Apple Streusel Cheesecake

You know the feeling, right? You’re totally craving a creamy cheesecake, but you also don’t want to miss out on cozy, fruity apples and a buttery crumb topping. That’s exactly why my Apple Streusel Cheesecake is the absolute perfect bake.

The creamy cheesecake layer pairs beautifully with the sweet apple filling and that crisp shortbread crust.

Plus, thanks to the Thermomix®, prepping this beauty is an absolute breeze.

You’re going to absolutely love this cake because it’s:

• the ultimate mashup of apple pie and cheesecake
• topped with a wonderfully crunchy streusel crumble
• super easy to whip up thanks to the Thermomix®
• perfectly portioned for a small baking sheet (or quarter sheet pan)
• extra creamy thanks to the sour cream and cream cheese
• the perfect make-ahead dessert for your next get-together
• totally adaptable to bake on a standard baking sheet, too
• just straight-up delicious!

My Top Prep Tips

Since the amount of shortbread crust dough is a little too much for the Thermomix® to handle all at once, it’s best to make the dough in two batches. Just whisk the egg in a small bowl or mug, and add half of it (about 25g) to the mixing bowl for each batch.

You’ll save so much time on dishes with this recipe! There’s absolutely no need to wash the mixing bowl between making the dough, the cheesecake batter, and the apple filling.

Make sure to whisk the half packet of vanilla pudding mix thoroughly with 50g of water in a small bowl first. This ensures your apple filling is perfectly smooth and clump-free.

I highly recommend serving the finished cake with a generous drizzle of warm vanilla sauce—it seriously takes it to the next level and tastes absolutely incredible.

Can I make this cake ahead of time and store leftovers?

Yes, this cake is actually perfect for making ahead of time! Once it’s baked and cooled, just cover it tightly and pop it in the fridge. Thanks to the creamy cheesecake layer, it stays incredibly moist and tastes just as amazing (if not better!) the next day or two.

Variations & Substitutions

Using a different baking pan: This recipe is optimized for a smaller baking pan (about 12×8 inches), which makes the cake about 1.5 inches thick. You can totally bake this on a standard half-sheet pan instead. It’ll just turn out a lot thinner, so you’ll want to cut the baking time down by about 10 to 15 minutes.

Here’s What You Need for This Apple Streusel Cheesecake

For the Shortbread Crust:

• 250 g cold butter, cubed
• 250 g granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 500 g all-purpose flour
• 1 packet vanilla sugar (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
• 1 packet baking powder (about 1 tbsp)

For the Cheesecake Filling:

• 500 g quark (farmer’s cheese or whole milk ricotta work great, too!)
• 300 g cream cheese
• 200 g sour cream
• 1 egg
• 200 g granulated sugar
• 1 packet vanilla pudding mix (37 g)

For the Apple Filling:

• 600 g apples (weighed after peeling)
• A splash of lemon juice
• 20 g granulated sugar
• 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 packet vanilla sugar

½ packet vanilla pudding mix (whisked with 50g water)

How to Make Apple Streusel Cheesecake

First things first, line a small baking pan (about 12×8 inches or 30×20 cm) with parchment paper and grease the sides. Make sure to preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) standard bake so it’s ready to go!

For the shortbread crust, start by adding half of your ingredients (125g butter, 125g sugar, ½ an egg, 250g flour, ½ a packet of vanilla sugar, and ½ a packet of baking powder) to the mixing bowl. Blend for 30 sec. / speed 5 until it forms a nice crumbly streusel. Then, just repeat this exact same step with the remaining half of your ingredients.

Take the first batch of dough and press it firmly into your prepared baking sheet to form the bottom crust. Set that second batch aside for a bit—those will be our streusel topping! And good news: there’s no need to wash out the mixing bowl for the next step.

Now, add the quark, cream cheese, sour cream, egg, sugar, and the whole packet of vanilla pudding mix to the mixing bowl. Blend it all together for 50 sec. / speed 4 until you have a beautifully smooth cream. Spread this creamy mixture evenly right over your shortbread crust. And guess what? Still no need to rinse out that mixing bowl!

For the apple filling, peel and core your apples, then dice them into small cubes. Toss those apple pieces into the mixing bowl along with the lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla sugar.

Whisk the remaining half packet of pudding mix with 50g of water until it’s perfectly smooth, and pour it in with the apples. Let everything cook down for 7 min. / 100°C / Reverse / speed 1. Once that’s done, spoon the warm apple filling in an even layer over your cheesecake base.

Finally, grab those streusel crumbles we set aside earlier and sprinkle them generously all over the top of the cake. Bake it on the lower rack of your oven for about 55 minutes, or until the streusel topping is perfectly golden brown and crispy.

Enjoy!

I hope you have the absolute best time baking and enjoying this cozy treat!

If you loved this, you might also want to check out this recipe: Apple Cake

Yours, Christoph

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