Light-as-air Israeli cheesecake with crumb topping

Israeli cheesecake is light, tangy and airy recipe. It requires no baking and only 10 minutes of work for a fluffy Israeli-style cake. The secret to this incredible cheese cake is one ingredient - but if you can't find "gvina levana" (white cheese), I've got the perfect substitution for you!

Inspiration

I'm in the small, cool kitchen of my parents' old apartment. The sun is beating through the side window, exposing all the dust bunnies that are making their way through the air, heating up the countertops. I walk around in shorts and a tank top, my feet bare across the cold marble floor.

Despite all this, beads of sweat gather at the back of my neck as I pull the Israeli cheesecake out of the fridge, my mind clouding with visions of dropped cakes and spilled disasters. Yet I manage to take it out safely, to rest it on the table undisturbed.

As I take out a knife and cut out a big, tall piece of Israeli cheesecake, my lips curl into an involuntary smile: I can already imagine its tangy, cloud-like taste.

Some of you may think you know cheesecake. You've had it a million times at breakfast buffets, brunches, Sunday dinners. You are used to its baked custard texture, to the soggy bottom, to the heavy, cloying feeling it leaves in your mouth. Some of you may love it, but many of you don't. In most cases, you stay away from it for fear it will go straight to your hips, your thighs, your stomach.

Well, my friends, I'm here to tell you that you don't know jack. And if you know Jack, you sure as hell don't know cheesecake.

The first time I tasted cheesecake in the United States, as a 17-year-old girl on her first trip across the ocean, I thought they had got it wrong. There was no way that heavy syrup-drizzled baked monstrosity was the local version of my favourite confectionary creation. I felt sorry for myself, for having to eat it, and sorry for others, for not knowing what a joy eating a cold piece of chilled Israeli cheesecake could be.

Because Israeli cheesecake is nothing like the cheesecakes of North America. In place of the cream cheese-sugar-egg bricks of your nightmares, Israeli cheesecake is light, tangy and airy, like a dip in a cool pool on a hot summer's day. It involves no baking, just a lengthy rest in a cold fridge, and requires about 10 minutes of active work. And the result - a cake as light as air, with a zesty aftertaste and a buttery crumb topping - is so much more than you could ever want from a cheesecake. It's a dream come true, and delivered to you in the form of a beautiful slice of cake.

Since then, I have tried (and made) many many more cheesecakes! From cranberry cheesecake and raspberry ricotta cheesecake for Shavuot, to my no-bake vegan mango cheesecake and passionfruit cheesecake!

Ingredients for my Israeli Cheesecake

• Cookies - I love to use French Petit Beurre Biscuits, English tea biscuits or even Graham Crackers, broken into pieces. If you prefer a gluten-free crust, check out my flaky gluten free crust.
• Almonds - optional; if allergic to nuts, sub for more biscuits.
• High fat yogurt - the best to use here is Mediterranean style, Balkan style or any yogurt that is around 10% fat. If you can't find it, use ricotta cheese, quark cheese, or 5% Philadelphia cream cheese in a pinch.

See recipe card for more details.

Directions for Make My Israeli Cheesecake

Drain the cheese

If using 10% yogurt, ricotta cheese, or quark cheese, drain them in a colander covered with cheesecloth for a few hours or overnight. This step helps remove excess moisture and ensures a firmer texture for the cake.

Prepare the crust 

In a food processor, process the cookies along with almonds until they are finely ground. The addition of almonds is optional, and if you have a nut allergy, you can substitute them with an equal amount of additional biscuits.

Transfer the ground biscuits and almonds into a mixing bowl, or continue working in the food processor. Add the melted butter and stir until the mixture is well combined and lumps are formed. It may be easier to gauge the texture by stirring the mixture with clean hands. This crumb mixture will form the base crust of the cheesecake.

Line the crust

To ensure easy removal of the baked cranberry cheesecake, line a springform pan with parchment paper. This will help lift the cheesecake out of the pan without damaging the delicate edges. Any pan with a diameter of 9-inch / 23cm or larger can be used; however, using an 8-inch pan will result in a taller cake.

