Cottage Cheese Babka Bake
A babka differs from a plain cheese bake in height and in how it holds air. The whites are whipped separately and folded in last — they are what lifts the mixture by about two thirds. The price is a tendency to sink, so use a tall tin and let the oven cool gradually.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 55 min
- Servings
- 8
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 380 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Swap the flour for the same weight of semolina, soaked in the sour cream for 20 minutes beforehand.
Makes: one 22 cm round tin, 8 portions
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Prepare cheese and raisins
Push the curd through a sieve. Soak the raisins in boiling water for 10 minutes, pat them dry and toss them in a teaspoon of the flour so they stay suspended.
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Step 2: Cream the yolk base
Beat the softened butter with 100 g of the sugar and the vanilla sugar until creamy, then work in the yolks one at a time, followed by the sour cream and zest.
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Step 3: Add the cheese
Fold in the curd and the sifted flour. The mixture will be stiff — that is correct, the lightness comes from the whites.
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Step 4: Whip the whites
Whip the whites with the pinch of salt to soft peaks, then rain in the remaining 50 g of sugar while whisking, and take them to stiff, glossy peaks. Bowl and whisk must be bone dry.
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Step 5: Fold them in
Add the whites in three goes, folding from the bottom up. The first third loosens the mixture; the rest stays as air, so stop as soon as no streaks remain.
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Step 6: Fill the tin
Spoon into a buttered tin, filling it two thirds full, and level the top. The babka will rise almost to the rim.
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Step 7: Bake
Bake at 170 °C for 50–55 minutes. Do not open the door for the first 30 minutes: a draught of cold air collapses whipped whites instantly.
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Step 8: Cool in the oven
Turn the oven off, prop the door open and leave the babka inside for 30 minutes before taking it out. Dust with icing sugar once cold.
Tips & variations
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Tip
A single speck of yolk in the whites and they will never hold peaks. Crack each egg into a separate cup first.
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Variation
Use 100 g of dried sour cherries or chopped dried apricots instead of raisins, and orange zest in place of lemon.
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Swap
Swap the flour for the same weight of semolina, soaked in the sour cream for 20 minutes beforehand.
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Storage
Three days in the fridge. It settles a little as it stands, which is normal and does not affect the flavour.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 8 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 380 kcal | 3,040 kcal |
| Protein | 16 g | 128 g |
| Fat | 19 g | 152 g |
| Carbohydrates | 35 g | 280 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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