Polish Gluten Free Cheesecake Recipe – Sernik Bezglutenowy

If you have traveled to Poland, you will know that the Polish cheesecake sernik is super popular. One may even call it the king of cakes in Poland. The recipe however has gluten in it which not everyone may enjoy. Luckily this Polish gluten-free cheesecake recipe tastes as good. 

There are a couple of things that you should know before you start off making your cake. First off, this is a baked cheesecake recipe so you will need an oven. Secondly, you need to make sure that you use the right kind of cheese. Polish cheesecake is made using farmer’s cheese. Most of the other cheesecake recipes across the world use cream cheese in their preparation.

Farmer’s cheese is firmer and more crumbly when compared to the smooth texture of cream cheese. It also gives the cheesecake a slight sour taste which makes the taste of the cake unique.

Polish Gluten Free Cheesecake Recipe – Sernik Bezglutenowy

Part I – Peel And Boil The Potato

Part II – Preheat The Oven

Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). This is always an important part when it comes to baking a cake. Preheating the oven ensures that the temperature is just right when you place the cake in. If the oven is too cold, the cake will not rise adequately and will be thick instead of fluffy. If it is too hot the top of the cake will burn but the rest of the cake will not cook. 

Starting off by preheating the oven also ensures that you save time. This way when you are done mixing the batter, the oven will be ready.

Part III – Line The Cake Pan With Parchment Paper

Line a 9×13” cake pan with parchment paper. This helps ensure that the cake doesn’t stick to the sides. It also helps you remove the cake easily. All you have to do is hold the edges of the parchment paper and pull gently. The cake will come free from the cake pan.

Part IV – Grind The Farmer’s Cheese

For this recipe you will need 2.5 lbs (1.2 kg) of farmer’s cheese. Grind the cheese and set it aside. Grinding the cheese ensures that it combines with the cake dough well. If you don’t do this you will find lumps of cheese in the cake once it is baked which will detract from the taste of the cake.

Part V  – Separate The Egg Yolks From The Egg Whites

This recipe uses 10 eggs. Gently separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and set them aside.

Part VI – Beat The Egg Yolks

Add 1 cup of sugar to the egg yolks and beat the egg yolk. Beat till the sugar and egg yolk form a smooth mixture.

Part VII – Add In The Vanilla

Add in 1 tsp of vanilla extract. If you choose to use a vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract, cut the bean lengthwise. Use a knife to scrape out the little brown flakes inside. Now add these into the mixture.

Part VIII – Add The Butter, Potato Starch, Baking Powder And Boiled Potato

Now for the next step add in 200 gms. of softened butter, 4 tbsps. of potato starch, 1 tsp. of gluten free baking powder and 1 boiled potato. Beat the mixture for 2 – 3 minutes or until everything has mixed in evenly.

Part IX – Beat The Egg Whites

In a separate bowl, add the egg whites and a pinch of salt. Note that the bowl should be large enough because the egg whites will increase in quantity when whipping. Beat the egg whites such that they form stiff peaks. You can see this when you turn the whisk upside down. The egg white will still stay stiff like a mountain peak. If this does not happen, keep beating the egg whites till it does.

Part X – Add The Egg White To The Batter

Do this part extremely carefully because the egg whites can deflate. Add the egg white foam into the batter. Gently stir or fold it in. Make sure to do this in only one direction. The egg white will give the cake its light texture when it is baked.

Part XI – Add In The Raisins

This step is optional. If you like, you can add a cup of raisins to the batter. Gently stir the batter.

Part XII – Pour The Batter into The Cake Pan

Gently pour the batter into the cake line pan. Make sure not to bang the pan or shake it too much.

Part XIII – Bake For 50 Minutes

Part XIV – Turn Off The Oven

This part of the recipe is a little different from most other cakes. Turn off the oven after the cake is done. Leave the door slightly ajar and let the cake cool inside the oven. The cake may collapse a bit when it is cooling. Do not worry about it. This is totally normal.

FAQ About Polish Gluten Free Cheesecake

I Do Not Have Potato Starch. What Can I Use Instead?

Potato starch is used to thicken the cake dough. If you don’t have it in your pantry, don’t worry. You can use cornstarch instead which essentially works the same way. 

My Polish Gluten Free Cheesecake Collapsed After Baking. What Should I Do?

It is perfectly normal for the cheesecake to collapse a bit after baking. In fact, in order to ensure that the cake does not collapse a lot, you should ensure that it cools inside the oven. The drastic change in temperature from the oven to the room air is what makes it flatten. 

How Should I Serve Polish Gluten Free Cheesecake?

Generally speaking, Polish gluten free cheesecake tastes amazing on its own. That doesn’t mean that toppings should be completely ignored. A couple of the toppings that look and taste amazing are:

• Melted chocolate (gluten free versions)
• Raspberry syrup
• Strawberry mousse
• Canned peaches
• Forest fruit jelly
• Whipped fresh cream

Are There Any Other Polish Cheesecake Recipes?

There are so many versions of cheesecake recipes that taste amazing. Here are some popular ones.

• Polish cheesecake sernik recipe
• Golden dew Polish cheesecake recipe
• Polish cherry cheesecake recipe
• Polish cold cheesecake recipe
• Polish poppy seed cheesecake recipe

Yield: 16 portions

Polish Gluten Free Cheesecake Recipe - Sernik Bezglutenowy

Print

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs (1.20kg) of farmer's / curd cheese
• 4 tbsps of potato or corn starch
• 10 eggs
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp of gluten-free baking powder
• 7 oz / 200g of soft butter
• 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 boiled potato
• 1 cup of raisins (optionally)

Instructions

1. Peel and boil the potato.
2. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
3. Line the 9x13" cake pan with parchment paper.
4. Grind the farmer's cheese.
5. Separate egg yolks from egg whites.
6. Beat egg yolks with sugar.
7. Add vanilla extract or the inside of the vanilla bean (you need to cut it lengthwise then use the knife to scrape out the brown flecks inside).
8. Add butter, potato starch, baking powder, and boiled potato. Beat for 2-3 minutes.
9. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff.
10. Carefully add egg white foam to the batter. Do it using a spoon, stirring in one direction.
11. Add raisins and mix.
12. Pour the batter into the cake pan.
13. Bake for 50 minutes.
14. Turn off the oven and open its door. Allow the cake to cool inside the oven.

Notes

The cheesecake will raise in the oven, then it will collapse a bit. Don't worry about that.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 241Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 6g

These data are indicative and calculated by Nutritionix