This rustic apricot farmers cheesecake is a wonderful Polish-style treat. Slightly sweet and so creamy, you can have it for either breakfast or dessert.
Apricot farmers cheesecake is not overly sweet, especially if you use fresh apricots. If you have an insane sweet tooth, double the sugar for both the filling and the crust. Go ahead, no one is judging here…
Farmers Cheesecake
Farmers cheesecake, or “sernik” in Polish, is a very popular dish in Eastern Europe. It’s a simple and cheap dessert, lauded for its pure flavors and mild sweetness. Typically eaten around Easter and Christmas, this cake is perfect all year round. Swap in your favorite fruit or add a drizzle of chocolate.
Love farmers cheesecake? Try our zapekanka recipe which features farmers cheesecake baked with golden raisins.
What is Farmers Cheese?
Farmers cheese is an unaged, fresh cheese made with just three simple ingredients — whole milk, vinegar, and lemon juice. This mild white cheese is crumbly and perfect for baking both sweet and savory treats.
How to Make Apricot Farmers Cheesecake from Scratch
Making this simple farmers cheesecake doesn’t require you to pull out the electric mixer (except for making some quick whipped cream) and can be prepared mostly by hand.
- Prepare the Crust Batter: Combine the room temperature butter with 1/3 cup of sugar and three eggs in a large bowl. Add in the all-purpose flour and baking powder and stir until combined.
- Form the Crust: Place the dough in the center of an 11-inch baking dish. Using your fingers, work the dough into a deep-dish crust shape.
- Prepare the Apricots: Slice the apricots in half and place them flesh side down in the baking dish.
- Make the Cheesecake Batter: Whisk the other 3 eggs together and add in the farmer’s cheese and potato starch. Whisk until smooth and free of lumps.
- Make the Whipped Cream: In a separate bowl, whisk the heavy whipping cream with 1/2 cup sugar until you get stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the farmers cheese mixture. Spread the cheese mixture over the apricots.
- Bake the Farmers Cheesecake: Bake at 350°F for 60-75 minutes and allow the cake to cool completely in the springform pan or on a wire rack before serving. Slice & enjoy!
Tips & Tricks for Making Farmers Cheesecake
Making farmers cheesecake is super similar to American-style cheesecake. To guide the process, follow these simple tips and tricks.
- Supercharge the process with store-bought crust. If you’re short on time, opt for a store-bought pie crust instead. This will cut down on prep time and let you focus solely on the cheesecake batter.
- Opt for high-quality canned apricots if you can’t find fresh ones. If you can’t get your hands on fresh apricots, opt for the best canned stuff you can find. Apricots really elevate the flavor of the cake, so it’s worth investing in top quality.
- Bake the farmers cheesecake until it doesn’t jiggle. If you’re unsure if your cheesecake is fully-cooked through, test the center with your finger. If it’s firm to the touch and free of jiggle, it’s ready to be taken out of the oven.
Hot Tip: Make removing your farmers cheesecake super simple by baking it in a springform pan.
Different Fruits For Farmers Cheesecake
Any fresh or canned fruit pairs wonderfully with the creamy texture of this cake. Here are a couple of great options to swap the apricots out for…
- Plums – Prune plums are the best option. They are about half the size of a traditional plum and have an egg shape. When baked, they turn into a wonderful jam-like consistency.
- Peaches – Yellow peaches — canned or fresh — work lovely. Keep in mind that canned varieties will be much sweeter due to the syrup they are preserved in.
- Cherries – Use tart pitted cherries and make sure they are fresh.
- Berries – Blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries are our favorites. Not only do they taste delicious in this cake, but they also add a beautiful stripe of color to the cake.
How to Store Farmers Cheesecake
Apricot farmers cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen. This means that it is a perfect make-ahead cake, as the flavors continue to develop the longer it sets. Below, find some quick storage tips to keep your cake fresher for longer.
- Refrigerating: Store apricot farmers cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for up to a week. Since the cake is quite delicate, avoid stacking the slices to prevent sticking.
- Freezing: Freeze apricot farmers cheesecake by placing the individual slices or whole cake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop the baking sheet into the freezer uncovered. Once frozen, transfer the cake to a freezer-safe plastic bag for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the cake in the fridge overnight.
FAQ
What’s the difference between cream cheese and farmers cheese?
Farmers cheese is a simple, small curd cheese, while cream cheese is a smooth, spreadable cheese made from milk and cream. Both are super simple to make and require no aging whatsoever.
What is another name for farmers cheese?
Lots of other cultures have their very own rendition of farmer’s cheese and each has its name. A couple of other kinds include queso blanco (Mexican-style), paneer (Indian-style), and quark (German-style).
Is farmers cheese a good melting cheese?
Yes, farmers cheese is a wonderful melting cheese. That said, it’s not packed with as much flavor as other good melting cheeses like cheddar or mozzarella, so it’s best used within baked goods.
What does farmers cheese taste like?
The flavor of farmers cheese is mostly mild, but often carries a bit of a tang (typically from lemon juice or lemon zest) and can be used within either sweet or savory dishes. You’ll find it used in a wide variety of Slavic cooking and baking.
What is farmers cheese used for?
Farmers cheese is used in so many different kinds of dishes ranging from savory pierogi to slightly sweet cakes. Much like cottage cheese or ricotta, it adds a creaminess to so many dishes without touting an overpowering flavor.
