Spekulatius Käsekuchen: German Speculoos Cheesecake

For the cookies/crust, beat the brown sugar with the eggs and butter until creamy and combined. Then add salt, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.

Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the mixture and knead until combined.

Press 400 g of the cookie dough on the bottom and sides of the spring pan (you can cut out and bake the remaining dough on the convection setting at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes.)

For the cheesecake filling, whisk together the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth, but do not overwork. Gradually whisk in the eggs.

Sift together the corn starch and flour, then whisk into the butter-egg mixture until smooth. Lastly, whisk in the quark.

Pour the mixture onto the cookie crust and bake for about 85 minutes, covering the cheesecake with foil halfway through to prevent it from getting too dark. Allow to rest in the oven for a couple of hours and place in the fridge overnight before serving.

Serve with more cookies!