise, the cake will be bland, especially if the cheese is sour.
Nutritional values
The values are estimated for one serving (out of 16 servings, without powdered sugar):
Calories: 310-340 kcal
Proteins: 7-8 g
Fats: 16-18 g
Carbohydrates: 36-38 g
The cake is quite rich in fats and sugars, based on butter and cottage cheese. It feels filling, with one slice being enough as a dessert.
Storage and reheating
The Rudy cake stores well in the fridge, in a closed container or covered with foil, for up to 3 days. I do not recommend reheating – it is served cold. If it sits at room temperature for a few hours, it is not a problem, but overnight it is safer to keep it cold. The texture remains stable the next day. After 2-3 days, the crumbs soften a little, but the taste remains good.
Quick Info
Total time: approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes (includes minimum cooling)
Preparation time: 20-25 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12-16, depending on how you cut
Difficulty: easy to medium
Recipe type: cheese cake for family or guests
Ingredients
For the dough:
- White wheat flour: 400 g
- Butter: 250 g
- Granulated sugar: 150 g
- Egg yolk: 1 piece
- Iodized salt: a pinch
- Vanilla sugar: 1 packet
- Baking powder: 1 packet
- Cocoa powder: 2 tablespoons
For the filling:
- Cottage cheese (preferably as fine as possible, I used Pilos): 750 g
- Vanilla sugar: 3 packets
- Granulated sugar: 250 g
- Candied/sugar-coated lemon peel: 2 teaspoons
- Eggs: 3 pieces (1 yolk is used for the dough and 3 whole eggs for the cream, plus the leftover egg white from the dough)
Preparation method
1. Start with the dough: melt the butter in the microwave for about 60 seconds until soft but not hot.
2. In a large bowl, add the flour, a pinch of salt, baking powder, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla sugar. Mix the dry ingredients slightly.
3. Pour the melted butter over the mixture, add the egg yolk, and knead by hand or with a fork until you obtain a crumbly dough resembling crumbs. Do not overdo it; the goal is not to make it compact.
4. Set aside the leftover egg white from the egg used for the dough. You will use it for the filling.
5. For the filling, place the cottage cheese, the 3 whole eggs, the leftover egg white from the dough, granulated sugar, vanilla sugar, and lemon peel in a large bowl. Mix well with a whisk or mixer on low speed until the ingredients are homogenized. The cream should not be too liquid.
6. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Sprinkle about two-thirds of the crumbly dough evenly on the bottom of the tray to create a stable base.
7. Pour the cheese cream over the layer of dough. Smooth it out gently with a spatula.
8. Sprinkle the remaining dough (crumbs) over the cream so that you achieve an uneven appearance with small areas of cheese visible.
9. Place the tray in the preheated oven at medium heat (about 170-180°C, if you want to be exact) for about 45 minutes. The cake should take on color on top, and the cream should be set, but still slightly soft to the touch.
10. Allow the cake to cool in the tray. Once cooled, you can sprinkle powdered sugar on top. It cuts more easily after complete cooling.
Why I make the recipe often
I like it because it doesn't involve fancy techniques, it assembles directly in the tray, and it doesn't require a separate layer of dough. It is filling and remains good the next day. I make it when I want to use cottage cheese or have something for coffee without complicating things too much.
Tips and variations
Tips
- The dough should be crumbly; do not make it into a dough. Do not knead excessively.
- If the cheese is very watery, you can drain it a bit; otherwise, the cream will be more liquid and won't set as well.
- Let the cake cool well before cutting it; otherwise, the cream will be soft.
- You can also add raisins to the cream if you like, but they are not in the basic recipe.
Substitutions
- Butter cannot really be replaced in this recipe without losing the crumbly texture.
- Classic cottage cheese works best. Ricotta or urda do not have the same texture and yield a different result.
- You can use brown sugar in the dough for a different flavor, but stick to granulated sugar for the filling.
Variations
- You can add a little rum or lemon essence to the filling.
- If you want the top layer to be crunchier, you can refrigerate the remaining dough for 10-15 minutes before sprinkling it.
- For decoration, you can also add almond flakes on top before baking.
Serving ideas
- It is best served cold, plain, or with a little powdered sugar.
- It goes well with coffee or tea, as a snack or dessert after a lighter meal.
- It can be cut into small squares for dessert platters.
Frequently asked questions
1. What size tray should I use?
For this amount of ingredients, a tray of approximately 22x30 cm or a similar one is suitable. You can also use larger round trays, but the thickness will be slightly less.
2. Can I use sweet cheese from the market?
Yes, but if it is very wet or grainy, it is ideal to drain it and mix it a little to obtain a fine cream.
3. Can the Rudy cake be frozen?
I do not recommend it. The texture of the cheese cream does not hold up well to freezing and becomes watery after thawing.
4. Do I need to beat the eggs separately for the cream?
No. Everything is mixed together with a whisk or mixer until the composition is homogenized.
5. Can I reduce the sugar?
You can reduce the amount a bit, but not below 200 g for the filling; otherwise, the cake will be bland, especially if the cheese is sour.
Nutritional values
The values are estimated for one serving (out of 16 servings, without powdered sugar):
Calories: 310-340 kcal
Proteins: 7-8 g
Fats: 16-18 g
Carbohydrates: 36-38 g
The cake is quite rich in fats and sugars, based on butter and cottage cheese. It feels filling, with one slice being enough as a dessert.
Storage and reheating
The Rudy cake stores well in the fridge, in a closed container or covered with foil, for up to 3 days. I do not recommend reheating – it is served cold. If it sits at room temperature for a few hours, it is not a problem, but overnight it is safer to keep it cold. The texture remains stable the next day. After 2-3 days, the crumbs soften a little, but the taste remains good.