Other Farmers Cheese Recipes
- Farmer’s Cheese Doughnuts – Quick sweet and salty doughnuts
- Farmers Cheese Coffee Cake Recipe – Simple, slightly sweet cheesecake
- Puff Pastry Cheese Turnovers – Easy sweet cheese pastries
- Pierogi with Farmers Cheese – Sweet cheese dumplings with jam
Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 11 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 8 apricots fresh or canned
- 3 cups farmers cheese
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup potato starch
Instructions
- Pull the butter out of the fridge and let it soften at room temperature.
- Using a fork, combine the butter with 1/3 cup sugar. Whisk in three eggs.
- Add the flour and baking powder into the mixture and stir until all ingredients are well combined.
- Grab an 11-inch wide baking dish. Place the dough in the center. Using your fingers, work the dough to cover the inside of the baking dish, creating a deep dish crust.
- Cut the apricots in half and place them flesh side down at the bottom of the dish.
- Whisk 3 eggs until smooth. Add farmers cheese and potato starch into the beaten eggs. Whisk or beat with a mixer until the mixture is smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the heavy whipping cream with 1/2 cup sugar until you get stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the farmers cheese mixture.
- Spread the cheese mixture over the top of the apricots.
- Bake at 350°F for 60-75 minutes. Test doneness by touching the center. It should be on the firm side. Let the cake cool completely before serving.
How many inches in diameter was the Spring Form pan you used? Do you need to do a 'water bath' when baking the Farmer Cheesecake like other Cheesecake recipes?
Hey Robbie, we use 11 inch spring form pan for this recipe. No water bath is needed. 🙂 Enjoy!
Can use frozen apricots
Hi Clare, If you are asking if you can use frozen apricots, I think that can work. I would recommend that you thaw them out before using them for the best results. Thank you for reaching out. I hope this answers your question!
This is absolutely heavenly! Thanks for the easy recipe!!!
Hey Allyson- you're welcome! Enjoy!
This dessert was absolutely delicious! Perfect way to use my summer fruit.
Hey Laura- this cheesecake really is perfect for any ripe stone fruit! So glad you gave it a try.
What a delicious dessert. Simple flavors, and everyone devoured it! Glad I kept my springform pan around!
Hey Erin- thanks for giving it a try! A springform pan is a must for easy cheesecake making. Enjoy!
I did use almond flour keto crust and subbed keto sweetner for sugar. Ukrainian boyfriend could not stop eating it said was like home. Plus he loves when I make healthy. Me too!
I'm so glad these substitutions worked for you, I think this will be helpful to others. Thank you for the tips!
I see that you’re using a springform pan. Is it shorter than the normal 3” high size, or does it matter?
3 inches is tall enough. If you have a slightly different size. That’s totally fine.
I haven’t tried this yet, but if using fresh apricots, should they be peeled first? It’ll be on my weekend menu.
Hi Jeanne, I have never peeled apricots for this recipe. I think you should be ok without peeling them.
Used blueberries and raspberries and it turned out sooo good! Had to use corn starch since did not have potato starch. Very easy recipe! My boys loved it!!
Thank you!
Ulyana, this made me smile. I love it when kids enjoy the recipe, it makes me extra happy. Thanks for sharing!
Can’t wait to try the recipe, but I got whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream and I hope there won’t be much difference.
I think it should work but do report back!
This is so yummy! I can't wait to make this again!
Beth, thank you for sharing!
Loved that this wasn't super sweet! Was perfect for using our fresh apricots! So tasty and creamy!
Suzy, thank you! So good to hear.
I've never had this type of cheesecake before but it was amazing! Great recipe!
Thank you Stephanie! So happy to hear this!
Hi Natalya, Can I substitute almond flour for the regular one for the recipe? Thank you in advance! 🙂
I haven't tried using almond flour. I dont think it would work because almond flour has a completely different consistency. But if you know a good almond flour crust recipe you can use it here.
Can I by any chance do this with pineapple? ??:)
Hi, I have never tried using pineapple but I can totally see this working well. Let us know how it goes.
i meant recipe
hi , thank you for the receipt . i do have few questions : what can i use to substitute potato starch with ? 2. can I use sprouted flour instead ? thank you
I am not sure how sprouted flour would work. Maybe corn starch would work better. Honestly I can't tell you for sure what would work better.
i didn't explain my self well . I'm sorry . I was wondering if i can use sprouted flour instead of white flour , and the 2nd question was what I can substitute the potato starch with , or if I can skip it ? i made the recipe today , with sprouted flour instead of white and no potato starch cause i didn't have it in the house . I put 2 tbs of flour in the cheese filling . it didn't came out that good . the cheese took a long time to get firm , so bc i kept the cake to long in the oven , the crust it was kind of burned and hard . I will make it again , I will probably put less cheese . i don't want to use potato starch just bc is not that healthy in my opinion and that's why I asked if I can substitute with something else . thank you for the reply ! btw ! i loveee ur channel
Thank you! I hope it will work out next time for you.
Thank you Natasha ! I will have to try this ASAP but will use peaches because I have a lot of them. Thanks again!
Hi Tatyana, tell me how you like it with peaches. While fruits are in season I want to try it with a few different once.