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ein Stück marillenkuchen mit topfen und streusel auf einem braunen Kuchenteller

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