Apricot Cheesecake with Pistachio Crumble Topping

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This creamy German Apricot Cheesecake with Pistachio Crumble topping is the perfect summer dessert! Featuring a buttery crust, juicy fresh apricots, and a rich quark filling, it’s a traditional German cake with a modern twist.

This Apricot Cheesecake is the kind of stone fruit dessert that reminds me of Sunday afternoons in Oma’s garden. It’s buttery, fruity, and creamy all at once—basically everything a German cheesecake with fruit should be!

This traditional German cake recipe features juicy fresh apricots, a silky vanilla quark filling, and a buttery pistachio crumble topping. Let the cake chill in the fridge overnight and enjoy it the next day—it only gets better.

I live for fruit-topped cheesecakes, especially those with a creamy filling made with quark. Look for it at specialty stores like Whole Foods, Aldi, or German delis. You can also make it at home with just milk and buttermilk, but if that’s not an option, below are a few easy substitutes that work beautifully.

Quark Substitutions (US-friendly)

What is quark?

Quark is a German-style fresh cheese somewhere between Greek yogurt and ricotta. It’s super creamy but mild in flavor.

Use instead:

• Well-drained full-fat Greek yogurt. Strain it in a cheesecloth or fine mesh for a couple of hours or overnight. Measure out AFTER draining. When draining full-fat Greek yogurt to mimic the texture of quark, you’ll lose about 30–35% of the weight in liquid, depending on the brand and how thick it already is.
  To end up with 750 g (about 3 cups) of drained yogurt, you should start with:
  About 1100 g (just under 2.5 lbs or ~4½ cups) of full-fat Greek yogurt.
• Cream cheese, softened (you can mix in 1–2 tbsp milk for a fluffier texture)

Tips

• Use ripe but firm apricots so they hold their shape during baking.
• Chill the crumble topping briefly before baking to help it stay crisp.
• Don’t skip the starch. It thickens the filling and keeps it stable.
• Let the cake cool completely before slicing—it needs time to firm up.
• This recipe works best with fresh apricots but drained, canned apricots work as well.
• Tastes even better the next day after chilling overnight!

Frequently Asked Questions

Want some more nostalgic traditional German cakes with a summer twist? Check out my book

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Fresh Apricot Cheesecake with Pistachio Crumble Topping

This creamy German Apricot Cheesecake with Pistachio Crumble topping is the perfect summer dessert! Featuring a buttery crust, juicy fresh apricots, and a rich quark filling, it’s a traditional German cake with a modern twist.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Austrian, German

Keyword apricot cheesecake, cheesecake with fresh apricots, stonefruit cheesecake

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 12

Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients

For Crust & Crumble:

• 2 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 250 g
• ½ cup granulated sugar 100 g
• ½ cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 125 g
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup 40 g chopped pistachios *(for the crumble only)

For the Filling:

• 2.2 lbs apricots, pitted and quartered or halved 1 kg
• 7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened 1 kg
• ¾ cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar 180 g
• 1 tbsp vanilla paste or extract or ½ tube Dr. Oetker vanilla aroma, optional*
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups quark or drained greek yogurt 750 g (see substitutions in post)
• ¾ cup sour cream granulated sugar
• 6 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C), fan/convection setting.

2. Grease a 10-inch (26 cm) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. See FAQs if you have a 9 inch pan, you will use slightly less filling, crust is the same)

Make the crumble and crust:

1. Melt ½ cup (1 stick / 125 g) of the butter. In a bowl, mix the flour, 1 cup sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix with your hands until you get a crumbly texture.

2. Press about two-thirds of the crumble mixture into the bottom and sides of the prepared springform pan to form a crust. Add half of the apricot quarters on top. Add pistachios to the leftover crumble mix and press into a crumble topping. Chill.

Make the cheesecake filling:

1. Beat the remaining ½ cup (1 stick) butter with ¾ cup + 1 tbsp sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until light and creamy (about 5 minutes). Beat in eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each egg. I use the hand beater for this. A stand mixer with paddle attachmend also works. Add the quark or drained Greek yogurt (or cream cheese), followed by cornstarch and finishing with sour cream. Mix until just smooth but dont' mix too much anymore or you will trap air into the filling. I often switch to a handheld whisk for that part.

2. Pour the filling over the apricots. Top with the remaining apricot quarters.
3. Sprinkle the remaining pistachio crumble on top of the cake.
4. Bake for about 90 minutes (1 hour 30 minutes) on the lower rack of the oven. If browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil after 60 minutes.
5. Cool in the pan in the turned off oven, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Recipe Notes

• To drain Greek yogurt: Line a sieve with cheesecloth and let it drain for 2–4 hours in the fridge. When draining full-fat Greek yogurt to mimic the texture of quark, you’ll lose about 30–35% of the weight in liquid, depending on the brand and how thick it already is. To end up with 750 g (about 3 cups) of drained yogurt, you should start with: About 1100 g (just under 2.5 lbs or ~4½ cups) of full-fat Greek yogurt.
• If using cream cheese, use the brick-style full-fat version.
• Store in the fridge for 3–4 days