Polish Cherry Cheesecake Recipe [Sernik z Wiśniami]

Everyone knows and appreciates a classic dessert recipe, and this Polish Cherry Cheesecake Recipe is one that has been used for years, and for good reason. We look forward to making this utterly scrumptious cheesecake recipe every time because there’s nothing quite like the combination of the fresh cherries with the creamy center. 

If you’re lucky enough to have a cherry tree near you, then those fresh cherries will make the flavor of this simple cheesecake come to life. Frozen cherries will work as well – but nothing ever tops the flavor of fresh. 

Polish cheesecake is a decadent dessert that is great for an after-dinner treat. People will also typically serve this for their holiday desserts as well. 

Frozen or Fresh Cherries? 

The versatility of this recipe is one of the reasons that we love it so much. Fresh cherries are flavorful and delicious, but sometimes, frozen cherries can be purchased at the store at a better price. Either option works well when making this cherry cheesecake.

Keep in mind that there is always more of a risk that frozen cherries will release an excess of moisture as they thaw, which can turn your beautiful cheesecake into a tad bit different look. Just be mindful of the frozen cherries and do your best to thaw them so that you don’t have that occur. 

Polish Cherry Cheesecake Recipe [Sernik z Wiśniami]

Part I – Make the Crust

Before starting with the rest of the directions, preheat the oven to 356 degrees. 

Mix together 3 cups of all purpose flour, 1 cup of butter or margarine, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 4 tablespoons of sour cream, and 1 tablespoon of cocoa. You can mix everything together by hand or use a food processor. Once everything is mixed, a soft crust will form on the bottom of the cheesecake. 

Place the dough in the bottom of the pan once formed. We use a 9X13-inch pan lined with parchment paper. 

Important: Typically, when baking, we use unsalted butter, but I think that salted or unsalted butter would both work fine for this recipe. 

Part II – Make the cheesecake filling 

Quick note: You will need to separate the egg yolks from the egg whites for this step. 

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix the 30 ounces of cream cheese with 4 egg yolks and 1 cup of sugar. 

Grab a different bowl and combine the 4 egg whites with a tad bit of salt. Beat together until this mixture forms stiff peaks. 

Once the peaks have formed, turn off the mixture and then stir in the 3 tablespoons of potato starch. Stir in one direction, very slowly. 

Part III – Pour the mixture into the pan

Once the creamy middle has been mixed, add the pitted cherries on top of the cheesecake. Make sure that you removed the pits prior to placing them on the cake. 

Part IV – Bake

Once the cake has the cherry topping, place the pan in the oven and bake for 60 minutes at 356 degrees. 

FAQs about Making Polish Cherry Cheesecake 

Can you top with other fruit? 

If you want to use other fruit besides cherries, you can. Blueberries or even strawberries would be a great fruit option for this dish. 

How do I pit cherries? 

Using fresh cherries means that there are going to be pits that have to be removed. There isn’t a magic way to take them out, so doing them one by one is important. 

The best way to get rid of cherry pits is to squeeze them out of the bottom. Hold the fresh cherry between two fingers and just push out the cherry pit. 

How do you serve Polish Cherry Cheesecake? 

Cheesecake is best served after it’s chilled in the fridge. Once the cherry cheesecake is done baking in the oven, you can let it cool down slightly at room temperature before adding it to the fridge to chill. 

For the best results, let it chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before slicing and serving. 

Why did my cheesecake sink in the middle? 

There can be a few reasons why your cheesecake sinks in the middle. It may not be fully cooked when you take it out of the oven, and that can cause the middle to sink.

The middle of the cheesecake will also sink if there is too much moisture or liquid in the cheesecake as well. (this is where using frozen cherries can sometimes be an issue) 

Why are there cracks on the top of my cheesecake? 

If a cheesecake bakes for too long, cracks will form on the top of the cheesecake. While this doesn’t mean that the flavor will be compromised, it doesn’t look very appealing to slice and serve.

If this happens, you can always add more fresh cherries on top to cover the look of the cracks, and then make a mental note to adjust the baking time the next time you make it. 

What other recipes use cherries? 

Since cherry season is abundant in Poland, there are many ways to use fresh cherries. This Authentic Polish Cherry Pierogi Recipe is one of our other favorites that have an amazing flavor and taste. 

Are there any other Polish cheesecake recipes?

There are hundreds! Some of them are:

• Golden dew Polish cheesecake
• Polish cold cheesecake
• Poppyseed cheesecake
• Gluten-free cheesecake
• Authentic Polish cheesecake

Yield: 25 servings

Polish Cherry Cheesecake Recipe (Sernik z Wiśniami)

Print

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

Bottom layer

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (230g) of butter/margarine
• 3 tbsps of sugar
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 4 tbsps of sour cream
• 1 tbsp of cocoa

Upper Layer

• 30 oz (850g) of cream cheese
• 4 eggs
• 3 tbsps of potato starch
• 3 tbsps of melted butter
• 1 cup of sugar

Other

• 18oz (500g) of fresh or frozen cherries

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C).
2. Knead the chocolate dough (bottom layer). Roll it out and place it into the baking pan (9x13") lined with parchment paper.
3. Separate egg yolks from egg whites.
4. Mix cream cheese with egg yolks and sugar.
5. Add melted butter and potato starch and mix again.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a bit of salt until stiff.
7. Turn off the mixer. Using a spoon, carefully add the white foam to the dough. Stir in one direction, very slowly.
8. Place pitted cherries onto the cake, pressing each one gently.
9. Bake for 1 hour.

Notes

If you are using frozen cherries, drain them first! The cherries cannot be watery.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Rectangle Baking Pan - Blacha prostokątna na ciasto
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  Eggs Organic Cage-Free
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  Philadelphia Cream Cheese - Serek Philadelphia
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  Extra Butter Unsalted
• 
  Cacao Powder - Kakao
• 
  Baking Powder - Proszek do pieczenia
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  Sugar - Cukier
• 
  Cherries Sweet Whole Organic - Czereśnie
• 
  Potato Starch (Flour) - Mąka (skrobia) ziemniaczana
• 
  All Purpose Flour

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

25

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 255Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 157mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 5g

These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix