This lazy cottage cheese cheesecake — a classic vatrushka-style bake — is proof that light desserts can still feel indulgent. An airy oat sponge cradles a silky cottage cheese filling, studded with raspberries and baked until golden. It is sugar-free, high in protein, and dangerously easy to slice into.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) ryazhenka (baked milk yogurt) or kefir
- 70 g (1/2 cup) oat flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- A pinch of vanillin
- 300 g (10 1/2 oz) cottage cheese 5%
- 10 g (1 tbsp) cornstarch
- 1 g vanillin
- 10 g sweetener
- 30 g (1 oz) raspberries (or raisins, dried apricots)
Instructions
- Make the filling: place the cottage cheese in a deep bowl, add the egg, ryazhenka, cornstarch, vanillin and sweetener, and blend until completely smooth.
- Make the sponge: beat the eggs with the vanillin and sweetener in a bowl on high speed for 5-7 minutes until pale and voluminous. Keep beating while pouring in the ryazhenka, then fold in the flour with the baking powder.
- Gently fold with a spatula to keep the batter airy. Pour into a 16 cm (6-inch) pan and spoon the filling into the center.
- Scatter the frozen berries over the top and bake in a preheated oven at 180 C (350 F) for 30-40 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the sponge should come out dry while the filling still jiggles slightly.
- Let the vatrushka cool in the switched-off oven, then remove from the pan.
Tips
- Blend the filling until completely smooth — any lumps will show in the finished cheesecake. For more cottage cheese inspiration, try our classic Cottage Cheese Bake or the Poppy Seed Cottage Cheese Bake.
- Let the vatrushka cool in the switched-off oven to prevent cracking and sinking. Serious Eats explains why gentle cooling matters for custard-style bakes.
- Frozen raspberries work perfectly here — scatter them over the top straight from the freezer; they will bleed beautiful color as they bake. For another fruity cottage cheese treat, try our Semolina Cottage Cheese Casserole.
Nutrition
Per 100 g: 169 kcal | Protein 14 g | Fat 7 g | Carbs 11 g