German Cheesecake with Apricots Recipe
Serves 24
30 mins prep
70 mins cook
120 mins Cooling Time
220 mins total
This is my version of the super viral German apricot cake my uncle Axel made called Spiegeleikuchen in Germany! I made mine with a buttery bottom crust, creamy lemon German cheesecake filling, rows of golden apricots, and a glossy apricot glaze to finish. This cake is fresh, fruity and a bit tangy, and perfect for Kaffee und Kuchen!
Cheesecake Layer
Apricot Layer
ozapricotstotal net weight, reserve juice for glaze
Apricot Glaze
fl ozreserved apricot juicesupplement with water if needed
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Make the Bottom Layer Dough
Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃) on the conventional setting (not convection).
Using the bowl of your stand mixer and a paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and the butter for one minute. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix on low speed until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Cover the dough and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.
Line your cake pan with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 4 portions and place one portion into each corner of the prepared pan. Press or roll the dough evenly across the bottom of the pan. There is no need to press the dough up the sides of the pan. Poke the dough all over with a fork.
Par-bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven for the next step.
Make the Cheesecake Layer
In the meantime, make the cheesecake layer. Add the cream cheese and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, sour cream, cornstarch, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
Pour the cheesecake filling over the par-baked crust and spread it out evenly using a rubber spatula.
Drain the apricots, reserving the juice for the glaze. Arrange the apricot halves rounded side up on top of the cheesecake filling in neat rows.
Bake the cake for a total of 1 hour. Cover the cake with aluminum foil for the last 30 minutes of baking to prevent the top from browning too much.
Make the Apricot Glaze
As soon as the cake is out of the oven, make the glaze. Measure the reserved apricot juice. If you do not have 300 milliliters (10 ounces) total, add enough water to reach 300 milliliters (10 ounces).
Whisk 100 milliliters (3 ounces) of the juice with the potato starch until smooth.
Bring the remaining juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Whisk in the potato starch mixture and bring it back to a boil. Boil while whisking for 30 seconds, or until thickened and glossy.
Pour the glaze over the baked cake and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula.
Allow the cake to chill for at least 2 hours before slicing into 24 pieces (6 rows of 4 slices each) and serving.