Press about two-thirds of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the prepared springform pan, creating a firm and even crust layer.

Make the creamy filling

Using either a hand-held blender or a standing blender, whip the whipping cream, sugar, and instant vanilla pudding until a stable cream is formed. This process will incorporate air into the mixture and create a fluffy texture.

Add the high-fat sour cream, drained yogurt (or cheese alternative), and the zest of one orange or one lemon. Continue blending until the mixture is smooth and well combined. The citrus zest will add a refreshing and aromatic note to the filling.

Assemble and chill the cheesecake

Pour the creamy filling mixture into the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly over the crust layer. The filling should cover the crust entirely.

To complete the baked Israeli cheesecake, sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture on top of the filling, creating a delicious crumbly topping.

Place the assembled cheesecake in the refrigerator and allow it to chill for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. This extended chilling time will ensure that the cheesecake sets properly and achieves the desired firmness.

Accompanying dishes

You can serve this cheesecake at the end of a dairy meal for a holiday like Shavuot, or for a summer weekend.

Start with Homemade Labaneh Balls or a baked feta dip for a creamy and tangy appetizer. For Mediterranean flavors, try the Copycat Aroma Espresso Bar Fried Halloumi Salad Recipe. Add a refreshing touch with the Endive salad with mozzarella, pecans and pomegranate seeds. For a vegetable option, enjoy Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with Feta, Pomegranate and Balsamic. Seafood lovers can savor Fire-grilled Nordic salmon or Cast-iron pan-fried Sockeye salmon. Catering to vegan or gluten-free diets, serve Vegan pasta primavera or Baked feta pasta with blood orange and olives. These dishes will perfectly complement the flavors of the baked cranberry cheesecake, ensuring a memorable and satisfying meal experience.

Recipe

Tried and loved this recipe? Please leave a 5-star review below! Your reviews mean a lot to me, so if you've got any questions, please let me know in a comment.

Light-as-air Israeli cheesecake with crumb topping

Ksenia Prints

Israeli cheesecake is light, tangy and airy, like a dip in a cool pool on a hot summer's day. It requires no baking and only 10 minutes of work. What makes Israeli cheesecake so light is the use of a special low fat cheese, called simply 'White Cheese' (gvina levana). I have used 10% fat yogurt here in its stead, and loved the result. If you can't find 10% yogurt, you can also use low-fat ricotta, quark cheese, or even 5% Philadelphia cream cheese, though that would be my last choice.

4.93 from 52 votes

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Prep Time 1 day d

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 day d 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Israeli

Servings 8 -10

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 200 g vanilla petit beurre biscuits or Graham Crackers broken into pieces
• 100 g almonds optional; if you're allergic to nuts, use another 100 grams of biscuits
• 100 g butter melted
• 500 ml whipping cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 80 g instant vanilla pudding
• 200 ml high-fat sour cream
• 500 grams 10% yogurt Mediterranean style/ ricotta cheese/ quark cheese/ 5% Philadelphia cream cheese
• Zest of one orange or one lemon

Instructions

 

• If using 10% yogurt, ricotta cheese or quark cheese, drain them in a colander covered with cheesecloth for a few hours, or even overnight.
• Process biscuits and almonds in a food processor until they are finely ground. Mix in melted butter, and stir until well combined and lumps are formed (I found that stirring with clean hands worked best, and it helps to gauge the texture).
• Line a springform pan with parchment paper for ease of removal (you can use anything 9"/23cm and over; 8" will produce a very tall cake) . Cover the bottom with ⅔ of the crumb batter, making a crust.
• Using a hand-held blender or a standing blender, whip whipping cream, sugar and vanilla pudding until a stable cream is formed. Add sour cream, drained yogurt and citrus zest, and continue blending until stable. Pour mixture into cake form, and top with remaining crumb mixture.
• Cool in fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or ovenight.

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