Sernik

Sernik is the Polish cheesecake, a dessert built on sweetened twaróg, a fresh drained curd cheese. It is a standard cake in Polish home baking and in cake shops.

What it really is

Sernik is made by beating twaróg with egg yolks, sugar and often butter or sour cream, then folding in whipped egg whites or adding a little semolina or potato starch to set the filling. The filling is spread over a base of shortcrust or crumbled sweet dough, sometimes with raisins, and baked until just firm. Versions differ in texture: the baked style is dense and slightly crumbly, while the lighter type uses more whipped egg white.

Unlike the New York style, which relies on cream cheese and is often baked in a water bath, sernik is built on the drier, more granular curd cheese typical of Poland and Central Europe. Sernik krakowski, the Kraków version, has a plain shortcrust base and a surface that browns lightly. Sernik na zimno, the chilled type, is set with gelatine and is not baked.

How it's served

• Served cut into slices at room temperature, usually with coffee or tea.
• Often dusted with icing sugar before serving.
• Common in cafés and at family celebrations such as Easter, where it appears on the festive table.
• Eaten as a dessert or afternoon cake, not as a savoury course.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the cheese: write "sernik made with twaróg" (fresh curd cheese), since guests may expect cream cheese.
• List the allergens: contains eggs, milk, and wheat in the base (shortcrust or sweet dough).
• State the style if it matters: baked (sernik klasyczny) or chilled and set with gelatine (sernik na zimno).
• Note any raisins or added fruit, such as sour cherries or orange peel, if included.