Photo: Natalie Levin
Classic baked cheesecake is ultimately one of the best desserts there is – it is soft, with an addictive rich texture and is really great not only on Shavuot, but all year round. If you make it with low fat cheese it’s not even too high in calories, so I really don’t know how I always skip it all year round and only make cheesecakes around Shavuot. It really is a shame!
Anyway, this year I’ve made lots of cheesecakes lately, but the truth is that this next cake is the winner for me – it truly captured my heart. This is a light cheesecake with an addition of natural yogurt that adds freshness and even lighter texture. It’s airy, has a delicious melt-in-your-mouth texture and is truly divine.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Light Cheesecake with Yogurt
For the crust:
- 150 grams graham cracker (or plain vanilla biscuits)
- 75 grams (1/3 cup) melted butter
For the yogurt cheesecake filling:
- 5 large eggs (separated)
- Pinch of salt
- 200 grams (1 cup) sugar (or sugar substitute)
- 750 grams (3 cups) low fat white cheese (or ricotta)
- 280 grams (1 ½ cups) natural yogurt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 40 grams (4 tbsp.) cornstarch
For yogurt topping:
- 140 grams (3/4 cup) natural yogurt
- 2 tbsp. sugar powder
For decoration:
- Lemon zest
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees and place a dish with boiling water at the bottom of the oven.
Crust:
- In a food processor with a steel blade, grind biscuits into thin powder.
- Add melted butter and mix until uniform.
- Transfer the crumbs to the pan and tighten it firmly to form a crust.
- Cool in the freezer until preparing the filling.
Yogurt cheesecake filling:
- In a mixer bowl whip egg whites and salt at high speed until whiteish foam begins to form.
- Add sugar gradually and continue to whip until you get an airy and flexible foam.
- In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks, white cheese, yogurt, vanilla, lemon zest and cornstarch into a uniform mixture.
- Add the whipped egg whites into the cheese mixture and fold gently until combined.
- Pour the batter over the cold crust and straighten the top.
- Bake for 60-90 minutes or until the cake is golden at the top and set at the edges, but is still slightly vibrating in the center.
- Turn off the oven and let the cake cool down completely.
Yogurt topping:
- In a small bowl, mix yogurt and powdered sugar into a uniform mixture.
- Pour the mixture over the top of the cake and cool in the refrigerator overnight.
- Before serving, decorate with a
- little grated lemon zest.
- The cake is kept in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
- If you want to spare some calories, you can prepare the cake without the crust and convert the sugar into a sugar substitute (according to the conversion ratios listed in each sugar substitute package).
- Instead of cornstarch, all-purpose flour can be used in the same amount.
- If you do not like lemon, you can omit the lemon peel.
- It is important not to give up the vanilla in the filling.
Photo: Natalie Levin
Photo: Natalie Levin