Käsekuchen is Germany’s answer to cheesecake, and it is a dish all of its own. Where American cheesecake is heavy and dense with cream cheese, the German version is built on quark – and that changes everything. The filling turns taller, lighter and almost soufflé-like, while a crisp shortcrust base with a tall edge all the way round holds it all together.
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In the air fryer, the cake bakes at a gentle 150 °C for 45 minutes, and the low temperature is actually an advantage: the filling sets slowly without cracking on top. With 25 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of chilling time for the dough, you end up with a finished cake after 100 minutes – and then it is just a matter of choosing between caramel sauce or fresh berries.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents:
Why I love Käsekuchen in the air fryer
The air fryer has become my favourite way to bake this particular cake. The heat circulates closely around the tin, giving a drier, crisper shortcrust base than a regular oven usually delivers – especially along the tall edge, where the dough otherwise tends to turn soft from the moist filling.
At the same time, 150 °C is low enough to let the quark filling rise gently. It is precisely this low temperature that gives the tall, even surface without the large crack in the middle that many know from oven-baked cheesecakes.
Why quark and not cream cheese?
Quark has a lower fat content and higher water content than cream cheese, and that changes the character of the cake completely. It is easier to whip air into the filling, it rises more during baking, and the flavour is fresher and tangier. That said, quark is more sensitive to high heat, and that is the whole reason the temperature has to stay down at 150 °C.
My kitchen test: Käsekuchen
I have baked the cake in my Philips XXL, where an 18 cm springform tin fits without the top getting too close to the heating element. 150 °C and 45 minutes is the setting I have landed on after several attempts: the edge is set and golden, while the centre still has a slight wobble when the tin comes out.
I found out the hard way that the 30 minutes of chilling time for the dough are necessary. The first time, I skipped them, and the soft dough slid down the side of the tin during baking, so the tall edge ended up at half height. With cold dough, the edge stays exactly where you put it. In total, the cake takes 100 minutes: 25 minutes of preparation, 30 minutes of chilling and 45 minutes of baking.
Take the cake out while the centre still has a slight wobble. It finishes setting as it cools – bake it until the centre is completely firm, and the filling turns dry and floury.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is using warm or room-temperature dough. The dough becomes sticky to work with, the edge slides down during baking, and the base turns chewy instead of crisp – give it the 30 minutes in the fridge, and the problem disappears on its own. The second classic mistake is whipping the filling too hard: the more air you whip into the quark, the more the cake rises in the air fryer, and the more it sinks afterwards. Stir only until the mixture is smooth, and stop there. The third mistake is turning up the temperature to save time. Käsekuchen needs to bake at 150 °C, and if you go higher, the edge of the shortcrust burns before the centre has even set, while the surface cracks at the same time.
How to serve Käsekuchen
The cake works both warm and cold, and it is the accompaniments that decide whether it feels rustic or elegant:
- Caramel sauce poured over the warm cake, just before it is sliced
- Fresh berries such as raspberries, blueberries or blackberries with a touch of icing sugar
- A spoonful of whipped cream or crème fraîche for a tangy contrast
- Compote of rhubarb or plums, if the sweetness needs balancing
- A cup of black coffee – the German afternoon classic Kaffee und Kuchen
Storage and reheating
Käsekuchen benefits from a night in the fridge, where the filling sets completely and the flavour settles. Cover the cake loosely or place it in an airtight container, and it will keep chilled for three to four days. To warm it up again, give it five minutes in the air fryer at 150 °C without the topping – the caramel and berries go on afterwards. The cake can also be frozen in cut slices and thawed in the fridge overnight.
Käsekuchen is the kind of cake that gets better when you do not rush it. Give the dough its chilling time, keep the temperature down, and you end up with a tall, creamy quark cake on a crisp base – every time.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but then it is no longer a Käsekuchen in the classic sense. Cream cheese gives a heavier, more compact filling that does not rise nearly as much. If you want to keep the light texture, you can replace just half the quark with cream cheese.
Cracks are almost always caused by too much heat or too much air in the filling. Stick to 150 °C, stir the filling only until it is smooth, and take the cake out while the centre still has a slight wobble. Then let it cool slowly at room temperature, away from draughts.
It depends on the model, but a 16–18 cm springform tin fits in most larger air fryers. Measure the basket on the inside and subtract a couple of centimetres, so the air can circulate all the way around the tin. If your basket is too small, you can divide the filling into smaller tins and shorten the baking time accordingly.
Recipe
Käsekuchen in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Step 1:
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Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
Prices may vary depending on where you shop.
Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Springform 18 cm - Must be able to stand freely in the basket
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Grater - For the lemon zest
- 1 Bagepapir (til airfryer)
Shopping list
Ingredients
Shortcrust base
- 175 g wheat flour
- 60 g sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 100 g cold butter (In small cubes)
- 1 pcs egg
Quark filling
- 500 g quark (9% fat, well drained)
- 110 g sugar
- 2 pcs egg
- 30 g cornflour
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar
- 100 ml whipping cream
- 1 pcs lemon (Finely grated zest and 1 tbsp juice)
Topping
- 100 ml caramel sauce (Or 200 g fresh berries)
How to make it
Shortcrust base
- Mix 175 g wheat flour, 60 g sugar, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt in a mixing bowl.
- Rub 100 g cold butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add 1 pcs egg and quickly bring the dough together into a ball without kneading it.
- Cover the dough with cling film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes, so the butter turns completely cold again.
- Line the bottom of an 18 cm springform tin with baking paper. Press the dough into the bottom and up the side, so you get a tall, even edge all the way round. Prick the bottom with a fork and place the tin in the fridge while you make the filling.
Quark filling
- Stir 500 g quark together with 110 g sugar and 2 tsp vanilla sugar until completely smooth.
- Add 2 pcs egg one at a time, then stir in 30 g cornflour, 100 ml whipping cream and the finely grated zest and juice from 1 pcs lemon. Stir only until the mixture comes together, as too much air causes cracks.
- Pour the quark mixture into the cold shortcrust base and smooth the surface with a dough scraper.
Baking in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 150 °C fan.
- Place the tin in the middle of the basket and bake the cake at 150 °C for 45 minutes. Loosely lay a piece of baking paper over the top after 30 minutes if the surface gets too dark. The cake is done when the edge is set and the centre still has a slight wobble.
- Turn off the air fryer and let the cake sit for 10 minutes in the closed basket before taking it out. Then let it cool completely in the tin and chill it for at least 2 hours, so the filling sets.
Serving
- Loosen the edge with a thin knife, remove the springform ring and cut the cake into slices. Serve with 100 ml caramel sauce or fresh berries.
Our notes for the recipe
Let the quark drain in a sieve for 15 minutes if it seems wet. A firmer filling rises more evenly and cracks less. Don’t open the air fryer for the first 30 minutes, as big temperature swings will make the cake sink in the middle. Variation:
Swap the caramel sauce for fresh berries, a thin layer of jam, or crème fraîche stirred with a little icing sugar. A couple of tablespoons of raisins folded into the quark mixture give a more classic German version. Serving:
Serve the cake cold or at room temperature with caramel sauce or fresh berries, and a dollop of whipped cream if you like. Serving size:
This recipe is designed for an 18 cm springform tin that fits in most air fryer baskets. Measure your basket first, so there’s room for air circulation all the way around the tin.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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