Layered Cottage Cheese Cake with Apricots
A three-layer Eastern European-style cake combining cocoa sponge, creamy cottage cheese filling, and fresh apricots. The dense curd layer is stabilized with vanilla pudding and balanced with apricot pieces throughout. Baked until golden, cooled in the pan, then dusted with powdered sugar for a rustic finish.
Ingredients
- 2 glass wheat flour
- ½ glass sugar
- ½ glass sunflower oilvegetable oil1:1neutral-oilFull guide →
- 1 glass milkapricot yogurt1:1dairy;yogurtFull guide →
- 1 pack baking powder
- 2 pieces chicken eggsquail eggs1 quail=0.5 chickenvegan;egg-free
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 ¼ lb apricots, washed and pittedplums1:1stone-fruitFull guide →
- 4 ½ cups cottage cheesericotta1:1dairyFull guide →
- 3 pieces chicken eggsquail eggs1 quail=0.5 chickenvegan;egg-free
- 3 ½ tbsp butter, softened
- 1 pack vanilla pudding
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- milk, to adjust filling consistency(optional)apricot yogurt1:1dairy;yogurtFull guide →
Instructions
- 1
Sift flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder together and mix
- 2
Beat eggs with sugar until combined
- 3
Add sunflower oil and milk to the egg mixture and stir
- 4
Add flour and cocoa mixture and mix thoroughly
- 5
Wash apricots, remove seeds, and halve or quarter depending on size
- 6
For the filling, rub softened butter with a spoonful of sugar until combined
- 7
Add eggs and remaining sugar to butter and beat
- 8
Add cottage cheese and vanilla pudding to the mixture and mix
- 9
Add milk gradually until the filling reaches a consistency similar to the dough
- 10
Line a baking form with baking paper
- 11
Pour half the dough into the form and flatten
- 12
Spread the curd filling on top and smooth with a water-dampened spoon
- 13
Arrange apricots over the filling
- 14
Spread the remaining dough on top using a water-dampened spoon
- 15
Bake at 180 degrees until a match inserted comes out clean, approximately 45 to 55 minutes, reducing temperature to 170 degrees if needed
- 16
Cool the cake in the mold, then remove
- 17
Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar
Tips
Use an electric blender to beat eggs and sugar more efficiently than manual whisking
A match or toothpick works as an effective doneness test for this cake
Apricot yogurt can substitute for milk to adjust the filling consistency and add complementary flavor
Good to Know
Cool completely. Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerated up to 5 days.
Assemble and refrigerate unbaked up to 8 hours, then bake. Baked cake can be frozen up to 1 month.
Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip water-dampening the spoon when spreading filling and dough to prevent tearing and uneven layers
Do not skip the doneness check at 45 minutes to avoid overbaking and drying out the sponge layers