This homemade tvorog (farmers cheese) and gelatin cheesecake is the perfect dessert for a Sunday family dinner. The luscious cheese filling—studded with chocolate chunks, peanuts, and candied fruits—sits inside a crisp chocolate shortcrust pastry and is crowned with delicate, fluffy whipped cream. This combination of textures creates a true gastronomic celebration! I used sheet gelatin for this recipe, but if you prefer powdered gelatin, simply bloom one tablespoon of it in a small amount of cold water for half an hour beforehand. The aroma of freshly baked cocoa and the tenderness of homemade farmers cheese will quickly make this dessert a favorite in your household.
This delicate and impressive farmers cheese and gelatin cheesecake is ready to serve. The perfect harmony of a crisp chocolate crust and an airy, creamy filling.
Shortcrust Pastry Ingredients:
- 100 g butter
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 170 g all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 30 g cocoa powder
- A pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cheese Filling Ingredients:
- 300 g tvorog (farmers cheese)
- 50 g powdered sugar
- 130 ml light cream (20% fat)
- 4 sheets of gelatin
- 100 g milk chocolate
- 50 g blanched peanuts
- 50 g candied fruits
- A pinch of vanilla extract or powder
Garnish Ingredients:
- 200 g heavy cream (33% fat)
- 15 g powdered sugar
How to Make Tvorog and Gelatin Cheesecake
Let’s make the chocolate shortcrust pastry. Soften the butter until it reaches a thick, creamy consistency. Beat the butter with sugar, add the egg and a pinch of fine salt, then mix everything thoroughly. Next, add the dry ingredients to the bowl: all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and ground cinnamon. Knead the dough, shape it into a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Let’s start with the base: whisk together the dry ingredients to create our fragrant chocolate shortcrust pastry.
Place the chilled chocolate dough on a sheet of parchment paper lightly greased with olive oil. Roll it out into an even layer about 3 millimeters (1/8 inch) thick. Transfer the dough, along with the parchment paper, directly into your baking pan.
Carefully press the rolled dough into your baking pan to form the sturdy base of our future dessert.
Gently press the dough with your hands, fitting it snugly against the sides of the pan, and trim away any excess. Prick the bottom generously with a fork to prevent air pockets and bubbles from forming during baking.
Trim the excess overhanging dough and prick the bottom generously with a fork to prevent air bubbles from forming in the oven.
Line the dough with another sheet of parchment paper and fill it with raw buckwheat, dried beans, or peas. This technique is called blind baking—weighing the dough down ensures the cheesecake crust bakes evenly and maintains a perfectly smooth shape.
Using pie weights, dried beans, or buckwheat helps the crust keep its perfectly even shape while baking.
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the crust with the weights for 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven, carefully take out the parchment and weights, and bake the empty shell for another 5-6 minutes. The finished chocolate crust must cool completely to room temperature before we begin assembling the cheesecake.
Allow the crust to cool completely. Our crispy chocolate shell is now ready to be filled with the delicate cheese mixture.
Now, let’s prepare the cheese filling. Rub the tvorog (farmer’s cheese) with powdered sugar until perfectly smooth, or beat it thoroughly with a mixer for a silkier texture.
Rub the farmer’s cheese until perfectly smooth to ensure the cheesecake filling turns out as tender and silky as possible.
Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for a few minutes until soft, then squeeze out the excess moisture. Dissolve the softened gelatin in slightly warmed cream, stir well, and fold this creamy mixture into the farmer’s cheese.
Combine the farmer’s cheese with the cream and dissolved gelatin—this will give the dessert its stable, sliceable structure.
Chop the milk chocolate bar into small cubes and fold them gently into the cheese mass.
Add chopped milk chocolate pieces to create a wonderful flavor and texture contrast inside the cheesecake.
Coarsely chop the blanched peanuts, or feel free to substitute with any other nuts you prefer.
Coarsely chopped peanuts will bring a delightful crunch and extra richness to our cheese layer.
Add diced candied fruits, candied cherries, or dried cranberries. Stir the filling well. It will seem quite liquid at this stage, but don’t worry—it will set beautifully.
Bright berries or candied fruits not only make the sliced cheesecake look gorgeous but also add a pleasant tartness.
Pour the filling into the prepared chocolate crust and refrigerate the cheesecake for several hours. I strongly advise against removing the cheesecake from the pan at this stage, as the sides of the crust might soften and the filling could leak out before the gelatin fully sets.
Pour the prepared filling into the baked crust. The cheesecake now needs time in the refrigerator for the gelatin to set properly.
Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar for a few minutes until fluffy. Once the cheese filling has completely set, garnish your cheesecake with the whipped cream, extra chocolate, and fresh berries.
The final touch is a generous garnish of whipped cream. Now our farmer’s cheese and gelatin cheesecake looks absolutely flawless.
To make your farmers cheese and gelatin cheesecake look like it came from a high-end patisserie, try experimenting with the presentation. Instead of standard peanuts, you can use caramelized hazelnuts or toasted almond slices, and consider adding a little lemon zest to the filling for a bright, fresh aroma. If you prefer a lighter finish, swap the whipped cream for a layer of vibrant berry jelly, or simply garnish the top with fresh raspberries and mint right before serving.
Be sure to store this dessert in the refrigerator, as the gelatin-based filling is sensitive to room temperature. If you have leftover slices the next day, don't worry—after a night in the cold, the flavors of chocolate, nuts, and cheese will become even more balanced and intense. The main secret to success here lies in using high-quality, full-fat tvorog (farmers cheese): the smoother you rub it, the silkier the texture of your cheesecake will be.
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